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The Sustainable Development Goals in China
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in China:
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12 September 2022
United We Stand to Achieve Sustainable Development
The world today faces a future that is in peril. Our challenges have become more complex and interconnected, as we see the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, an uneven economic recovery, a climate emergency, growing inequalities, and an increase in conflicts globally. This year also marks a grim milestone, with over 100 million people forcibly displaced.
These events accompany increasing division in the community of nations which threatens to push the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) further out of reach for the Global South.
Adding to these crises, rising food and energy prices driven by the conflict in Ukraine, could push 71 million people into poverty, according to UNDP. The Global South, typically comprised of countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, was already grappling with economic issues now exacerbated by the triple planetary crisis.
With limited resources, high vulnerability, and low resilience, people in the Global South will bear the brunt of our inaction, on climate and elsewhere. Solely depending on external aid from the Global North or G7 countries cannot be the panacea. Here, countries of the Global South can empower themselves and combine efforts to achieve sustainable development.
Cooperating to catalyse change
In the face of global threats, international cooperation remains vital, as highlighted by the International Day for South-South Cooperation. South-South cooperation seeks to complement traditional development models by throwing light on the transformations needed to deliver on priorities, including the SDGs. It offers possible solutions from Global South to Global South.
Countries of the Global South have contributed to more than half of global economic growth in recent times. Intra-South trade is higher than ever, accounting for over a quarter of world trade. It is time to further leverage these partnerships in the development space.
We already saw this while many countries were trying to obtain COVID-19 vaccines. Citizens of low and middle-income countries faced systemic discrimination in the global COVID-19 response, leaving millions without access to vaccines, tests, and treatments. India sent over 254.4 million vaccine supplies to nations across the world, under Vaccine Maitri – a vaccine export initiative.
Likewise, China has supplied over 200 million doses of vaccines to the COVAX Facility, in addition to providing millions of dollars in medical supplies to countries in the Global South, including in Africa, throughout the pandemic.
Informing partnership models with Africa & China
To advance development priorities, partnerships need to be rooted in shared interests that can lead to shared gains, as seen in traditional development models and assistance from the Global North. This dynamic needs to be at the core of the China-Africa relationship as well.
China, an economic powerhouse, has the potential to advance development in the Global South, especially in Africa, by bringing its experience, expertise, and resources to bear, and its assistance must advance both its interests and those of the countries where it operates.
Investments in shared goals are reflected in efforts by China to improve public health in Africa, including in the construction of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Ethiopia, and in clean energy, through projects such as the Kafue Lower Gorge Power Station in Zambia.
China promises to invest US$60 billion cumulatively in Africa by 2035, directed at agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, environmental protection, and the digital economy. This is most welcome, and those planned investments must answer the needs of the local economies and societies.
What works in one country may not work elsewhere, but true collaboration allows for learning from mistakes and sharing successes. This is where the UN’s expertise can ensure cooperation is demand-driven, in line with local expectations and needs, national development priorities, and relevant international norms and standards.
Platforms like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) can work to improve that essential partnership. This mechanism has identified shared priorities like climate change, agriculture/food systems, global health, and energy security, among others, between China and Africa.
For the first time in FOCAC’s history and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the UN in China is engaged as a strategic partner in this bilateral mechanism between China and Africa. The UN in China is continuing similar efforts in close consultation with relevant counterparts, including the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
For The Rockefeller Foundation, it is a nod to its legacy in China dating back to 1914, rooted in redesigning medical education to improve healthcare and its current priorities to advance Global South collaboration, especially in public health, food, and clean energy access—all global public goods.
Beyond the Global South: Action Together
With less than eight years to achieve the SDGs, truly international cooperation is our only hope. Emerging trends in technology and innovation can get us there, along with enhanced South-South cooperation efforts. But doing so requires us to “flip the orthodoxy”, as UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed advised.
The Ebola crisis is an example of where global cooperation, including South-South cooperation, enabled Sierra Leone to defeat the disease’s spread, notably through a brigade of 461 health workers sent to Sierra Leone to support their overburdened system. Later, other countries made similar efforts to support Sierra Leone and nearby countries, such as Guinea and Liberia. This example shows the potential of South-South cooperation, but also triangular cooperation and North-South partnerships. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are another mechanism for financing and capacity building.
This can be seen in Kenya, where the Government and the UN System convened an SDG Partnership Platform with companies such as Philips, Huawei, Safaricom, GSK, and Merck. The outcomes include a downward trend of maternal and child mortality in some of the country’s most remote regions. Similar PPPs can hold promise in unlocking global progress on the SDGs.
Today, while we face a more volatile world, the spirit of South-South cooperation shows a core value that we need: solidarity. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The last two years have demonstrated a simple but brutal truth - if we leave anyone behind, we leave everyone behind”.
Deepali Khanna is Vice-President of the Asia Region Office at The Rockefeller Foundation. Siddharth Chatterjee is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China.
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22 April 2022
UN Volunteers ease accessibility to sexual and reproductive health
With an objective to eradicate poverty and achieve universal access in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), UNFPA, National Health Commission (NHC), and China Family Planning Association (CFPA) launched a 3-year project. This project aims to improve the SRHR among vulnerable populations in Qinghai and Shanxi Provinces in China.
The project mainly targets women and young people of ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups such as those below the poverty line, rural residents, and persons with disabilities. Among this group are the ones in three project sites at an altitude of over 4000 meters including Yushu City, which was heavily impacted by the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.
Aimin, a national UN Volunteer Project Coordinator, has worked on this project since 2019. She supports programme management in planning, management, reporting, and coordination with various stakeholders.
One aspect of the project aims to improve the capacity of local service providers – including midwives – so that local women and young people can access better information and quality health services.
"I am now more confident with my skills for providing quality care, and more women are willing to deliver in our hospital." - Cairen Sangji, one of the nine midwives who received a 3-month standardized midwifery training at Huaxi Medical University in 2020
So far, over 600 local service providers, health workers, and teachers have benefited from the capacity building and skill development training. After going back to their communities, these skills are not only empowering midwives but also making maternity care safe and respectful.
Aimin and her colleagues discovered that young people in project sites shared similar needs for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) but had limited access. Many factors contributed to this limitation – scarcely qualified teachers, less awareness, and cultural norms influenced people’s attitudes towards CSE.
