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Press Release
26 July 2024
UNAIDS and China sign two strategic agreements to advance the HIV response
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Press Release
26 July 2024
New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now
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Story
23 July 2024
Fostering gender-responsive communications within the UN system in China
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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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10 August 2023
Science and tradition drive China-wide effort to restore landscapes
Ahead of Global Tourism Resilience Day on 17 February, which promotes sustainable tourism for poverty eradication and environmental protection, we take a look at a large-scale, award-winning initiative in China to restore ecosystems from mountains to coastal estuaries across the country.
Armed with billhooks, hammers and their bare hands, villagers in China's eastern Yunhe County are methodically clearing a series of abandoned hillside rice fields, many perched dramatically over a yawning valley.
These terraced paddies had long ago fell into disuse, a product of a strained rural economy. But villagers are aiming to make the land productive again by weeding out invasive plants and building walls to prevent soil erosion.
The work, which has been combined with a return to Earth-friendly traditional farming practices, is reviving Yunhe’s stunning hillside farms. And at the same time, it is attracting nature-hungry visitors, making the county a budding eco-tourism destination.
“With the restoration of the terraces and the development of tourism and homestays in recent years, some young people who left the village have returned,” says Wu Xiaofang, who runs a homestay with her husband. “The popularity of this place is growing.”
The transformation in Yunhe, high in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is supported by the Shan-Shui initiative, a hugely ambitious drive led by the Chinese government to restore ecosystems, from mountains to coastal estuaries, across the world’s most populous nation.
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has named the initiative, which comprises 75 large-scale projects, among its first 10 Global Restoration Flagships, an award designed to inspire and encourage restoration around the world.
The award underscores the key role China plays in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution and waste. In December, China and Canada rallied nations behind a new global agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to halt and reverse the destruction of nature. The accord included a massively scaled-up restoration effort.
An integrated approach
Launched in 2016, the initiative takes a systematic approach to restoration. Projects dovetail with national land use plans, work at the landscape or watershed scale, including agricultural and urban areas as well as natural ecosystems, and seek to boost rural economies.
By enhancing ecosystems and the benefits they deliver, the projects promote the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including those on poverty eradication, climate change and biodiversity.
So far, 3.5 million hectares have been brought under restoration under the initiative, out of a 2030 target of restoring 12 million hectares. In all, the initiative is expected to create more than 3.2 million jobs and deliver benefits to some 360 million people. Critically endangered species that are benefitting include the Chinese sturgeon, birds like Baer’s pochard, and the Baishanzu fir, the world’s rarest conifer.
Tradition meets science
Several of the projects integrate scientific knowledge with traditional farming methods to make land use more sustainable.
About 100 km east of Yunhe, Xu Guanhong does not let pouring rain dampen his enthusiasm for how the fish swimming in his rice paddies mean that he does not need to treat his crop with either pesticides or artificial fertilizers.
Xu, a former schoolteacher, says he took over some idle land near the town of Qingtian several years ago and began experimenting with organic farming methods. Local farmers were sceptical, and Xu’s yields were unreliable in the first two seasons. But now he is seeing results that have caught the interest of his neighbours.
“Our ancestors were smart. They put fish in the rice paddies and let them eat pests and weeds,” Xu told a visiting United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) film crew, raindrops bouncing off his wide straw hat. “The faeces excreted by the fish provide nutrients for the rice. In my field, an ecological cycle is now underway without any fertilizer or pesticide.”
Liu Zhumei, a local farmer, says she has been adopting Xu’s methods, which also include monitoring water quality in rice paddies and installing equipment to maintain the level of dissolved oxygen.
“We didn't earn much before. But now, following these methods, we can earn as much as 60,700 yuan per acre,” Liu says. (10,000 Chinese yuan is about US$1,450.) “Consumers from other provinces also know that our fish here are pollution-free, so they sell very well.”
Restoring harmony
The Shan-Shui initiative is named after a traditional Chinese landscape painting style that depicts the harmony of land and water – a balance that human activities, including industry and agriculture, have often disturbed.
Luo Ming, a restoration expert at the Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Centre of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, says people should again recognize that they form a “community of life” with nature, and depend on it for their well-being.
“This traditional wisdom has existed for thousands of years,” Luo says. “Such a system is not only good for the environment but also greatly increases the benefits for local people. It attracts people who love the way of life in which people and nature live in symbiosis, making it a sustainable model.”
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
This story was originally published by UNEP
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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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10 May 2022
UNFPA supports midwifery training for local health providers in Qinghai and Shanxi
“I hope to deliver my second baby here,” says a new mother, who just had her first newborn safely at the Yushu County People’s Hospital, Qinghai province of west China.
Gengsong Daizhong is a Tibetan doctor from the hospital. She is confident that more local women will be willing to have their babies here, thanks to the advancement of their midwifery skills.
Since 2016, China has been providing competency-based midwifery education and training to health workers across the country with the support of UNFPA. Since midwifery is not yet an independent profession but carried out by doctors and nurses in China, the national training offers a critical opportunity to enhance the midwifery skills of health workers in line with the global standards for midwifery set by the International Confederation of Midwifery.
Dr. Gengsong was a participant of the standardized training programme in 2020. She was supported by a project delivered by China Family Planning Association in partnership with UNFPA and the National Health Commission and supported by the Government of Denmark, to improve sexual and reproductive health among vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities, in Qinghai and Shanxi provinces.
