2024 UN in China Media Appreciation Party

Distinguished Guests, 

Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you at this 2024 New Year Media Appreciation Party hosted by the United Nations in China with the support of the Beijing 798 Culture and Technology Company, as well as North Way for their organizational support. 

I extend a warm welcome to our friends from the media, those who work for the communications and press teams of the Embassies of Member States present here in Beijing, and colleagues from relevant private sector partners.

I also wish to sincerely thank my fellow colleagues from the UN Communications Group in China here today for all of their hard work over the past year. 

As we gather at the start of a new year, the world still grapples with a cascade of challenges –a climate crisis, conflicts, and rising hunger, poverty and inequalities. 

In this distressing context, accelerating global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals must remain a priority of the highest order.

Today, we recognize and value the role of the media not only in supporting the UN in China but, more broadly, in facilitating progress on peace and security, human rights, and development, the Three Pillars of the UN.

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "Journalists and the media fulfil a vital role in society, upholding and enabling democracy and holding power to account. They are essential to strong and accountable institutions and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."

Journalists and media professionals are crucial in ensuring public access to information by providing factual and timely news coverage while educating their audiences through the presentation of potential solutions to global challenges.

The UN in China remains grateful for the close and deep cooperation we have enjoyed with the media present in China, for reporting on our narratives and for allowing us to advocate in reaching and encouraging more people in China to engage with us.

As a cornerstone of public access to information, we hope that the media can continue to provide its support, whilst leading the charge alongside digital platforms for efforts to combat threats such as disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.

As we move forward on a new phase of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, let us join together to share more stories of hope, motivate the global community to stand against injustice, and, above all, give a voice to the voiceless. 

On this, the UN in China stands ready to work more closely with the media and all at this event for peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.   

Before I conclude, I wish to acknowledge the upcoming Lunar New Year, as featured in the new series of UN Stamps to be awarded in a lucky draw at this function.

The Spring Festival has always been a special time for families and friends in China to reunite and spend quality time with one another. 

As the UN Resident Coordinator in China, I am thrilled that the UN General Assembly has selected the Lunar New Year as a holiday. It demonstrates the recognition of this very important event which is also a time for renewal for the many who celebrate it around the world.

As the UN family in China, we hope the Year of the Dragon can serve as a symbol of the importance of dynamism and energy in all of our lives, as well as the power in every one of us to embrace solidarity, compassion and advance peace and humanity. 

We wish for good health, prosperity and happiness.

Chun Jie Kuai Le.

Thank you.