Last year, over 1000 students who attended the CSE courses learned about the different aspects of sexual education – how to develop respectful social and sexual relationships, and where to turn for more information. It was a first for many – adults and adolescents – in Shanxi Province's Yushu and Yonghe project sites to get an education in CSE and hear experiences through seminars, workshops, and learning sessions.
Coming from an under-developed area in a remote province of Mongolia, Aimin feels fortunate to participate in a project that brings healthier living conditions for all. She is motivated to make a difference in people's lives, especially the ones who are coming from a similar background as her.
"Aimin has demonstrated a high level of initiative, organizational ability, and flexibility. She is a confident and direct communicator.” - WEN Hua, Programme Specialist, UNFPA
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19 July 2021
Happy 50th anniversary: What China and the UN can achieve together
China was one of the architects of the United Nations and was the first signatory of the UN Charter in San Francisco in 1945.
But it was only in October 1971, with the Chinese delegation led by Mr. Qiao Guanhua, that China's representation at the UN resumed. Since that time, the UN has had the great privilege of witnessing and supporting China in achieving one of the greatest periods of socio-economic progress in world history.
Now, on the 50th anniversary of the UN in China, I am honored to serve as the UN Resident Coordinator, a post I took earlier this year.
While I am a recent arrival to China, only just beginning to understand its rich tapestry of over 5,000 years of civilization, the UN in China has had the privilege to shape and witness the profound economic and social transformations that have occurred since reform and opening-up.
As we commemorate a half-century of cooperation, a question naturally emerges: Which way now for the UN and China?
This is a weighty question, as China and the world are at a critical juncture. Tentatively emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, but with many countries still struggling terribly. Staring down the threats of climate change, with record-setting heat, fires, storms, and other disasters. Counting down the years in this "Decade of Action" to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
China's standard-setting leadership in past decades gives me confidence that we can achieve even greater things in the years to come.
China's record-breaking economic development
In 1978, Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening-up policy began to transform the nation, as evidenced, for example, in Shenzhen, which changed from a fishing village on the Pearl River Delta into an international hub for research and innovation in a single generation.
And in 1979, China chose to accept development assistance from the UN, learning from its long experience in poverty alleviation and industrial and agricultural growth.
China's success in the more than 40 years since then has been nothing short of miraculous. During this time, China: Lifted over 750 million people out of absolute poverty; Invested in public health and education, investing in human capital thus making possible a happier and healthier workforce that contributed to economic productivity; Became the world's manufacturing centre, based on a growth model of foreign investments, resource-intensive manufacturing, cheap labour, and exports; Multiplied its per capita GDP from $180 in 1979 to an incredible $12,000 today.
The signs of this progress are evident not just in statistics, but in daily quality-of-life matters. Throughout China now lie the classic hallmarks of a market economy, with opulent shops from luxury brands, foreign and domestic.
A far cry from what I saw as a young boy growing up near Chinatown in my native Kolkata, India, though fondly remembered as a warren of alleys, narrow aisles of food markets, elderly men playing board games in parks, with Chinese characters on the signs overhead.
For example, in Beijing during the early 1980s, cabbage was often the only vegetable on menus. With help from the UN's development agency in China, availability at markets expanded - supporting the diversification of domestic vegetables and introducing new ones from abroad, such as broccoli.
This startling success is on track to continue. China's per capita GDP is projected to more than double by 2025, reaching over $25,000, adjusted for purchasing power. The country's surging economy is set to overtake 56 countries in the world's per-capita income rankings during the quarter-century through 2025, the International Monetary Fund projects.
No less an authority than Professor Jeffrey Sachs, a United Nations SDG Advocate and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, has called China an "inspiration" in stopping the pandemic and ending poverty.
This progress is all the more remarkable considering the hit that the pandemic has delivered to the global economy. China's generosity and leadership on this front are commendable. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the 9th World Peace Forum in Beijing "to build a 'Great Wall of Immunity' to battle the COVID-19 pandemic."
Still, challenges remain. As with any economy at this stage of development, the relentless pursuit of high growth is reaching its natural limits, and China faces new economic, social, and environmental challenges.
New priorities for agenda 2030 and beyond
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are meant to be achieved by the year 2030, and we are now in what is called "the Decade of Action." I see three areas for close cooperation at this critical juncture.
First, a new sustainable development model. The Government recognizes slower economic growth as the "new normal." Changing demographic, labour, and investment realities present China with new obstacles in addressing food security, pervasive inequalities, and cost-effectiveness in universal healthcare.
In a post-Xiaokang society, China needs to embrace innovations and services that drive equitable and inclusive progress, dealing with the legacies of rapid expansion to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind.
Second, climate change. As a consequence of its large population and economy, China is the world's single largest emitter of carbon dioxide, responsible for a quarter of global emissions. Having recognized the environmental costs of this development model, President Xi Jinping has set a bold ambition for China to hit peak carbon emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060.
This enormous feat will require a massive transition in how China's economy works and its population lives every day. Seismic shifts in investments and technologies will be needed.
Third, multilateralism. China is a champion for multilateral efforts to address global challenges. China has the will, knowledge, and resources to contribute enormously to the Sustainable Development Goals and position itself as an exceptional member of the community of nations.
Today, China is the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and has sent more peacekeepers to UN missions than any other permanent member of the Security Council. China also played a vital role in shaping the consensus needed for the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.
Future efforts should emphasize initiatives that expand vaccine access, grant debt relief to lower-income countries, and provide sustainable financing for infrastructure and climate efforts.
China and the United Nations
The United Nations family in China is in lockstep with China's vision. The 2030 Agenda and the recently agreed-upon Country Framework are the blueprints for building on the gains of the past.
In this Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs, the UN can support this ambition and convene, connect and catalyze stakeholders in leveraging China's development experience to benefit other countries, especially those in Africa, in the spirit of South-South Cooperation.
As the world deals with the pandemic, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, "As we strive to respond and recover, we must re-examine many longstanding assumptions and reconsider the approaches that have led us astray. We must also re-imagine the way nations cooperate. The pandemic has underscored the need for a strengthened and renewed multilateralism."
This October will also be time for the UN and China to celebrate our 50-year relationship. China and the UN will re-imagine, innovate, reinvigorate and continue the hard and daily work and dedicate ourselves anew to creating lasting prosperity for the people of China and all the world.
