3 September, 2013 --- The Seminar on the Development and Execution of Poverty Reduction Programs in Togo, sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and organized by IPRCC, had its closing ceremony at Beijing Fraternal Cooperation International Hotel. A total of 19 representatives from the Togolese government bodies related to poverty reduction and development affairs participated in the 21-day seminar. At the closing ceremony, Mr. Gambagoe Loadja, official from the Togo Ministry of Water Resources, and Mr. Wang Shu, Assistant Director General of IPRCC made remarks respectively.

Themed on the “Development and Execution of Poverty Reduction Programs”, the seminar consists of two parts: thematic lectures and field trip. The 16 lectures covered a range of topics, including China’s national socioeconomic development; agricultural technology, rural development and rural development-oriented poverty alleviation programs; the comparative analysis of development and poverty reduction between China and Africa; the use and management of fund for development-oriented poverty reduction; the modes and practices of training of rural labor transfer in China; the specific patterns of village-based development, industrialized poverty reduction and relocation-based poverty reduction; and the modes and practices of poverty reduction based on social mobilization and foreign capital.

The field trip took place in Gansu Province. The participants visited the modern agricultural technology demonstration park, industrialized grape production park, high-efficiency water conservancy demonstration park, Chinese wolfberry industry pilot site, comprehensive agriculture demonstration park, central primary school, township health center, standardized mutton sheep raising corridor, corn production demonstration base, eco-conservation area, and specialized cooperatives for millet and TCM material production. They also learned about the underachiever training programs at the vocational education center as well as the rural social security programs at the nursing home.

The seminar has successfully promoted the policy sharing and experience exchange concerning poverty reduction planning between China and Togo, analyzed and discussed the existing problems and challenges, and greatly facilitated the communication and cooperation between China and other developing countries in the area of poverty reduction.