With her newly acquired midwifery skills, Dr. Gengsong is now able to apply the Doula mode of delivery to relieve the anxiety of women during childbirth.
“As the Doula method helps to speed up the process and reduces the risk of severe tearing and postpartum infection, we are receiving very positive feedback from the new mothers.”
A local sexual and reproductive health service provider, Ms. Sun Daomin, participated in the national midwifery training in late 2021. Building on her decades of midwifery experience at the township health center, Sun is supporting the local health facilities in improving their information and services on human-centered, family planning and maternal and child health.
“Postpartum contraception is an essential part of midwifery,” says Sun, as she learned about the different contraceptive choices available to a woman after giving birth. She is expected to visit the villages and share her knowledge on postnatal health management with field health workers, as the COVID-19 situation improves.
From 2020-2021, UNFPA facilitated Dr. Gengsong Daizhong, Ms. Sun Daomin and fifteen other health providers from Qinghai and Shanxi provinces to participate in the 12-week standardized midwifery training programme offered by certified trainers from the Chinese Maternal and Child Health Association.
The training covers theoretical and practical learning on midwifery skills and technologies during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. It highlights the importance of human-centered care and health education and information throughout the whole process.
Beyond the training of individual health workers, UNFPA is supporting the development of midwifery training bases in health facilities in less developed regions, including the Qinghai Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital. This will ensure that, in the future, midwifery training is available to more health workers in Qinghai and nationwide.
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22 April 2022
Challenging the inequalities people living with HIV/AIDS face
An anxious crowd and deafening silence. People with masks are being called into a clinic cube with an ambiguous sign reading “Immune Deficiency.” This ten-square metre safe house is where people living with HIV meet. As a UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNAIDS in China, Weng Huiling shares their stories and fights for their rights.
Weng provides strategic information, advocacy and technical support to coordinate stakeholders to deliver comprehensive life-saving HIV service. She focuses on technical and administrative support to programmes and coordinates partners from the Government, private sector and local communities.
"I have been devoted to the field of HIV/AIDS for years, and UNAIDS has helped broaden my scope to go beyond medical care. My UN Volunteer assignment allowed me to participate in changing the underlying institutional inequality that burdens people living with HIV," she explains.
"Medical care is no longer the bottleneck in HIV response. What we need is accessible and integrated services, community leadership, an evidence-based approach and eradication of the profound inequality. Ending AIDS is possible, if we work together, like with COVID-19." - Weng Huiling, UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNAIDS China
In 2021, Weng joined an HIV online prevention intervention study and helped to collect data from key population group discussions and literature reviews. She also used her clinical knowledge to contribute to a cost-effective study on antiretroviral treatment to inform governmental policy prioritization. "I am glad that I could help strategic and technical programme management and participate in discussions on effective, evidence-informed and targeted HIV response," she adds.
"Despite remarkable progress in diagnosis and treatment, people living with HIV are still shackled by discrimination and stigmatization, which can only be overcome by collective inclusiveness. Our goal is to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030." - Weng Huiling
With UNAIDS, Weng has been able to tell the untold. During this year’s Zero Discrimination Day campaign in March, she led five poster exhibition tours and over ten hours of group discussion for more than 60 visitors from UN agencies, schools and universities, and community-based organizations.
She also worked on connecting funding opportunities and the Beijing LGBT Centre for a peer group programme on HIV. The programme, which aims to provide People Living with HIV with group consultations and educational programmes, is now being implemented with an estimated 1,000 influenced population.
"I was so impressed by the five portraits of people living with HIV. Their stories touched my heart. Our mindset towards people living with HIV, sex education and fragile population needs to be revolutionized." -Rita, a visiting student from Renmin University of China
UNAIDS plays a pivotal role in mobilizing China’s political, technical and financial resources through South-South Cooperation and China-Africa Collaboration.
Accordingly, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting in late 2021, Weng organized a virtual dialogue on China-Africa Health Cooperation, jointly hosted by UNAIDS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She drafted outcome documents that served for FOCAC in November, emphasizing a joint commitment to local production and multilateral cooperation.
