Seminar on MDGs and Sustainable Poverty Reduction for Developing Countries Convened in Beijing

13 April, 2012 --- In the morning, the Seminar on MDGs and Sustainable Poverty Reduction for Developing Countries, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of P.R.C (MOFCOM) and organized by the IPRCC, was convened at Beijing Fraternal Cooperation International Hotel. Mr. Wei Chongjin, Deputy Director General of IPRCC, chaired the opening ceremony. Mr. Li Chunguang, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Social Mobilization of LGOP, and Mr. Xu Yuanjie, Deputy Director of Human Resources Development Division of the Department of Aid to Foreign Countries of MOFCOM addressed the opening ceremony. Mr. BLESSED MUNATSI, Zimbabwean President’s Office Deputy Director, delivered a speech on behalf of the participants.

Themed “MDGs and Sustainable Poverty Reduction”, the 15-day seminar consisting of three parts: expert lecture, country-specific presentation and field trip. Experts and scholars from China will introduce topics such as the general situation of China’s social and economic development, China’s poverty reduction and development policies and practices, the latest developments in achieving the MDGs in China, China’s labour employment policy and its impact on social and economic development, China’s development mode and experience in rural education, healthcare, eco-environmental protection, women’s development, social security as well as international development assistance’s influence on China’s poverty reduction. At the session of country-specific presentation, the representatives of participating country will be asked to introduce the latest developments and experience in achieving the MDGs. Participants will also make a field trip to Jiangxi province to examine the progress of rural special poverty reduction programmes, rural education, healthcare, eco-environmental protection, women’s development, labor employment and social security.

A total of 27 representatives from the relevant government department on poverty reduction and development of 18 countries including Pakistan, Burma, Nepal, East Timor, Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, the Central African Republic, Rwanda and Papua New Guinea, attended the event.