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11 June 2021
UNU Macau Calls for Multistakeholder Partnerships to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Macau and the Greater Bay Area
MACAU, 17 May 2021 – In celebration of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau), the only UN organization in Macau, brought together government, academia, private sector, and NGOs to share their experiences in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examine the SDGs’ roles in Macau’s strategic development plan, and explore collaborative opportunities particularly in the areas of digital technologies for the SDGs.
The Summit was opened by the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in China, Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, who represented a delegation of colleagues from UN China in attendance, including UNDP, UNICEF, UNIDO-ITPO, UNOPS and emphasized the UN’s commitment in supporting all stakeholders in safeguarding the progress made and efforts to achieve the SDGs.
“To leave no one behind, no communities behind, no village behind, there is a need for collaboration and a renewal of multilateralism. Most importantly we must embrace science, technology, and innovation while bringing together the private sector, academia, governments, civil society, the UN families towards a single agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China.
Even in the pre-pandemic era, we were not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and COVID-19 has worsened the situation, thereby erasing years of social-economic progress. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020, an estimated 71 million people globally were expected to be pushed back into extreme poverty and the persisting digital divide meant remote learning remained out of reach for students who lack access to computers and the internet.
“There has never been a greater need for multi-stakeholder partnerships than right now when COVID-19 has reversed decades of progress on poverty reduction, healthcare, and education and left the most vulnerable further behind. Everyone in Macau has a key role to play in this Decade of Action towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I am elated to learn about the innovative and sustainable solutions that our partners have been implementing in Macau: from eliminating single-use plastics and enhancing the cyber resilience of citizens to improving social services and capacity building initiatives. To tackle the impacts of COVID-19 on development progress and build back better, we need to collectively leverage digital technologies while addressing the potential risks and adverse effects,” said Dr. Jingbo Huang, Director of UNU Macau.
Through this summit, UNU Macau hopes to raise awareness about the SDGs and celebrate successes as well as learn from the challenges in implementing the SDGs in Macau. Topics discussed at the summit revolved around the five Ps of the SDGs: People, Prosperity, Peace, Partnerships and Planet.
UNU Macau has been working with civil society, academic and private sector partners in Macau on strategic projects that promote policy as well as practice-relevant research and capacity building activities in the fields of sustainable community development, social innovation, and civil society cyber resilience. One of our main research projects, the Smart City-zen Cyber Resilience project, funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), aims to enhance the cyber resilience of citizens in Macau and around the world as well as involve civil society actors in local preparations against cybersecurity threats. This project was designed to help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Macau’s development plans.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
UNU Macau: Tarinee Youkhaw, Communications Manager, UNU Macau at youkhaw@unu.edu
About United Nations University Institute in Macau
The United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau), formerly publicly known as United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST), is a UN global think tank on Information Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D). UNU Macau conducts UN policy-relevant research and generates solutions, addressing key issues expressed in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through high-impact innovations and frontier technologies. Through its research, UNU Macau encourages data-driven and evidence-based actions and policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
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06 April 2023
Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 15 with Sherif Messiha, Regional Security Advisor of UNDSS Office in Beijing
In the fifteenth episode of the UN in China podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Sherif Messiha, Regional Security Advisor of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Office in Beijing.
Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Mr. Messiha has been inspired by his parents' message of helping others since childhood. His father's devoted police career also guided him to pursue a career in the same field. After graduating from the Police Academy of Egypt in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in both Police Sciences and Law, he began his career with the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team combating terrorism and narcotics in Egypt. With a motivation to become an exceptional police officer, Mr. Messiha went back to further his education and pursue two master's degrees, respectively in Police Sciences from the Police Academy of Egypt and in Law from Cairo University.
His hard work and dedication led him to be seconded as a Police Adviser for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti in 2004, and he later joined the Department of Peace Operations as an Information and Strategic Analyst. During this time, he worked closely with Chinese peacekeepers and was impressed by their discipline and professionalism.
Later, Mr. Messiha helped establish the UN security section in Chad and joined the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Yemen, gaining extensive experience in conflict and high-risk areas. He then took on the responsibility for the security of UN personnel in India, Bhutan, and Algeria before being appointed as the Regional Security Advisor of the UNDSS Regional Office in Beijing in 2021, covering the safety and security of UN personnel in China, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, and Mongolia.
“We are enablers. No security without programme and no programme without security”
In this episode, Mr. Messiha sheds light on the crucial role of UNDSS in ensuring the safety and security of United Nations personnel, entities, and partners. UNDSS provides comprehensive security services, advice, and support to UN employees working on humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programs, as well as those engaged in research, advocacy and other initiatives. By prioritizing personnel safety and security, UNDSS helps to facilitate the effective implementation of UN programs and initiatives in the field, ultimately contributing to the well-being and development of the communities they serve.
During the conversation, Mr. Messiha highlights UNDSS's efforts in China to ensure the safety of UN personnel and their eligible family members, thereby enabling a secure and reliable environment for efficient programme delivery. Based on an understanding of the needs of all UN Agencies, Funds, and Programs in China, the team takes a tailored approach to provide situational awareness, security advice, and risk mitigation alternatives and to inform the Designated Official for Security and the Security Management Team’s security decision-making.
They work in close collaboration with the Chinese government to deliver routine security and incident response tasks, as well as longer-term projects related to their areas of responsibility. By managing existing security risks and anticipating potential concerns, UNDSS plays a crucial role in ensuring the security and success of UN programs in China.
Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss other challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, particularly in the areas of income inequality, the ageing population, and regional development disparity as well as UNDSS’s work in China to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China.
For users in mainland China, please click this link
Siddharth Chatterjee
Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021 and is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. He presented his letter of credence to the President of China on 14 April 2021.
Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination and peace and security in the United Nations and the Red Cross movement. He has served in many fragile and war-torn countries all over the world.
A 3 times TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of journals which includes Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Forbes, CNN, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and as of late has also published in mainstream Chinese journals.
Mr. Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States of America.
Sherif Messiha
Mr. Sherif Messiha of Egypt, the Regional Security Advisor of UNDSS Regional Office in Beijing, arrived in China in May 2021.