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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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23 July 2024
Fostering gender-responsive communications within the UN system in China
Beijing, China — On 19 July, 30 communication professionals representing 13 United Nations (UN) agencies, funds and programmes in China, joined a capacity development session on “Gender-Responsive Communications” organized by UN Women in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in China.Delivered by Diego De La Rosa, Communications Specialist for UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the session emphasized the importance of integrating gender considerations into all forms of communication. It referenced significant milestones in gender equality, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which set the foundation for global efforts toward gender equality and women's empowerment.Key principles highlighted in the presentation include featuring women in communications, ensuring equal representation and respectful portrayal of all genders, and challenging gender stereotypes. It advocates for the use of gender-sensitive language, avoiding stereotypes and sexist expressions, and promoting equal visibility for women and men in various roles, especially leadership positions. The presentation also stressed the importance of considering multiple aspects of diversity, such as socio-economic background, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation, in communication materials."Integrating gender responsiveness into our communications is not just an option; it is a necessity for achieving true equality and justice. Today’s capacity development session shows how the UN Communications Group in China is striving to be fit for purpose, and gender-responsive throughout our work," said Louise Xi Li, Head of Communications, UN RCO China.Wenting Zhao, UN Women China Communications Specialist, said: "By making our communications gender-responsive, we amplify the voices of women and girls, challenge stereotypes, and pave the way for a more equitable future. This is a crucial step toward achieving gender equality and empowering all individuals." The session on “Gender-Responsive Communications” was part of a capacity development mission conducted by UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to China. It also included a session on storytelling and social media for UN Women China staff and a briefing session for members of the media, public relations agencies and cultural institutions, focusing on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the UN Women global campaign on the Paris 2024 Olympics. For more information, please contact:Zhao Wenting
Communications Specialist
UN Women ChinaE-mail: wenting.zhao@unwomen.org
Communications Specialist
UN Women ChinaE-mail: wenting.zhao@unwomen.org
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17 April 2024
Meet the women closing the digital divide in rural China
Digital technology has immense transformative potential. Just think of the possibilities unlocked by the click of a mouse or a tap on a screen: banking, education, social media and much more.But around the world, rural women have disproportionately limited access to this technology. This pervasive digital divide is part of the reason education and economic independence remain out of reach for many women.Investing in women's digital empowerment and closing this divide can foster prosperity not just for them, but for entire communities. These three remarkable rural women revitalizing their villages in central China’s picturesque Hunan Province are living proof of this.Building a thriving rural businessThirty-five-year-old Ma Qinyan once pursued a career as an architectural designer in the southeastern city of Shenzhen. But she always harboured a desire to contribute to the prosperity of her native village in Hunan.Spotting a business opportunity in her region’s renowned spicy cuisine, Qinyan made the bold decision to return to her rural roots and start a chili sauce business. At first, her customer base was smaller than she had hoped.That's when she learned about Women Up, a training initiative supported by IFAD and the Youcheng Foundation focused on rural women's economic empowerment. Qinyan decided to take a chance and signed up for classes in digital literacy and entrepreneurship.Armed with new skills, she started using e-commerce and livestreaming to promote her products. Now her business is thriving – and by passing on what she has learned to her fellow villagers, she’s cultivating a new generation of digitally empowered rural women."I refuse to let my villagers down. I want to be a beacon of hope for them," says Qinyan. Empowering future generationsThe Women Up initiative was part of the broader Hunan Rural Revitalization Demonstration Project, which is increasing economic resilience across the province. In particular, the project aims to expand opportunities for rural youth and women.Zhang Jinyou knows all too well what it feels like to lack these. Born into a difficult financial situation exacerbated by her mother's disability, Jinyou eventually dropped out of high school to support her family.Now a 41-year-old mother of two, she’s determined to break the cycle of hardship that once defined her life.Like Qinyan, Jinyou participated in Women Up’s training and gained a variety of digital skills, including broadcasting and online finance. Her sense of hope and purpose renewed, she decided to begin a career in e-commerce.Today, Jinyou doesn’t just sell chili peppers and grapes for a local company via livestreaming – she is also in the process of establishing her own e-commerce business. Her children are in school and have a bright future ahead of them in an economically revitalized village.“E-commerce was a daunting challenge. But this training reignited my optimism and provided me with the resilience to persevere,” says Jinyou. Age is just a numberMany people associate digital technology and social media with younger generations. Long Yuan'ai is proving them wrong.Yuan’ai, 61, had already retired from her job at a local insurance company when she came across Women Up. But she didn’t let her age stop her from taking part – instead, she jumped at the opportunity to learn a new set of skills.Today, Yuan’ai is using her newfound digital literacy to support a career in e-commerce. She’s even beating young users of Douyin – the equivalent of TikTok in China – at their own game.Drawing on her expertise in kiwi farming, she launched an agriculture-themed Douyin page that gained thousands of followers in just two months. Now the kiwi farms of Hunan are reaching screens across China, boosting sales and uplifting the community she loves."For me, age is never an excuse to halt progress," says Yuan'ai. Gender inequality is a major obstacle to sustainable, inclusive rural development. That's why IFAD works across the world to eliminate it in all its forms – and in our interconnected modern world, it is essential that this include the digital divide.In rural China, Qinyan, Jinyou and Yuan’ai are demonstrating what this looks like: digitally empowered women of all ages, forging their own paths and spearheading their communities’ development.This story was originally published by IFAD China
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12 April 2024
Keep Breathing, Keep Smiling: A UN Diplomats Approach to Health
