Interview: Building a community with a shared future matches UN goals: UN official

GENEVA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity is "a fantastic concept" for the world, and it matches what the UN intends to achieve, said a senior official with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Geoffrey Hamilton, head of the Cooperation and Partnerships section of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division in UNECE, said in an interview with Xinhua that the United Nations also wants "to create a shared community and a shared humanity."

Hamilton's group focuses on nurturing public-private partnerships. He spoke to Xinhua as the annual sessions of China's top legislative and political advisory bodies are underway in Beijing.

He said the UNECE is involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, seeing a lot of positivity, adding that the initiative is in line with the UN goals.

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to achieve policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes, thus building a new platform for international cooperation to create new drivers of growth.

"I see a very close similarity between the Belt and Road (Initiative) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as I believe both these initiatives are trying to improve the prosperity of the world and the future of the planet. It is a real win-win," said Hamilton.

He said "it is a very, very challenging agenda" and both have "very ambitious targets" that are realizable.

"We definitely need the support of countries like China," said the UNECE official.

He said the projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and SDGs "cost a huge amount of money" and China cannot raise that amount of cash "by itself," he said.

"Where the private sector is asked to provide inputs to its finances, I think it is a very sensible approach and a very necessary one" for both the Belt and Road Initiative and SDGs, said Hamilton.

He also said the Belt and Road projects would need to be feasible and acting to stimulate local economies.

"The business community -- both Chinese and foreign -- are very adept in assessing the viability of, and feasibility of projects," he said.

"I think with their contribution, the Belt and Road (Initiative) can be more successful," he added. Enditem