by Xinhua writers Shi Song, Ma Ruxuan

GENEVA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Global Governance Initiative underscores the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation while creating more opportunities and enhancing the voice of the Global South, David Fernandez Puyana, Permanent Observer of the University for Peace to the UN Office in Geneva, said in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Puyana noted that one of the greatest challenges facing the international community today is "the lack of trust between all the main nations." This trust deficit, he said, has placed the multilateral system under considerable strain, as it fundamentally depends on cooperation among states.

He stressed that reinforcing multilateralism and deepening cooperation are essential, as cooperation not only builds trust but also facilitates dialogue and helps safeguard peace.

Puyana highlighted that an important contribution China has made to global governance lies in advancing global development through its own domestic progress. He observed that China's development and modernization are marked by inclusiveness, with a strong focus on improving livelihoods, expanding access to public services, and respecting cultural diversity. China's remarkable achievement in poverty reduction, which has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, stands as a striking example, he added.

Building on this inclusive development model, Puyana said China's Global Governance Initiative similarly stresses "the importance of inclusiveness instead of confrontation." He described the initiative as a voice rooted in the UN Charter, reaffirming and supporting the core principles underpinning the international order established in 1945 - cooperation, dialogue, respect for state sovereignty, and a framework based on international law.

He noted that the initiative advocates equity and equality in dialogue among all UN member states and reinforces the United Nations as the central platform for global governance. In promoting multilateralism, he said, the initiative offers "more opportunities and more visibility to the Global South."

Founded in 1980 at the initiative of the Costa Rican government through a UN General Assembly resolution, the University for Peace is headquartered in San Jose, Costa Rica. Its mission is to promote peace education worldwide. ■