Siddharth Chatterjee wears a grey checkered suit with a badge on his chest, with a blue United Nations flag and a red Chinese flag, the two flags interlocked and edged in gold, a must-have accessory for his interviews.Siddharth Chatterjee is from India and has worked in the UN system for more than twenty-five years, having been posted to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, Iraq, Indonesia, Somalia, South Sudan and other countries and regions. This year is also his fourth as UN Resident Coordinator in China. At the UN office in Liangmaqiao, Beijing, Siddharth Chatterjee is a fitness enthusiast. In between work, he spreads out a yoga mat on the floor, doing breathing, headstands and abdominal exercises. On the social media platforms of X, Weibo and WeChat moments, he also often shares his workout routine. He quoted Linda Fried, dean of Columbia University's School of Public Health, who said that exercise is the best thing we can find, other than magic, to use to fight ageing. He also shared a picture of himself working out at the gym - he completed 55 pull-ups plus 100 push-ups in three minutes and 12 seconds. This kind of intensity may not even be achievable for many twenty-somethings in Beijing.The theme of World Health Day 2024 is "My Health, My Right". "Health" and "exercise" are two mottos Siddharth Chatterjee lives by, and he hopes to spread his ideas to the people of China through the work of the UN in China. My Health, My RightIn January 2021, Mr. Chatterjee travelled from Kenya to China to serve as the UN Resident Coordinator in China. When he landed in Guangzhou, China, COVID-19 was raging, and Chatterjee, along with other foreign visitors arriving in China, underwent a 21-day quarantine. It was his first quarantine, and during that time, he insisted on working out in his room, combining breathing and yoga routines, even clocking an average of 20,000 steps a day to keep his mind and body sharp.China's strict and orderly entry inspection measures left a great first impression on him, and after his quarantine ended, Siddharth Chatterjee wrote down his observations, which were published in Forbes Africa. "I think what the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the world is a wake-up call about how vulnerable we humans are and how vulnerable our health systems are." As it is, more than 100 million people around the world are pushed back into poverty because of out-of-pocket health shocks annually. From his experience in responding to COVID-19, Chatterjee recognizes that a public health crisis will be devastating to a country’s economy, employment, and national income. On the contrary, the realization of health for all requires not only support from the national government, but also individual attention and investment in health. Chatterjee is impressed by China's progress in public health over the past decades. In the 1960s, life expectancy in China was 51 years, but now it is 78 years. Now, China's basic health insurance coverage has stabilized at over 95%. He even praised China's "barefoot doctor" system in the 1960s and 1970s, which enabled ordinary people to have access to certain medical resources in a special era.Indeed, behind this leap forward, China also faces the challenge of major chronic diseases, with hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes plaguing hundreds of millions of Chinese people, with 1.34-1.8 million people dying each year from smoking-related illnesses. Many of these chronic diseases are related to unhealthy lifestyles. According to Chatterjee, contemporary China also needs a new "barefoot doctor" - an online clinic that, with the help of new medical technologies, can travel from home to home, so that all people can get information and advice on health and adopt healthy lifestyles. Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all UN Member States for 2030, the third goal is good health and well-being, including decreasing communicable diseases and achieving universal health coverage. The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and State Council also issued the "Healthy China 2030" plan in 2016. China's achievements in the field of public health also significantly impact the global achievement of the SDGs, as China accounts for one-fifth of the world's population.Health problems that are not supported by the healthcare system can push a family back into poverty, and if this happens frequently, it can cause major problems for the economic development of a country's human capital. Years of postings around the world have also deepened Chatterjee’s understanding of health.He hopes that one day, the remaining 5% of China's population without coverage will join those with basic health insurance and will no longer have to suffer financially from illness. The proposal of "Healthy China 2030" is also considered crucial by Siddharth Chatterjee: "Health is closely related to economic development, social progress, and all mankind."Losing 25 kilograms, self-discipline brings a turnaroundAs an advocate of a healthy lifestyle, four years ago, Siddharth Chatterjee's lifestyle was not ideal. At that time, he was working as UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, and unlike his trim and tight physique now, he weighed 85 kilograms at that time. He caught a cold every year and often felt weak, tired and unable to get enough sleep. He had been suffering from high cholesterol for the past 15 years, had pre-diabetes, and had a blood pressure of 160/90. Although he had been active in sports, running and fitness, he realized that it was his lack of moderation in eating and drinking that was affecting his health.One day in March 2020, on his way back to Kenya from UN Headquarters in New York, Chatterjee looked at himself and couldn't help but think, "What have I done to my life? I don't feel very good, always in a state of anxiety." Lifestyle changes were imminent. He began breathing exercises combined with cold showers, fasting and high-intensity interval training.Siddharth Chatterjee stuck with it and brought about a complete transformation in his life. For four years, he ate only one meal a day. Every three months, he would go on a three-day water fast, during which he would not eat anything and would only be able to drink water. At six-month intervals, he would go on another five-day water fast. "These changes not only reshaped my metabolic system, but also gave me abundant energy and higher awareness, bringing true spiritual, physical and emotional balance to my life." Siddharth Chatterjee said.After these changes, he managed to drop his weight to 60 kilograms, has not contracted a new infection, and the symptoms of the disease that once plagued him have not reappeared. Moving to Beijing was also a great opportunity, as Chatterjee found the air quality to be very good, allowing him to get out and exercise more often.He has also benefited from the traditional Indian practice of Pranayam, combined with the Chinese practice of Qigong. If you follow Chatterjee on his social media platforms, you will find that he often shares photos of himself practising yoga. In the office, at home, or even on the frozen waters of Beijing, Chatterjee can be seen in the lotus position, focusing on his breath or doing breathing exercises. By adjusting one’s breathing, it is said that a person can influence the nervous system, relieving mental stress, and reducing anxiety. "Breathing is like a superpower that you have, and by learning to control your breath, you can actually learn to control your senses." In the midst of a busy schedule, breathing is often Chatterjee’s most effective way of relieving stress. It doesn't require a gym, it doesn't require any special venue, it can be started anytime, anywhere.Chatterjee feels that the Sanskrit word for breathing exercises, "Pranayama," has a lot in common with the Chinese word “Qi”. Yogis use a variety of breathing techniques to master and prolong "Prana", the life-giving force or energy. In traditional Chinese culture, "Qi" is also