A celebration was held in Beijing to commemorate the 79th United Nations Day and the 45th anniversary of the UN's development presence in China.

The event on Tuesday was attended by over 170 high-level guests, including representatives from the Chinese government, UN member states, leaders of the UN in China, and invited partners from academia, business, civil society and other relevant sectors.

During a global video message played at the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "Hope requires all countries working as one. Hope requires the United Nations. On United Nations Day, I call on all countries to keep this beacon for the world, and its ideals, shining."

When addressing the event attendees, Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations resident coordinator in China, called for action on the Pact for the Future recently adopted at the UN Summit of the Future.

He also called for accelerated global progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Assistant Foreign Minister Miao Deyu attended and addressed the event, and he highlighted China's increasing support for the UN's role in international affairs.