Your Excellency Mr. Chen Xiaodong,
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It is a pleasure to join you at this Forum on Global Action for Shared Development. The discussion is timely and targeted. From the previous speeches today, I heard one common strong voice: that development must return to the top of the global agenda. I could not agree more.

We are gathering at a moment when global development is under pressure. Nearly half of the Sustainable Development Goals targets are progressing too slowly and about 18% are even regressing. Developing countries are facing a financing gap of $4 trillion per year. At the same time, climate change is accelerating and the digital divide is widening. Geopolitical tensions are generating adverse development impacts. These pressures are compounded by constrained fiscal space, limited private capital participation and fragmented global efforts.

Addressing these daunting challenges calls for global action. “Transfer of real resources to developing countries” is a slogan that prevailed decades ago. It still matters for today’s development. This means mobilizing long-term capital, financing infrastructure and other productive sectors, strengthening coordination and focusing on results.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank devoted to such actions.

Multilateralism is the foundation of our institution. As a multilateral development bank with a membership that spans regions and a governance structure in which developing economies hold the majority of votes, we are designed to support international cooperation for development, among Asian economies, and between Asia and other parts of the world.

We focus on infrastructure because it is much more than a physical asset; it is the foundation for economic and social transformation. Infrastructure makes markets more connected and larger, brings opportunities to people, enables technological innovation, facilitates industrialization, provides national, regional and global public goods, and therefore underpins long-term development.

In this context, I would like to acknowledge the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2021. It aims at convening multilateral actions to address the financing gap and implementation deficit and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

Multilateral institutions such as AIIB also have a critical role to play in this regard.

First, we serve as a platform for cooperation – bringing together countries, development partners and investors around shared priorities, and aligning efforts in a complex global landscape.

Second, we act as a catalyst for financing. Public resources alone will not be sufficient to meet today’s needs. Mobilizing private capital at scale requires strong credibility, sound project preparation and appropriate risk allocation, which multilateral institutions can provide. This is an area where multilateral development banks can make an essential contribution.

Third, we support innovation. Technology-enabled infrastructure is a vehicle for innovation – particularly in advancing green and digital technology solutions that respond to today’s development challenges.

Finally, we contribute to development knowledge and capacity of delivery – helping ensure that projects deliver lasting value. We are not teachers. We work together with our member economies to find solutions to development challenges through operational practice.

Partnership is essential for development. AIIB works closely with members, multilateral and bilateral development institutions, and private sector partners to mobilize finance, share expertise and support delivery on the ground.

Our cooperation with CIDCA reflects this approach. It demonstrates how different instruments and institutions can complement each other in support of sustainable development. Our joint work in Tajikistan is one example of how grant resources and multilateral financing can come together to deliver tangible results.

Looking ahead, three priorities stand out.

1. SDGs should continue to be at the center of global development efforts.
2. International cooperation is critical for achieving the SDGs.
3. Implementation is the key to translating commitments into projects, financing and results that bring about real changes in people’s lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At a time of uncertainty, development remains the most important agenda for international cooperation. AIIB is a committed practitioner of development cooperation. By working together, we can translate shared objectives into real results on the ground. A better world is not only possible, but can be built.

Thank you.