UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by China earlier this week during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus meeting, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.

"The secretary-general outlined it in his remarks that we released to you – underscored the importance of safeguarding the international system with the United Nations system at its core, an international order underpinned by international law, and he welcomed the Global Governance (Initiative)," Dujarric said in his daily briefing.

In his remarks at the SCO meeting in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Monday, Guterres welcomed the GGI and noted that it is anchored in multilateralism.

"As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we must strengthen international cooperation for the 21st century and always put people first," the UN chief said.

(Cover: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at UN Headquarters, New York, August 28, 2025. /VCG)