2nd LD Writethru: China plays crucial role in formulating historic global development plan: envoy

China made "important contributions" to the formulation of a draft blueprint for global sustainable development through 2030, a senior Chinese diplomat said here Sunday.

"China has attended the whole negotiation process in a constructive manner," Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said to reporters after negotiators from the 193 UN members reached the deal.

Devised to redefine how the global community works together to tackle poverty and improve living standards while protecting the environment, the document will be adopted at a UN summit in September.

"China is also very active in putting forward Chinese proposals," Wang said, adding that during the two-year talks China strived to promote unity among and safeguard the common interest of developing nations while working hard to help all the parties concerned bridge their gaps.

Therefore, he said, "China has made important contributions to the global efforts in reaching a fair, inclusive and sustainable post-2015 development agenda."

The plan, known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, calls on countries and their citizens to respect and safeguard the planet, and recognizes that sound management of natural resources is the foundation of economic and social development.

The draft document outlines 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on issues ranging from poverty, gender equality and economic development to climate change and ocean resource protection.

The SDGs are universal goals that will commit all countries to take action both within their own borders and in support of wider international efforts. Individual national commitments must add up to a worldwide result that helps all people and ensures a healthy environment.

The new goals are to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight anti-poverty targets supposed to be reached by the end of this year.

"The agreement includes important proposals by China and many other developing countries in numerous aspects, thus mirroring strong will of the international community in the efforts to work hard for win-win cooperation and common development," Wang said.

"The agreement also lays a sound foundation for a successful summit on development in September," he said, referring to the Summit on Development at the UN Headquarters, where world leaders are expected to adopt the post-2015 development agenda.

"China looks forward to the successful adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda at the UN Summit on Development, and this will help promote the international community to further focus on the development agenda and create a better international environment for the development of developing countries and the common prosperity of the world," Wang said. Endi