Views of Member States heard on UN in China 2023 priorities

The briefing was organized in keeping with the commitment of the UN Resident Coordinator in China to regularly update Member States on the implementation of the UNSDCF. Agreed upon between the Government of China and the UN in China, the UNSDCF represents the strategic and programmatic framework for work in support of the Host Country’s national development priorities, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The briefing took stock of current efforts to fulfil the three priority areas of the UNSDCF: People and Prosperity, Planet, and Partnerships. Member States were also updated on the ongoing engagement with the Government of China, and the upcoming initiatives of the UN in China, along with the proposals for joint programmes for 2023.

During his remarks, Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, said, “We will continue to work to strengthen our engagement with the Member States Community here in Beijing…I hope this briefing has deepened your understanding of the work we are doing in China and has also given you some ideas of how we can engage with each of your Embassies on shared priorities moving forward.”

To amplify and support these efforts, the proposal for a “UN in China Pooled Fund for SDGs” was announced at the briefing. The establishment of the fund comes in response to the request made to Resident Coordinators by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. It seeks to catalyze contributions for all stakeholders at the country-level, with a view to address complex challenges, and respond flexibly to emerging needs, to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

The briefing provided the opportunity for Member States to provide their guidance and steer on the way forward, including through views from the Representatives of a number of Member States that have worked closely with the UN in China were shared, namely Belgium, Pakistan and Somalia.

During his remarks, Moin ul Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan, said, “Climate threats are global. They require global responses, global objectives and global successes. And the critical step required in this battle against climate change is international cooperation and global solidarity. In this regard, the work of the UN is appreciated.”

During his remarks, Awale Ali Kullane, Ambassador of Somalia, said, “Collaboration and international participation will allow Somalia to realize its potential and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. Thus, we must seize this opportunity to come together, align our efforts, and cultivate a culture of cooperation.”

During her remarks, Sophie Hottat, Chargé d’affaires a.i, Embassy of Belgium in China, said, “We need to work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN in China has an important role to play, in allowing civil society, researchers, domestic audiences and the international community to reflect on China’s development and its implications for the country and the world.”

During the presentation of the 2023 Joint Work Plan at the briefing, Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China and Co-Chair of the Result Group on Partnerships, highlighted how development outcomes were strongly underpinned by the principles of gender equality, disability inclusion, youth engagement and the central promise of the 2030 Agenda to Leave No One Behind.

“I hope that I have given an overview of how we are configured in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals both in China and beyond, and using the UNSDCF and the combined forces of the UN Country Team to take approaches and results to scale”, said Ms. Trankmann.

The briefing also saw the participation of David Mclachlan-Karr, Regional Director at the Office for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Coordination Office. His remarks via video link from Bangkok illustrated recent progress in the reinvigorated Resident Coordinator system and the new generation of UN Country Teams following reforms of the UN development system.

“On the programmatic side, Member States have been very positive about the quality of the new generation of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks…the Cooperation Frameworks of today really do provide a genuine roadmap for the UN’s concerted action to deliver on development and the SDGs in China”, said Mr. Mclachlan-Karr.

In the ensuing Q&A session, a number of representatives conveyed their support to the work of the UN in China and urged the organization to continue their efforts to implement the Cooperation Framework in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.

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For further information, please contact:

Ms. Louise Xi LI, Head of Communications, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in China

Tel: +8610-85320725, Email: xi.li@un.org