associated with the flow of the universe and life energy, and through the nourishment of the breath, it can also bring people to the realm of harmony. Despite the different cultural contexts, both Qi and Pranayama emphasize the importance of the breath in life and health, and its potential to promote harmony, peace, and wellness."Keep Breathing, Keep Smiling"Every morning, Siddharth Chatterjee’s day begins with a 30-minute breathing session, followed by 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training, then into the sauna for 20 minutes before spending five minutes in a cold bath or shower. The self-discipline has been the same for four years. After completing this series of moves, he would start his day. During the day, in between work, he would also take time to do some breathing exercises in his office and some yoga postures. Every evening, when he finished his work, if he had no other social engagements, Siddharth Chatterjee would go home and have dinner with his son. This is his only meal of the day. Despite his busy work schedule, Siddharth Chatterjee finds every day very fulfilling and enjoyable. "That's why I say that when you reach good health, you start to achieve a balance of spirit, body and mind in your life."On social platforms, Siddharth Chatterjee looks like a fitness KOL outside of his role as UN Resident Coordinator. He shares bits and pieces of his exercise, promotes his lifestyle, and lists the benefits and principles of each exercise in detail. He also takes time out of his busy schedule to teach others about breathing and wellness. So far, he has already taught nearly 700 people.He recorded a video of himself walking to the gym on a snowy Beijing street in December 2023. The snowflakes are still in the air, and Siddharth Chatterjee looks relaxed in his athletic short sleeves. "Remember, the cold is your best friend, don't be afraid of the cold," Siddharth Chatterjee said with a smile as he faced the camera.In Siddharth Chatterjee's social media posts, you can see him practising breathing bare-chested outdoors in minus-11°C snow, doing headstands in a hotel in Sanya and jogging outdoors in Beijing. At least three times a day, he performs a headstand for five minutes at a time, supporting his body weight with his head and forearms and stretching his legs toward the ceiling. This anti-gravity asana is said to be good for stretching the spine, but also for getting the blood flowing to the head and improving circulation throughout the body.On January 19 this year, Chatterjee ended a five-day water fast and shared his journey on social media. For five days, he drank only water and black tea, while other exercises, breathing exercises, saunas and routines he had been following remained the same. In his tweets, he explained the rationale for the fast - intermittent fasting, which is said to cause the body to alternate between eating and prolonged fasting, shifting from a reliance on glucose to increased fat burning and ketogenesis - and in one breath, listed ten reported benefits of fasting - including lower levels of inflammation, increased insulin sensitivity, enhanced immune response, weight loss, improved mental focus, and more.At the beginning of the post documenting the fast, Chatterjee wrote: "Our state of health and well-being is a personal choice. Remember, health is not something we can buy; however, it can be a very valuable savings account for the future." More than once, he reiterated the significance of personal health to society. After every tweet related to exercise and health, Siddharth Chatterjee always has a classic closing line: Keep breathing. Keep smiling. This is indeed the credo he has been adhering to and practising.This piece was originally published by Trends Health in Chinese
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Story
05 April 2024
UN-Habitat host the China Future Cities Council Meeting 2024
Shaoxing, China, 20 March 2024 - UN-Habitat convened a significant two-day meeting on March 20 and 21, gathering over 120 delegates from city governments, enterprises, academic institutions, and media outlets. Hosted in the vibrant Keqiao District of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, the event showcased the collaborative efforts towards advancing sustainable urban development.The meeting was held under the support of local companies in Keqiao District, Shaoxing City. Shaoxing City, a recipient of the prestigious UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour in 2008, served as an apt backdrop for this gathering of forward-thinking minds.In his opening remarks, Bruno Dercon, Officer-in-Charge of UN-Habitat ROAP, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, emphasizing the significance of the UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council (CFCC) as a pivotal platform bridging private sectors and UN-Habitat's mission. He underscored the importance of smart cities as a focal point of UN-Habitat's endeavours in collaboration with Member States. Mr. Zhang Zhenshan, UN-Habitat Habitat Programme Manager for China, recognized the work of the CFCC over the past four years and expressed his gratitude to the members and partners of CFCC, in particular, Vanke Foundation, Xinchao Media Group and iSoftStone Smart Technology Co., Ltd for their generous support.Mr. Chen Hao, Party Secretary of the CPC's Keqiao District Committee of Shaoxing City, emphasized the important role of cities in promoting high-quality development. He called for the collaboration of academics, experts, and private sectors to explore digital transformation and smart city development for the future sustainable development of Keqiao District.Mr. Wang Shi, the new chair of CFCC and Chairman of the Vanke Foundation, shared insights gleaned from his extensive experience in sustainable urban development. He articulated his vision for an urban future characterized by sustainability and innovation, aligning with CFCC's objectives. Highlighting the pivotal role of digital solutions in driving green transformation, Mr. Chen Jun, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with other local entrepreneurs, showcased innovative applications enhancing sustainable urban development.Reflecting on CFCC's achievements in 2023, Mr. Ying Sheng, National Officer of the UN-Habitat China Office, provided an overview of the council's activities and the flagship report, "Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2023 (FCAO 2023): Digital Innovations Empower Urban Net Zero Carbon Transition". Representatives from city governments and tech companies shared impactful case studies featured in the FCAO 2023 report.The Roundtable Dialogues, centred around themes of "Future Cities", "Future Technologies", and "Sustainable Urban Future", facilitated robust discussions among experts spanning urban planning, energy, transportation, waste management, environmental sustainability, and digital technologies.Following the main forum, the Kick-Off Meeting of "Future Cities Advisory Outlook 2024: Digital Urban Governance" marked a significant milestone for CFCC 2024. Experts from esteemed institutions such as Shanghai Jiaotong University, CAICT, and Ant Group offered preliminary insights into the forthcoming flagship report. Professionals from ISSTech Corp, CityDO Group, and the Wuhan Planning and Design Institute contributed valuable perspectives to the report's outline.Anticipation surrounds the release of the fourth Future Cities Advisory Outlook report, slated to debut by the end of 2024 during the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12). This eagerly awaited publication promises to offer invaluable insights into digital urban governance, shaping the trajectory of sustainable urban development globally.