Mr. Messiha holds two master’s degrees both in Law and in Police Sciences. He has extensive law and police experience from Egyptian Police. In 2004 he was assigned to Haiti as a police Adviser (UNPOL-MINUSTAH HQ). In 2006 he started his UN career with the DPKO, MINUSTAH, Haiti as an information and strategic Analyst. In 2008 he was assigned to start up the DPKO security section in Chad (Abeche—NINURCAT). In 2009 he joined UNDSS Yemen as Field Security Coordination Officer. In 2012 he became the Field Security Coordination Officer for India and Bhutan. He had been the Security Advisor for Algeria since May 2015.
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22 March 2023
Supporting Public Private Partnerships to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals
On 15 March, the United Nations (UN) in China took part in a dialogue convened by the Indian Association Business Council (IABC) featuring leaders of Chambers of Commerce and government counterparts on the topic of “How can we use Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this Decade of Action?” Over 100 participants gathered at the historic House of Roosevelt in Shanghai to share information and best practices related to PPPs and explore opportunities for innovative, catalytic collaboration toward achieving the SDGs, including zero hunger, gender equality, and climate action, among others.
Participants EUCham, SingCham, BritCham, CanCham, IrishCham, SwissCham, and AustCham, TEC-The Expatriate Center, together with Indian business leaders from IABC and representatives from the United Nations and the China International Import Expo (CIIE), listened to panel discussion and case study “power talks” highlighting successful PPPs that have focused on integrating sustainable business principles and the UN SDGs into policies and practice.
UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee kicked off the evening by introducing the UN SDGs—a collective roadmap for addressing our most pressing global challenges—and the role that PPPs can play in reinvigorating and amplifying SDG efforts. Mr. Chatterjee illustrated the potential of PPPs with success stories from his time as RC in Kenya, including the establishment of an SDG Partnership Platform to address maternal mortality in six countries, which, in a period of 2.5 years, led to a one-third reduction in maternal deaths. Mr. Chatterjee shared that the UN in China will be launching a new Joint SDG Fund that will support cross-sector initiatives in priority areas including climate, health, and food security, by drawing upon the diverse expertise and experience of the 26 UN entities operating in China, convening broad-based public-private partnerships, and catalyzing new sources of finance to scale-up investment and innovation for the SDGs in China and in the Global South.
Mr. Weimin Zhang, Board Member and Assistant President of the CIIE National Exhibition & Convention, shared an important perspective on how CIIE is promoting sustainability and encouraging organizations participating in CIIE to integrate the SDGs into their policies and operations. Next, a panel featuring corporate and Chamber leaders discussed “Factors enabling organizations to navigate PPP to land SDG driven projects”, and senior partners and CEOs from several companies delivered “power talks” highlighting innovative, sustainable business practices, ranging from projects focused on reducing their carbon footprint to addressing food insecurity by reshaping digital farming technology. Mr. Vishal Sharma, CEO of DB Schenker Greater China, discussed ‘Road to Zero’ and their Green Fleets innovation in the logistics industry, as well as their engagement with the public sector to promote advocacy for SDG implementation. Mr. Richard Chen, CEO of Master Kong, illustrated how their F&B product line is syncing up with the SDGs by introducing carbon neutral beverages and renewable plastics to better serve consumers in China.
The event was concluded with sharing from Ms. Shen Yu from UNIDO ITPO Beijing and Ms. Brianne Stuart from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, on the role of UN agencies in China in supporting responsible business practices and in fostering effective PPPs, highlighting opportunities to engage and tap into UN expertise and resources.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Chatterjee reminded the audience that in order for the international community to reach the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, we must stop seeing the SDGs solely as lofty ideals for governments and international organizations to pursue and, rather, recognize them also as vital instruments that the private sector can use to reshape sustainable business models and unlock new markets. Ultimately, sustainability is good for both humanity and business.
Following the substantive discussion, participants had the opportunity to network with business, government, and UN leaders, creating linkages and building relationships that will spur tomorrow’s partnerships for a better world.
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15 March 2023
Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 14 with Nan Zhang, Programme and Partnership Specialist for UNV in China
In the fourteenth episode of the UN in China podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Nan Zhang, Programme and Partnership Specialist for the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) in China.
Ms. Zhang, a Chinese national, grew up in the city of Tianjin along with her family. Her parents, both university graduates, attached great importance to the value of education and of gaining perspectives in the surrounding world, which led her to her travels during middle school to the United Kingdom. Like many in her generation brought up following the introduction of opening-up and reform, she benefited from the nation’s socio-economic development. Her participation in elderly care and other similar activities planted an early seed of volunteerism in her heart and mind. Having also spent time in Hainan and Hong Kong, she would later move to her second home of Beijing to take up studies at the University of International Business and Economics.
Developing on her interest in international development and humanitarian affairs, she would go on to join the National Health Commission as a civil servant upon her return to China. During this time, Ms. Zhang travelled again to the UK to study at Oxford University, where she majored in Comparative Social Policies. Her work on international cooperation in areas such as global health and disease control would see her engage with UN entities, including the UN Development Programme, the UN Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization. Later, she went on to work for the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS as part of its Liaison Office to the African Union in Ethiopia. After a competitive process, she was selected to lead the UNV team’s field unit in China, joining the UN family in China in 2018.
“I believe that serving and caring for others is beyond boundaries and that volunteerism is always at my heart,”
In this episode, Ms. Zhang explains the unique role of UNV, founded in 1971, with a mandate as the only UN agency dedicated to promoting peace and development through volunteerism while working to ensure that volunteerism is appropriately recognized in all societies. Each year, there are more than one billion volunteers around the world, and in 2022, over 12,400 UN Volunteers served with 56 UN partners, with 65 per cent of UN Volunteers coming from the Global South. She explains how UNV works to create and promote a people-centred UN where its functions are supported through the engagement of empowered UN Volunteers, to serve the UN system as a fit-for-purpose organization contributing to efficiency and gains, while supporting Member State and UN System efforts to integrate volunteerism as a cross-cutting means of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
During the conversation, Ms. Zhang highlights UNV’s work in China to promote the universal values underpinning volunteerism: free will, commitment, equity, engagement, solidarity, compassion, empathy, and respect for others. In China, there are over 230 million registered volunteers who contribute over 5.2 billion hours towards economic and social development, with volunteerism also prioritized by the Government in the 14th Five-Year Plan.
