UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday affirmed the UN's supportive role in helping its member states gain from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

At his first press conference in 2019, the UN chief said the role played by the United Nations in this five-year-old trade and infrastructure initiative is achieved through the good offices of the world body's country teams.

"When a country has a project linked to the Belt and Road initiative ..., it's the duty of our country teams to support that country in order to make sure that the project ... is well integrated into its economy," he said.

Breaking down the concept, the secretary-general said the project, as is linked to any other initiatives of development, has to be an effective progress that trickles down to the benefit of all the sectors of the member state's economy.

The UN country team exists in 131 countries, covering 165 countries where there are UN programs. It encompasses all the entities of the UN system that carry out operational activities for development, emergency, recovery and transition in these countries.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.