UN and China Mark International Poverty Eradication Day with Major Forum

17 October, Beijing – A high-level forum was held today in Beijing to mark the 18th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. With the focus on “Transforming Development Pattern and Poverty Reduction”, the forum aims to address the challenges of how to manage disparities and balancing development. The forum was attended by over 200 Chinese government leaders, officials from developing countries, academics, and members of the international community. It was co-hosted by the United Nations in China and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP).

As a proven global platform of policy dialogue, the high level Annual Poverty Reduction and Development Forum this year aims to stimulate active discussions among policy makers, development practitioners, scholars, and other social actors on how to cope with the increasing new development challenges and identify recommendations to improve public policies for transforming development pattern in the 21st century.

Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, Minister Fan Xiaojian, Director of the LGOP, and Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women and Chairperson of the Advisory Group to the UN Social Protection Floor Initiative, were among the leading speakers. A message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the poverty forum was also read to the forum by Ms. Yin Yin Nwe, Representative of UNICEF China Office.

Many countries in the world have made remarkable progress in economic development. China and East Asia have significantly contributed to the global reduction of absolute poverty. However, the distribution of people living in poverty within and across regions has changed. The world is facing increasing challenges of how to manage disparities and balancing development. While progress has been made globally in MDGs, the pace and level of success are uneven. Some of the hard-won gains are being threatened by climate change, food and economic crisis. The new trends and obstacles the world is encountering are making the rethinking of development pattern imperative.

In his speech, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu expressed that the Chinese government will accelerate the process of transforming development pattern, further promote poverty reduction and facilitate the full participation of poor people in the development process and sharing of the benefits of development. China will make its own contribution to global poverty alleviation and the common development of the world. Helping the developing countries to transform development pattern, creating a more enabling environment for the equitable participation of poor people and sustainable development is a common responsibility of the international community. He hopes that all partners will join efforts, strengthen communication and deepen cooperation to accelerate the achievement of global poverty alleviation and the MDGs.

In his message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the forum participants for joining forces to discuss and exchange ideas as the world seeks to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals ahead of the internationally agreed deadline of 2015. He noted that “Decent and productive work is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty and build self-sufficiency. Despite encouraging advances in many corners of the globe, hundreds of millions of people still live in appalling conditions, lacking even the most basic services. Addressing the global jobs crisis is central to changing this picture – to defeating poverty, strengthening economies and building peaceful and stable societies.”

In her opening speech, Ms. Bachelet emphasized that “prosperity to be sustained must be shared! Economic growth alone is not sufficient to eliminate poverty. There can be no sustainable development without income distribution. Redistribution policies are a prerequisite and not an impediment to growth! Fighting poverty is not only about protecting, but also about preventing and empowering. The three dimensions – preventing, protecting and empowering - should be combined in a consistent and coherent social protection floor and decent work framework which should be placed at the core of countries’ economic development strategies. Special attention should be given to gender equity and women’s empowerment. And we cannot be serious about tackling poverty unless we address head-on the looming threat of climate change.”

The morning’s keynote speeches also included addresses by Mr. Du Ying, Vice Chairman (Vice Minister) of National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC), Sir Fazle Abed, Chairman of BRAC, Ms. Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of National Population and Family Planning Commission of China (NPFPC) and Mr. Jomo Sundaram, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

In the afternoon, two parallel sessions were held on the themes of “Economic Structure Adjustment, Urbanization, Employment Promotion and Poverty Reduction ” and “Resource Efficient Development and Poverty Reduction” followed by a plenary forward-looking and concluding session. 

Source: United Nations Development Programme