More than 110 Chinese nationals serve as UN Volunteers in the country or fully funded by China, covering areas such as poverty reduction, gender equality, climate action, and more. She discusses various initiatives of UNV, including collaborations with the Chinese Youth Volunteers Association, past support of the 2008 and 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games and important efforts to promote the participation and inclusion of women, young people, and persons with disabilities.
Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss other challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, particularly in the areas of youth development and South-South Cooperation, as well as UNV’s work in China to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China.
For users in mainland China, please click this link
Siddharth Chatterjee
Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021 and is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. He presented his letter of credence to the President of China on 14 April 2021.
Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination and peace and security in the United Nations and the Red Cross movement. He has served in many fragile and war-torn countries all over the world.
A 3 times TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of journals which includes Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Forbes, CNN, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and as of late has also published in mainstream Chinese journals.
Mr. Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States of America.
Nan Zhang
Ms. Nan Zhang took up her UNV Country Coordinator (Programme and Partnerships Specialist) appointment in China in 2018. Fully committed to volunteerism as a powerful means of implementing the 2030 agenda, she leads and advocates strongly for the UN Volunteers programme and partnerships in China. Ms. ZHANG leads the mobilization, recruitment, and management of the UN volunteers deployed to the UN system in China and abroad to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. She also actively promotes strategic cooperation and the advancement of partnerships with the Ministry of Commerce, Chinese Young Volunteers Association, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Beijing Volunteer Service Federation, and other key governmental and non-governmental partners. She holds a master’s degree in Comparative Social Policy from Oxford University.
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09 March 2023
Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 13 with Smriti Aryal, Country Representative of UN Women China
In the thirteenth episode of the UN in China podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Smriti Aryal, Country Representative of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in China, ahead of International Women’s Day.
Ms. Aryal, a Nepali national, was the eldest child in a family of three daughters. Growing up in a simple middle-class background, she was instilled at an early age with the belief that she and her sisters could achieve anything in life through hard work and perseverance. As a good student, she also credits her parents, who were both well-educated. After completing secondary education, she was encouraged to follow in her father’s footsteps as an engineer to study chemical engineering in the United States. However there, her time spent first taking up a sociology elective opened her eyes and prompted a shift in major to the social sciences.
While at university, she recalls closely following the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The Conference, which took place in 1995, saw the participation of former First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who famously expressed that “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights”. Inspired by this and her studies in international development, Ms. Aryal, after graduation, returned to Nepal to join a team undertaking a situational analysis of persons living with HIV. Here, she had close interactions with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. This was followed by a role as a consultant for the United Nations Children’s Fund. Later she joined UN Women, with whom she has served for the past eight years, eventually joining the UN family in China in 2019.
In this episode, Ms. Aryal outlines how the mandate of UN Women, founded in 2010, promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment globally and in China, by supporting intergovernmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms, by helping Member States implement these standards through suitable technical and financial support along with partnerships with civil society, and by leading and coordinating the UN’s work on gender equality, promoting accountability through regular monitoring of system-wide progress.
“Learning is something that I feel is part of my journey...”
During the conversation, Ms. Aryal highlights UN Women’s work in China to promote the equal participation and leadership of women and girls in all aspects of life. She raises ongoing partnerships, including work with the International Fund for Agricultural Development and relevant government stakeholders on a rural revitalization project in Hunan Province, reaching over 300,000 beneficiaries, which half of them are women and girls. Similar partnerships also include UN Women’s work with the private sector, through involvement with over 400 companies in China on capacity building, development of standards, and other issues following Women’s Economic Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Also discussed is the need to bring in men and boys, as allies and agents of change in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss other challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, particularly in the green and digital economy, the urban-rural divide and in transforming traditional gender norms and expectations, as well as UN Women’s work in China to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China.
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Siddharth Chatterjee
Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021 and is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. He presented his letter of credence to the President of China on 14 April 2021.
Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination and peace and security in the United Nations and the Red Cross movement. He has served in many fragile and war-torn countries all over the world.
A 3 times TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of journals which includes Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Forbes, CNN, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and as of late has also published in mainstream Chinese journals.
Mr. Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States of America.
Smriti Aryal
Ms. Smriti Aryal took office as the Head of UN Women China on 27 July 2019. She is the first Head of the office to China at the representative level, appointed by UN Women.
Ms. Aryal is a national of Nepal and brings over 22 years of professional experience in international development and humanitarian assistance, which she has acquired at the United Nations and externally.
Prior to arriving in China, Smriti served as the Head of the Office in Myanmar (2018-2019), after holding key leadership roles including as UN Women’s Regional Advisor and UNAIDS Regional advisor between 2008-2017 based out of Bangkok and with UNICEF from 2000-2006.
She has worked with a wide range of stakeholders including regional and national governments, CSOs and the UN over 12 countries and brings strong background in public policy development, strategic planning, and strategic partnership related to a host of international development issues.
She has authored and published numerous documents as well as served as peer reviewer in several international conferences and journals. Ms. Aryal holds a master’s degree Master’s in Public Health from University College London, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Gender Studies from Oregon State University, USA. She is married with a husband and two children, currently living in Beijing.
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Story
20 February 2023
Resilient food systems benefit farmers
With the release of its No 1 central document for 2023, China and its partners stand at a turning point for moving into recovery and rebuilding.
In recent years we have witnessed the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuously evolving geopolitics worldwide. Most of the problems were borne by poor people, especially in rural areas, due to their exposure to income losses, health threats and disruption of services during lockdowns. It is a stark reminder of how vulnerable the rural poor and other marginalized groups are.
In China, the pandemic also amplified the suffering of disadvantaged groups including small-scale rural households. Meanwhile, limited arable and degraded land, and climate change accompanied by frequent natural hazards such as extreme heat waves and droughts, have threatened the rural poor, particularly those in northern and western China who rely heavily on agriculture as a major source of income.
China has developed a blueprint to further advance agricultural and rural development to feed its people, nearly 18 percent of the world's population. The launching of the Rural Vitalization Strategy in 2017 has catalyzed a number of policies and reforms in this regard. The importance of agriculture, rural areas and farmers have been reiterated in the 2018-22 Strategic Planning for Vitalization of Rural Areas, the 14th-Five Year Plan (2021-25), and the Rural Vitalization Promotion Law.
The implementation of this blueprint has yielded results and China has witnessed unparalleled economic growth. Indeed, in February 2021, President Xi Jinping officially announced the eradication of extreme poverty in China at the end of 2020, after four decades of sustained poverty reduction programmes.
