Kenya holds Global Development Initiative seminar to forge consensus on inclusive growth

NAIROBI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Thursday hosted a seminar to discuss the Chinese-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) and its pivotal role in promoting fair, inclusive, and green growth.

The event, which was held in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, brought together senior government officials, diplomats, representatives of multilateral agencies, scholars, and industry executives.

Musalia Mudavadi, Kenyan prime cabinet secretary and cabinet secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, said the government has aligned itself with the GDI and its rallying call for a people-centered growth agenda.

"Kenya believes in the vision and the objectives of this initiative, in particular the focus of providing a platform bringing together countries and other partners to share ideas in support of the realization of Agenda 2030," Mudavadi said in a speech read on his behalf by Lucy Kiruthu, deputy director-general for political and diplomatic affairs in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

Mudavadi added that the GDI promotes inclusiveness in planning and in identifying priority projects in line with the evolving needs of developing countries across health, education, water, sanitation, and agriculture sectors.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said that a spirit of consensus and cooperation was needed to help promote a fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable global development in the face of rising uncertainties.

The GDI, according to Guo, is a global public good that advances the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while offering a solid foundation for strengthening cooperation among Global South countries.

"The GDI advocates balanced development, calls for fair access to development opportunities and outcomes for different countries and groups," Guo said.

Stephen Jackson, United Nations resident coordinator for Kenya, said that the GDI presents a counterforce to challenges facing humanity, including the climate crisis, hunger, geopolitical tensions, and the digital divide.

"The GDI represents a timely, visionary, and necessary response to these challenges," Jackson said.

It places people at the center of modernization and aligns closely with the 2030 Agenda's priorities of poverty eradication, food security, climate action, and equitable growth, he added.