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08 April 2024
Delivering as One, a UN in China conversation presented by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee: Episode 19 with Meng Liu, Head of UN Global Compact China Office
In this episode of the UN in China podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Ms. Meng Liu, Head of the UN Global Compact China Office.Ms. Liu, a Chinese national, grew up with a childhood dream to work for the United Nations. As part of the generation that emerged in the 21st century with a global outlook and experiences, Ms. Liu emphasized that she and her generation have benefitted from the positive effects of the reform and opening up policy of China. Inspired by her reading during elementary school of a young student’s experience in the UN system, her interest in international affairs had already been sparked prior to her studies at the University of San Francisco in the United States. Following her gaining a Master’s degree in International and Development Economics, she first joined the UN as an intern back in 2007 for the Office of the High Representative for the Least Development Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States at headquarters in New York, before joining the UN Global Compact. In 2017, she then joined the UN family in China as Head of Office for the UN Global Compact.“That really triggered my strong interest to pursue a career focusing as an international civil servant”In this episode, Ms. Liu outlines the history and work of the UN Global Compact. First announced in 1999 at the World Economic Forum by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Calling on companies to align strategies and operations with its Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, the UN Global Compact has more than 24,000 participants— including around 1,000 Chinese companies with an annual membership growth of over 25% in China during recent years. During the conversation, Ms. Liu highlighted the UN Global Compact’s efforts in China, specifically the launch of its China Strategy back in 2022. She elaborated on the seven key areas the Global Compact has been working with companies in China to advance the 2030 Agenda and emphasized the importance of creating synergies between China’s development priorities and broader UN goals. She believes delivering as one is a universal philosophy, which not only benefits the UN system, but could benefit the whole world in order to solve our common challenges. Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two discuss other challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, as well as the UN Global Compact’s work to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals as part of the UN system in China. Meng Liu Ms. Meng Liu is the Head of Liaison Office in China of the United Nations Global Compact. She joined the United Nations Headquarters in 2007. Previously, Ms. Liu worked for the Asia Foundation in San Francisco and the World Resources Institute in Washington, DC. She was a fellow on Asian public policy with Harvard Kennedy School, and the book author of “Responsibility Changes the World-UN Global Compact Leading Business Revolution Worldwide”. In 2015, Ms. Liu was honoured as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum and nominated as YGL Chair for China for 2021-2023. She has been a member of the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks since 2020. In 2021, Ms. Liu was recognized as “One of the Top Ten Women from China with brand impact”.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.
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Press Release
26 July 2024
UNAIDS and China sign two strategic agreements to advance the HIV response
The first agreement was signed on 10 July by Wang Hesheng, Vice Minister of the National Health Commission and Administrator of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA) and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, in Beijing. UNAIDS and China have agreed to deepen their collaboration to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, within the context of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The agreement acknowledges China’s commitment to take a leadership role in the global HIV response including mobilizing partners and supporting efforts to end AIDS in middle- and lower-income countries. Mr Wang thanked UNAIDS’ for technical support and guidance around China’s HIV response, particularly in formulating HIV response plans and strategies, monitoring and assessment, as well as UNAIDS’ data collection and analysis.“We expect to continue and further our cooperation with UNAIDS with this MOU,” he said. “The first steps will be to boost communication and coordination, and actively participate in global health governance.”According to the agreement, NDCPA will make an annual contribution of USD$1 million to UNAIDS from 2025 to 2029, totaling USD$5 million, which includes increased core funding. The other agreement signed in Beijing on 13 July with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) addresses critical global development issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes promoting health and ending AIDS globally, especially in other developing countries in Africa and Asia Pacific.Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of the CIDCA recognizes UNAIDS’ leadership in the global HIV response and encouraged UNAIDS to apply for more Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF) to address the HIV epidemic.“Let’s work together to improve people’s health especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.” he said. "HIV is a new area for CIDCA but UNAIDS has a lot of experience so there is huge prospect to have more cooperation.”As part of this agreement, UNAIDS and CIDCA will fund projects in developing partner countries through policy coordination, community engagement, capacity building and technical insight.Since its founding in 2019, the CIDCA has provided steady financial support to UN agencies and developing member states. As highlighted at the annual Steering Committee of UNSDCF, 13 UN agencies mobilized more than US$ 100 million in South-South funding, predominantly from CIDCA, which assisted 85 partner countries in the areas of COVID response and resilience, social inclusion, agriculture, climate and energy efforts. Earlier this year, UNAIDS received the first GDF to support Iran’s upscaling of rapid HIV testing. UNAIDS is the second UN entity to sign a MOU with the CIDCA.UNAIDS looks forward to deepening cooperation with China especially in South-South Cooperation and China-Africa cooperation in the areas of local drug production as well as supporting partner countries.Ms Byanyima said, “Global South solidarity is the bedrock of the HIV response. It is only by standing together that we can end AIDS by 2030 and I welcome steps towards a deeper partnership building China and African countries.”UNAIDS will also closely work with the African Union, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Medicine Agency. Ms Byanyima’s week-long mission to China is her first to the country since she became Executive Director of UNAIDS.