Recognising the need to sustain the gains, in December 2022 President Xi stressed the need to advance rural vitalization across the board and accelerate the building of a strong agricultural base, toward building China into a great modern socialist country.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development — with a mandate to be at the forefront of poverty reduction, food security and inclusive rural development — has partnered with China for over 40 years in the area of agriculture and rural development. Six years ago, the joint efforts shifted to the realization of rural vitalization and a transformation of food systems. These will be China's key contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. There are, however, several areas that need us to devote more attention and investment.
First, China should continue addressing food security issues with more investment in small-scale farmer households by creating a mechanism to ensure that farmers have full access to agricultural inputs, innovations, and new technology. Empowering and engaging different stakeholders along the entire value chain will assist them to foster inclusive cooperatives and organizations to produce in larger scales and wield more power to deal in markets.
Second, the outflow of rural youth and talent has brought a dramatic change in rural livelihoods in China. While a decreasing share of rural households remain farming, many now must combine their way of living with other sources of income. Thus, more and more rural youths choose to work in agricultural related services while urban young people are working in labor-intensive manufacturing industries. China's rural areas have great potential to provide more employment opportunities to the younger generation. Providing them sufficient vocational training and incubation ground will generate young entrepreneurs dedicated to agricultural activities and agribusinesses.
Third, a large share of China's population still lives just above the poverty line. Many may face the risk of getting pushed back into poverty after the pandemic. Continuous emphasis should be given to them as a majority of them belong to disadvantaged groups such as women, youth and disabled in the rural areas. Adopting a more sensitive approach favouring these groups in the implementation of rural vitalization strategies will help them build decent livelihoods and benefit from healthier food systems.
China should also develop an overall rural vitalization program to benefit both the environment and the people. China should continuously complement high-speed development with high-quality growth and build up effective food systems which allow small-scale farmers and those who are vulnerable to be more resilient and able to bounce back quickly from either health, climate or economic shocks in the future.
Originally posted on China Daily
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Press Release
19 May 2023
UNHCR celebrates resilience through literature and drama event, calling for more solidarity and hope
Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications and author of the book said via video message, “Stories like Doaa’s can help us cut through that desensitization and reach out to others across time and distance, uniting people around the world in empathy to seek solutions to the challenges we face. And while conflict, hate and racism threaten dialogue, art and literature can bring us together, to help us empathize with our fellow human beings, and rediscover our common humanity.”
During his official visit to China to meet with Chinese Government counterparts and other key partners on regional refugee issues, the Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte, said at the event: “China has an exceptionally rich culture and history of artistic skill appreciated around the world. Art from around the world is highly appreciated in modern China. Literature, painting, dance and music go beyond language and numbers to communicate across borders and cultures, creating solidarity and shared understanding.”
The show was created and delivered by a talented team of Chinese artists. Under the overall art direction of renowned director Mr. Yin Li, the performance was directed by Mr. Zhao Ningyu, dramatized by Ms. Ou Jiayi and performed by five actors and musicians including Ms. Lai Jiayue, Mr. Guo Qi, Mr. Hu Yixiao, Mr. Zhu Jinliang and Mr. Qu Hongchen.
The performance ended powerfully with a video message by Doaa Al Zamel, whose story is featured in the book, saying, “We are human beings just like you, seeking the rights and peace that everyone deserves.” Doaa also thanked Chinese audiences for their support.
Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, highlighted the urgency to act to address forced displacement: “The clock is ticking to achieve our shared ambitions, the Sustainable Development Goals, by 2030 and to ensure that no one – including refugees – is left behind. As the UN Secretary General has stressed, humanity is headed for catastrophe if we do not act and act now. Who can help feeling overwhelmed, panicked and paralyzed in the situation we are facing? Hope is the antidote to helplessness.”
In her speech, UNHCR High Profile Supporter Olympic Gold Medalist Yang Yang acknowledged the connection between sports, arts and humanitarianism: “I think sport, art, and humanitarianism have something in common: they all have the power to inspire hope through creativity and action. Refugee stories are not only about loss, they are also about survival, healing and contributing skills and talents to the communities who welcome people forced to flee.”
Twenty twenty-two marked a sobering milestone of over 100 million people forced to flee their homes. In 2023, the situation is sadly getting worse with new emergencies and natural disasters compounding protracted crises. The plight of Syrian refugees topped headlines again following the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria in February this year, drawing public attention to the crisis 12 years on, as well as forced displacement beyond Syria. As the crisis continues, refugees and people displaced within their own countries are struggling beyond their means and assistance is limited.
With events like this communicating real refugee stories through literature and arts, UNHCR hopes to bring Chinese audiences greater understanding and connection with the human dimension of the refugee experience. Stories like Doaa’s remind us that no one chooses to be a refugee and that with hope and support people forced to flee can rebuild their lives and thrive.
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Press Release
19 May 2023
South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Forum Strengthens Digital Partnership
Nearly 100 representatives from government departments, embassies in China, research institutes and think tanks, NGOs and other international organizations, the private sector, and the media from 18 countries attended in person or online.The event was hosted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and China International Communications Group (CICG) and co-organized by the WFP Centre of Excellence for Rural Transformation (WFP China COE) and CICG subsidiary China Internet Information Center (CIIC).
“Promoting knowledge sharing requires the consensus and joint efforts of the international community,” emphasized CICG President Du Zhanyuan in his opening remarks at the South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Forum.
He also encouraged and advocated diverse actors to contribute to this process, reiterating, for example, that as the core of the international system, UN agencies play an important role; governments of developing countries can help improve governance; universities, research institutions, think tanks, and various associations can lend their expertise; and media can provide publicity; and that promotion of knowledge sharing concepts and practices can be strengthened through policy dialogues, academic exchanges, creation and development of various platforms, provision of training courses, and other endeavors.
Qu Sixi, WFP China Representative, highlighted the critical role of the WFP-China South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Platform in responding to growing demands for web-based knowledge sharing in a digitalized world and helping developing countries improve food security and facilitate rural transformation. He also indicated that the wisdom and expertise that technical partners contribute will enable it to function as a hub that promotes South-South knowledge and technology exchange.
