UN chief hails Chinese dreams of a better future
- By Chen Boyuan
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 19, 2012
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday saluted the efforts of the Chinese people in sharing their visions and hopes of a better future at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June, known as Rio+20. (Gallery>>>)
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| "It is exciting to hear what the Chinese people dream for the future," Ban said. "It is a reminder that we are all part of the great human project of building a better world for all. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn] |
!['It is exciting to hear what the Chinese people dream for the future,' Ban said. 'It is a reminder that we are all part of the great human project of building a better world for all. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120719/001fd04cea511171fdb90b.jpg "'It is exciting to hear what the Chinese people dream for the future,' Ban said. 'It is a reminder that we are all part of the great human project of building a better world for all. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]")
Ban's appearance at Wednesday's event came at the beginning of a three-day visit to China in which he will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leading government leaders. He will also attend the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is scheduled to open on Thursday, July 19 in Beijing. This is Ban's fifth visit to China since he took office in 2007.
The event also saw the airing of "2032: The Future We Want," a global online initiative which Ban launched personally in 2011. The initiative allowed Chinese people to express their visions of a better world via the microblogging service Sina Weibo. The launch featured both a public-service short documentary and an album containing messages from people across China about their hopes for a better world over the coming two decades.
Since March, around three million Chinese people have participated in "The Future We Want," and their efforts received praise from both the UN and Ban himself.
"It is exciting to hear what the Chinese people dream for the future," Ban said. "It is a reminder that we are all part of the great human project of building a better world for all.
According to UN forecasts, in 2032, the world will need 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water to meet the demand from a growing population. In addition, urban dwellers will account for 60 percent of the entire population, marking a change in lifestyles which will require more resources.
"The world needs a new course that truly balances economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship," Ban said. "Rio+20 was not an end but a new beginning – a milestone on an essential journey toward 2032 and beyond."
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| Renata Dessallien, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China (L) presents the UN chief the book entitled "2032: The Future We Want," which includes 100 Chinese nationals speaking about their own wishes for the next 20 years until 2032. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn] |
![Renata Dessallien, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China (L) presents the UN chief the book entitled 2032: The Future We Want, which includes 100 Chinese nationals speaking about their own wishes for the next 20 years until 2032. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120719/001fd04cea511171fe430c.jpg "Renata Dessallien, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China (L) presents the UN chief the book entitled 2032: The Future We Want, which includes 100 Chinese nationals speaking about their own wishes for the next 20 years until 2032. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]")
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