Seminar on Digital South-South Cooperation

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H.E. Dr. Du Zhanyuan, President of China International Publishing Group

Director-General Xie Jianman, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

H.E. Ambassador Rahamtalla Osman, Representative of the African Union to China

Dr. Qu Sixi, Representative and Country Director of WFP China

UN colleagues, ladies and gentlemen

When the United Nations first adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, we aimed for a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Now, seven years since the agreement and with only eight years until the 2030 deadline, much has been done, but much more work remains. The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed progress on many dimensions. Increasing conflicts and shifting geopolitics are also jeopardizing our chances for success.

At this time, more than ever, we must redouble our efforts. South-South Cooperation provides a formidable instrument for this, and China is a reliable partner in our joint efforts. Through South-South cooperation and humanitarian cooperation, China greatly contributes to SDG attainment and the principles of the 2030 Agenda, including Goal 1 on No Poverty and Goal 2 on Zero Hunger.

Through the South-South Cooperation Framework, there is a remarkable opportunity to leverage China's contribution to the benefit of other developing countries. We are glad to share that the UN Country Team in China has been helping China's rural transformation with continuous efforts to promote gender equality, healthcare, education, infrastructure, employment, economic growth, energy transition, climate change adaption, and biodiversity preservation. The World Food Programme (WFP) in China sets an excellent example of this. WFP China also maintains field projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where food insecurity and malnutrition still prevail.

Digital technology needs to be part and parcel of our South-South Cooperation efforts. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution making technology an indispensable part of our life, the UN recognizes the importance of equipping people with the digital skills needed for decent work, entrepreneurship, and the achievement of the SDGs.

The UN System in China and the Government of China are embarking on a new cycle of cooperation as set-out by the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the People’s Republic of China 2021-2025.

The UNSDCF will help China meet and respond to the new opportunities and challenges presented by the country’s post-2020 development landscape, including building back better in the post-COVID-19 era and supporting China’s high-quality development. China’s ambition for a Global Development Initiative (GDI), which includes “digital economy” as one of its key priority areas, provides a potential opportunity to accelerate global progress on the SDGs.

The UN family in China will continue to work with partners to explore new models of South-South Cooperation in the post-pandemic information era, focusing on knowledge sharing through digital innovation and fostering country-specific technical cooperation projects, including as part of our contribution to the GDI.

Recognising the synergy between China's vision of high-quality development and the 2030 Agenda, the three Priority Areas on People and Prosperity, Planet, and Partnerships, will serve as the foundation for the UN System's work in and with China over the coming five years and will support China's high-quality development as well as provide the basis for cooperation with China in assisting other developing countries around the world in achieving the SDGs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I wish to take this opportunity to invite you to join us in the global momentum of South-South Cooperation. It is also my sincere hope that South-South Cooperation, through digital means, will reach even more beneficiaries.

I wish you great success. Thank you for your attention.