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Press Release
26 July 2024
New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now
Whilst the end of AIDS is within our grasp, this decade, currently the world is off track. Globally, of the 39.9 millionpeople living with HIV, 9.3 million, nearly a quarter, are not receiving life-saving treatment. As a consequence, a person dies from AIDS-related causes every minute. Leaders pledged to reduce annual new infections to below 370 000 by 2025, but new HIV infections are still more than three times higher than that, at 1.3 million in 2023. And now cuts in resourcing and arising anti-rights push are endangering the progress that has been made. “World leaders pledged to end the AIDSpandemic as a public health threat by 2030, and they can uphold their promise, but only if they ensure that the HIV response has the resources it needs and that the human rights of everyone are protected,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “Leaders can save millions of lives, prevent millions of new HIV infections, and ensure that everyone living with HIVcan live healthy, full lives.”The report finds that if leaders take the bold actions needed now to ensure sufficient and sustainable resourcing and protect everyone’s human rights, the number of people living with HIV, requiring life-long treatment, will settle at around 29 million by 2050 but if they take the wrong path, the number of people who will need life-long support will rise to 46 million (compared to 39.9 million in 2023).The report shows continued (although slower) progress in rolling out medicines to people living with HIV with 30.7 million people now on treatment, more than 3 in 4 people living with HIV. As recently as 2010 treatment coverage stood at just 47%. The expansion of people accessing treatment is a landmark public health achievement that has seen AIDS-related deaths halved since 2010—from 1.3 million to 630 000 in 2023.However, the world is off track to meet the 2025 target of reducing AIDS-related deaths to below 250 000.Although tremendous progress has been made in preventing new HIV infections which have fallen by 39% since 2010 globally, and by 59% in eastern and southern Africa, the report shows that new HIV infections are rising in three regions, the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and central Asia and Latin America, and gaps and inequalities persist.“Countries are making enormous progress to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, however there have been many challenges that could slow our efforts,” said Dr Anthony Fauci, Former Scientific Advisor to the US President. “We must do everything we can to be continually vocal and proactive. Failureis not an option here. In fact, it is unthinkable. If we all work together, we shall meet our common goal. I for one will continue to work with all of my strength to make sure that we do indeed end the AIDS epidemic and I implore all of you to commit to the same.”Gender inequality is exacerbating the risks faced by girls and women and driving the pandemic. HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women is still extraordinarily high in parts of eastern and southern Africa and western and central Africa.Because stigma and discrimination against marginalized communities create barriers to vital prevention and treatment services, key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs, represent an increased proportion at (55%) of new infections globally compared to 2010 (45%).The report demonstrates that HIV prevention and treatment services will only reach people if human rights are upheld, if unfair laws against women and against marginalized communities are scrapped, and if discrimination and violence are tackled head on.UNAIDS calculations show that whilst 20% of HIV resources should be dedicated towards HIV prevention for populations most affected by HIV, just 2.6% of total HIV spending went towards interventions for key populations in 2023.Around the world funding is shrinking, holding back progress and even leading to rising epidemics in certain regions. In 2023, total resources available for HIV (US$ 19.8 billion) dropped by 5% from 2022 and were US$ 9.5 billion short of the amount needed by 2025 (US$ 29.3 billion). Domestic funding in low- and middle-income countries—which make up 59% of total resources for HIV—is being constrained by the debt crisis and fell for the fourth consecutive year, with a 6% decline from 2022 to 2023.Increased resource mobilization is needed, especially in Asia and the Pacific—where the numbers of people living with HIV are projected to almost double by 2050—and in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa, regions with growing epidemics, but where funding for HIV has decreased significantly. Around half of the total resources needed by 2025, and 93% of the current HIV funding gap, are outside of sub- Saharan Africa.The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads, shows that decisions taken this year will determine if global targets are met, AIDS is ended as a public health threat by 2030, and a sustainable HIV response is built.“The fraying of solidarity between and within countries is putting progress in danger, but the path that ends AIDS is a path that has been proven, and is a path that leaders have promised to take. Whether leaders fulfill their pledge to end AIDS is a political and financial choice. The time to choose the right path is now,” said Ms Byanyima.ContactUNAIDS Munich | Sophie Barton Knott | tel. +41 79 514 6896 | bartonknotts@unaids.org UNAIDS Geneva |Michael Hollingdale | tel. +41 79 500 2119 | hollingdalem@unaids.org
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Press Release
19 July 2024
UN dialogue gives focus to country, regional and global actions for the SDGs
With global progress on sustainable development stalling or reversing, participants in opening remarks, keynote speeches and panel discussions during the dialogue sought to highlight innovative approaches such as the mechanism of South-South cooperation, stress the need for more international cooperation, and explore concrete opportunities for project-based collaboration on the SDGs in areas such as climate action, development financing, and gender equality to build a better world that leaves no one behind. The dialogue underscored the UN in China’s commitment to enhancing its collaboration with the Government of China through the provision of technical support and expertise, given its efforts to elevate its role as a key provider of international development assistance, including through close work with CIDCA, as one of the leading entities in implementing the Global Development Initiative and China’s other efforts in support of the SDGs.During his remarks at the dialogue, Vice Chairman of CIDCA, Mr. Zhao Fengtao, said, "China firmly supports the UN-centred international system, encourages efforts to increase the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries, and strives for an equal and orderly multipolar world. We will support the Summit of the Future 2024 in reaching a Pact for the Future that keeps abreast of the trends of our times." During her remarks at the dialogue, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNAIDS