On October 20, China, ESCAP and Uzbekistan jointly held a seminar on poverty reduction by video. Courtesy of the Permanent Representative Office of China to ESCAP
Bangkok, 20 Oct (Xinhua) -- On 20 October, the Permanent Representative Office of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) jointly held a seminar on poverty reduction with the ESCAP Secretariat and Uzbekistan by video. Representatives from the governments of ESCAP member countries, United Nations agencies, academics and media attended the meeting online to discuss the theme of "Targeted Poverty Alleviation in the Asia-Pacific Region to Promote Post-epidemic Recovery", share experience and practices in poverty reduction, promote regional poverty reduction cooperation, and help better rebuild after the epidemic.
ECAP Executive Secretary Aliss Shabana said that over the past 30 years, the Asia-Pacific region has achieved remarkable results in reducing poverty, with more than 1.1 billion people lifted out of extreme poverty. In the face of the impact of the epidemic, Asia-Pacific countries should innovate poverty reduction ideas, refine poverty reduction policies, deepen economic structural transformation and diversification, focus on eliminating social inequalities, abandon the "pollution first, governance later" development model, and establish a competitive poverty reduction economy.
Ke Yousheng, China's Permanent Representative to ESCAP, said that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 50th anniversary of the Restoration of the Legitimate Seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China's reform and opening up has lifted 770 million people out of poverty in the past 40 years, accounting for more than 70% of the world's poverty reduction population in the same period. In the past 8 years, nearly 100 million rural poor people under the current standards have all been lifted out of poverty, and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Poverty Reduction Goal has been achieved 10 years ahead of schedule, creating a miracle in the history of human development.
Ke Yousheng said that in the face of the challenges of the epidemic, China has always stood by with developing countries to help each other, fulfilled its solemn commitment to vaccines as a global public good, and made important contributions to the establishment of a global immunity barrier.
In light of the current situation and challenges of poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region under the epidemic situation, the participants actively shared their experience in poverty reduction and appreciated China's achievements in poverty reduction. Liu Junwen, director of the China International Poverty Alleviation Center, comprehensively introduced China's precise poverty alleviation strategy and elaborated on China's poverty reduction efforts under the epidemic.
All parties believe that poverty eradication is the common ideal of human society and the first goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Asia-Pacific countries should deepen solidarity and cooperation in fighting the epidemic and economic recovery to promote development and poverty reduction. Efforts should be made to enhance innovation capabilities, tap post-epidemic economic growth points, and enhance economic resilience. We should focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable groups, improving the social security and public health system, strengthening environmental governance, jointly addressing global challenges, and promoting sustainable development. (End)
Source: China News Network