“The launch of the South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Platform is an example of digital solutions for South-South agricultural exchanges and cooperation,” stated Ni Hongxing, Counsel (Director-General level), Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (MARA). “We hope that the platform, together with its Cloud School, could better tap into China’s experience in smallholder development, resilient food systems, agricultural value chain, agricultural biodiversity, and climate change responses to help more developing countries improve their capacities in food production and disaster prevention more efficiently and innovatively.”
“China’s development progress can serve as an example for much of the developing world,” remarked Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China. “China currently feeds almost 20% of the world’s population while having less than 10% of the world’s arable land. In addition, in 2020 China announced the remarkable achievement of eliminating extreme poverty nationally, a significant advance towards meeting the targets of SDG 1. China is now focused on advancing rural revitalization to build rural prosperity and to reduce the gaps that exist between rural and urban areas. These experiences can provide important lessons learned for the rest of the world and help to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.”
“South-South Cooperation is a fundamental development instrument for promoting economic and social advancement in emerging economies and other developing countries,” stated Ashwani K. Muthoo, Director General of New Development Bank’s Independent Evaluation Office. “The forum offers a unique opportunity to further underline that knowledge sharing is critical for meeting the SDGs, and I believe that moving forward, enhanced attention could be devoted to sharing good practices, lessons, and insights on evaluation matters so that emerging economies and developing countries can themselves conduct more robust and methodologically sound evaluations as a basis for improved developed impact and livelihoods.”
“WFP and China have been partners for more than four decades on building a resilient and sustainable food system,” mentioned David Kaatrud, WFP Programme Director of Humanitarian and Development Division. “As WFP continues to address the challenges holding back more systematic South-South and Triangular Cooperation engagement and in responding to emerging SSTC demands, we look forward to aligning and coordinating our knowledge management efforts with various stakeholders within and outside the WFP system and would like to see this knowledge platform play a bigger role in enhancing evidence generation and mutual learning in SSTC.”
Li Xiaoyun, Chair Professor of China Agricultural University, moderated a discussion known as the “High-level Dialogue on the Role of Science and Technology in South-South Cooperation Oriented towards Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals,” which Wu Pute, President of Northwest A&F University; Li Chengwei, President of Henan University of Technology; Du Taisheng, Vice President of China Agricultural University; and Ding Yanfeng, Vice President of Nanjing Agricultural University participated in. Thematic discussions on “Resilient Food System Transformation Against Climate Change” and “Digital Empowerment for Inclusive Development” were also held at the event.
Jia Yan, Head of SSC at WFP China, described some of the outcomes associated with the WFP-China South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Platform that had been achieved over the past year and discusses future plans for the site. She said, the platform serves as a new form of digital SSC and makes it possible to reach greater numbers of people. More than 1,000 knowledge products, including case studies and policy reference materials, have been published, and more than 2.5 million pageviews have been logged by visitors from 84 countries and regions since it was launched.
Wang Xiaohui, Editor-in-Chief of CIIC, observed that the South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Forum had been an inspiring and fruitful communication and exchange journey in his closing speech. He also expected the Joint Initiative on Knowledge Sharing Partnership for South-South Cooperation will promote the deepening of exchanges and cooperation among institutions and make new contributions to global food security and sustainable development.
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Press Release
12 May 2023
Food security highlighted as target of new China-Africa-UN partnership initiative
The Dialogue built on strategic discussions held recently under the China-HoA-UN Transformative Partnership Initiative (TPI). The Initiative, developed through the collaboration of the UN in China, UN Country Teams in HoA countries, and the UN Development Coordination Offices based in Africa and Asia and the Pacific, sets out to revitalize opportunities for bold partnerships amongst governments, development partners, foundation and businesses, in support of the national development priorities of HoA countries, and with a view to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Discussions focused on the current drought and food security emergency in the HoA region and the resulting impacts on lives and livelihoods. Technology exchanges and investment opportunities were proposed to address these challenges and build drought mitigation and resistance in the region. Here, the TPI hopes to draw upon China’s experience, expertise and resources, to bring them to bear for the benefit of HoA countries in the form of concrete, locally driven projects.
In remarks at the Dialogue, Director-General Wu Peng of the Department of African Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Communities in the Horn of Africa have been facing severe challenges, so today, it is highly necessary for us to focus on long-term drought resilience and contribute to food security. As good friends and partners of the Horn of Africa, China highly values agricultural cooperation to address the difficulties in the near-term and long-term needs.”
Director-General Tang Ying of the Global Development Promotion Center of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) also delivered remarks at the Dialogue.
Due to the current two-year drought, 20.9 million people have been classified as highly food insecure in the HoA region, while 7.46 million children under the age of five are estimated to face acute malnutrition, and 23.75 million people face daily household water insecurity, increasing vulnerability to water-borne diseases. Today, country-level appeals remain a primary mechanism for the humanitarian response.
In remarks at the Dialogue, Ambassador Awale Ali Kullane of the Federal Republic of Somalia, said, “We have seen the devastation caused by drought and famine, and we understand that climate change is compounding these problems. As a result, it is incumbent upon us to work together to develop solutions that will enable us to build resilience and ensure food security for all. This is a difficult problem that requires a multifaceted solution that encompasses prevention, readiness, and response. We need to explore opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between China and the Horn of Africa.”
While responding to the urgent needs of the region now remains critical, also shifting from an emergency response to a more proactive, gender-sensitive and transformative approach for preparedness and long-term resilience was frequently emphasized at the Dialogue, along with the need to bring diverse stakeholders, including from the private sector, together to explore solutions for empowering communities and governments who seek to respond to a worsening climate crisis.
In his remarks, UN Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee said, “This event comes at a critical moment, as progress on the SDGs has stalled, and we must take critical, ambitious steps if we hope to put ourselves on track to achieve the SDGs. China’s increasingly important role in South-South cooperation presents enormous opportunities for technology transfers and assistance, and the creation of meaningful partnerships to address the development challenges in these countries.”
The UN in China looks to continue to use its convening power to catalyze demand-driven SDG partnerships, policy, investment pipelines, financing and technical advisory/support and knowledge transfer to accelerate collaboration between China and HoA countries to achieve food security and to ensure compliance with international norms and standards. These efforts are enabled by the work of UN agencies in China, including the Rome-based Agencies, namely, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, who offer their knowledge, financial and technical expertise on policy issues related to food security, agriculture, and nutrition.