Executive Director, Ms. Winnie Byanyima, said, "It was the great warrior and philosopher and thinker, Sun-Tzu, who said that ‘In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity’. For the health of our people, for the security of our nations, for the resilience of our economies, we have to stand together and seize the opportunity." During his remarks at the dialogue, UN Resident Coordinator in China, Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, said, "I hope today’s event demonstrates the UN’s commitment to forging consensus and building effective partnerships between a broad range of development stakeholders and provides you with a clearer picture of the actions we can take at the country, regional and global levels to accelerate the SDGs." In her keynote address on climate actions for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Ambassador of The Bahamas to China, Her Excellency Ms. Paulette Bethel, said, "The reform of the international financial architecture is essential so as to facilitate and provide easier access to affordable concessional financing for SIDS by taking into account their multidimensional vulnerabilities." With media also in attendance at the event, the dialogue joins others held by the UN in China ahead of the Summit of the Future this September, where world leaders will come together for a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation, reaffirm existing commitments, including the UN Charter and the SDGs, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system. ---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
15 July 2024
IFAD and China forge stronger partnership to boost rural revitalization and South-South collaboration
During bilateral meetings with key policymakers in China, including senior officials from the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs (MARA), the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Brown confirmed IFAD's new strategic priorities in China: rural revitalization and green development, which are closely aligned with the Chinese government's goals for agricultural and rural development. Additionally, he emphasized IFAD's commitment to jointly promote South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) with China, highlighting China’s significant potential to contribute to global public goods. In a meeting with Brown, Dr. Huaying Tao, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that China would work with IFAD within the framework of the Global Development Initiative to leverage the power of the China-IFAD SSTC Facility to safeguard food security and promote green agriculture globally. Brown welcomed China's commitment to exploring new potential in areas such as animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.“At IFAD we know that our partnership with China is crucial to addressing the global challenges facing rural people, including climate change, conflicts, and food insecurity," said Brown. “This visit has allowed IFAD to further strengthen our collaboration with China to support sustainable and inclusive rural transformation, benefiting the most vulnerable people,” he added. He met He Jihua, Vice Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on a visit to the Hunan province to see the impact of IFAD's investments in the region and speak to small-scale farmers and rural people who have benefitted from these investments. In Fenghuang and Guzhang counties of Hunan province, Brown saw how small-scale farmers were adopting the climate-resilient agricultural practices encouraged by IFAD-supported projects, such as using organic fertilizers to improve soil quality. At the Second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development hosted by CIDCA on 12 July, Brown thanked President Xi Jinping on behalf of IFAD for China’s contribution of US$10 million to the IFAD-China SSTC Facility -- a testament to the strength of IFAD’s partnership with China and to the common commitment towards supporting rural transformation in the Global South. Brown also signed an implementation partner agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Multilateral Cooperation Centre for Development Finance (MCDF). This agreement officially accredits IFAD as an international financing institution implementation partner of MCDF. He also met Prof. Jiang Zehui, founder of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) and co-chair of the INBAR board of trustees. Since 1981, when IFAD became the first international financial institution to invest in China, IFAD has financed 35 projects for a total investment of US$3.45 billion, with US$1.3 billion of IFAD’s own funds, benefitting around 4.6 million households. Read more about IFAD’s work in China here.Media contact:Yamini Lohia| Regional Communications Officer, Asia Pacific | y.lohia@ifad.org | +91-9811109907Jiaying Shen (Alex) | Communications Consultant, China | j.shen@ifad.org | +86-14705193323Press release no. IFAD/60/2024IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$24 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries. A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.
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Press Release
01 July 2024
China contributes US$10 million to scale up South-South and Triangular Cooperation with IFAD
The China-SSTC Facility was established in 2018 with a US$10 million initial contribution from China. The Facility has effectively leveraged knowledge, technologies, and resources from the Global South to accelerate rural poverty alleviation, enhance productivity, and drive rural transformation. “China’s generous contribution to this facility is a powerful example of how developing countries can work together to share knowledge, resources, and expertise to accelerate rural poverty alleviation and empower small-scale farmers,” said Alvaro Lario, President, IFAD. “It is a strong vote of confidence in IFAD’s work and speaks to a strong and evolving partnership focused on fostering thriving, productive rural communities everywhere,” he added.As of June 2024, the Facility has supported 20 SSTC projects across 38 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, directly benefiting over 44,000 people and indirectly impacting more than 70,000.As the first facility dedicated to SSTC within IFAD, with the new funding, the China-IFAD SSTC Facility will continue to lead efforts in promoting SSTC by fostering cooperation in key areas such as knowledge exchange, policy engagement, technical cooperation, investment, and trade promotion through smart and impactful grants, to improve the rural livelihoods and transforming the agri-food systems in the Global South, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 1 and 2, which aim to eliminate poverty and hunger by 2030.Media contact:Yamini Lohia| Regional Communications Officer, Asia Pacific | y.lohia@ifad.org | +91-9811109907Alex Shen | Communications Consultant, China | j.shen@ifad.org | +86-14705193323Press release no. IFAD/54/2024IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$24 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries. A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.
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