Discussions also included concrete opportunities for project-based cooperation, including potential support for the creation of national drought management policies, field projects aimed at building capacity in drought management, and other initiatives geared toward facilitating a shift toward drought resilience. The importance of giving full consideration to gender equality and social inclusion was widely agreed upon.
The outcomes from this Dialogue will feed into ongoing efforts to support China-Africa cooperation, including the annual event of the China Africa Development Fund to be held in May of 2023, which will focus on accelerating progress on SDG 2 on food security and sustainable agriculture.
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For further information, please contact:
Louise Xi LI, Head of Communications, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in China
Tel: +8610-85320725, Email: xi.li@un.org
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Press Release
26 April 2023
High-level event sheds light on efforts to accelerate financing for development
The event was organized during the occasion of the 2023 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Financing for Development Forum, where Member States discussed difficult economic policy trade-offs and recent shocks that have threatened to further reverse progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the need for both immediate and longer-term measure to effectively finance responses to multiple overlapping crises while scaling up essential investments in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Given this context, the UN System has welcomed the potential of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), announced by President Xi Jinping during his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021, while encouraging its alignment with the SDGs and supporting its implementation through the offer of technical assistance to ensure compliance with international norms and standards.
In closing remarks, Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, said, “We are here today to learn more about and explore the potential of GDI, CIDCA and China’s development cooperation efforts. There is enormous opportunity for them to help us deliver on the SDGs. Multilateral engagement, learning and collaboration are essential, and the UN stands ready to support China in these efforts.”
Whilst taking place in the United States, the event intends to form part of country-level programming and results between the UN in China and the Government of China.
In opening remarks, Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the UN, said, “As we speak, the world today is fraught with intertwined challenges and crises, and is faced with a new normal of instability and uncertainty. The international community must come together to tide over the trying times and bring the implementation of the SDGs back on track.”
The event sought to inform participants of results achieved through China’s foreign aid and international development cooperation, including the GDI, and how CIDCA and other relevant stakeholders can address the gap in development financing needed to achieve the SDGs while ensuring that vulnerable groups benefit from actions that are demand-driven and based on national priorities, in order to leave no one behind.
In keynote remarks, Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of CIDCA, said, “According to UN statistics, more than 800 million people still go hungry, and 350 million people need humanitarian assistance. The development agenda is drifting away, and the momentum of the SDGs is fading away. We should cherish the global consensus on the SDGs, and act jointly for common development.”
During the event, participants engaged in an interactive discussion, which saw speakers from the Global Development Promotion Center at CIDCA, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Rockefeller Foundation raise points regarding progress in the implementation of the GDI, the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund and other international development cooperation efforts.
During the discussion, Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation, said, “The world needs public-private-philanthropic partnerships and bold leadership to help emerging and developing economies achieve their sustainable development goals. We need to coordinate our investments and actions across countries and sectors to end energy poverty, ensure food security, improve people’s health, and cultivate sustainable growth, even as we continue to combat climate change.”
At the event's conclusion, participants joined a reception and a following exhibition introduced by the Chairman of CIDCA on efforts thus far regarding the GDI.
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For further information, please contact:
Louise Xi LI, Head of Communications, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in China
Tel: +8610-85320725, Email: xi.li@un.org
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Press Release
17 April 2023
UNFPA launches a youth photography exhibition that highlights the lives of older women in China
Titled “Ripples on a pond - the power of women through their lives and stories,” the exhibition includes about 50 of the best photographs chosen from thousands of submissions to a photography competition held in 2022. Through the eyes of young people, they capture the different roles women play in their everyday lives, as well as their contribution to their families and communities.
“Women’s empowerment is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and its central promise to ‘leave no one behind,’ it is paramount that we recognise the participation and contribution of women in our societies,” says Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, the UN Resident Coordinator in China.
Among the exhibition, there are images of fisherwomen working hard to make a living, widows supporting one another, self-employed women facing life with optimism, and grandmothers caring for the younger generation.
“My photographs came from a small village in Guizhou. Through daily communication with local women, especially elderly women, I learned many issues, including women’s health, intergenerational connections and rural education. I hope more people can pay attention to the development situation of women in China,” says Mr. Li Jiarun, one of the award winning photographers.
“Population ageing may come along with problems like generational conflict. We need to address it through understanding cultural diversity and promoting solidarity among different generations, as well as showing respect to others. This photography competition is a good practice for it,” comments Dr. Li Zhihong, Director-General of China National Committee on Ageing.
The exhibition represents UNFPA's innovative approach to engaging young people in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in areas connected to good health and wellbeing, gender equality, and positive ageing, and promoting social development through art.
“Young people can be a driving force for global development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. They need to realise that cooperation and dialogue with other generations are as important as their peers,” emphasised Ms. Liu Kai, Deputy Secretary-General of All-China Youth Federation.
“UNFPA is committed to working with youth and for youth, and we are happy to see the power of youth in supporting women through this photography practice. We welcome more young people to join us in addressing population ageing and promoting gender equality in China and globally,” concluded Dr. Justine Coulson, Representative of UNFPA.
Over 80 people from government, academia, civil society, the private sector, women and youth groups, media, embassies, and international organisations attended the exhibition in Beijing. The event was organised with the support of the Yanching Institute of Technology and the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation.
Note to editors
On 11 July 2022, the World Population Day, UNFPA China launched a youth photography competition: Unlocking the Power of Women. Thousands of individual and group photographs were received and the winning entries formed the basis for the exhibition.
To select the best photographs, UNFPA formed an evaluation panel consisting of professional artists and experts on ageing and gender and photography. Five photographers received the award of Best Submission for their groups of photographs.
To visit the exhibition in Beijing from 13-20 April: Temple Dongjingyuan, 23 Songzhuyuan, Shatan Beijie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
To participate in the online exhibition : https://publish.exhibbit.com/gallery/812110135345121836/atrium-gallery-102688/
To learn more about the award winning and best photographs: https://china.unfpa.org/en/slideshow/photo-collections-unlocking-power-women
For more information please contact: Shujun Liu, Communications Analyst, UNFPA China, sliu@unfpa.org.
About UNFPA
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. In a rapidly ageing society, UNFPA advocates for healthy ageing through a life-cycle approach, by addressing the specific needs of women and investing in each stage of life, starting from before a girl's birth to her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
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