You are here: Home > World > Diplomatic Exchanges

Adjust font size:

CIIC-IPRCC delegation visits FAO headquarters and attends the FAO Council Side Event. [China.org.cn]

In April, we traveled to Switzerland and Italy as a delegation of five. During the trip, we visited several international organizations and local government departments, including the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) in Switzerland, as well as the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Italian Agency for International Development (AICS) in Italy.

We also attended the FAO Council Side Event, IFAD's learning event on China's experience in poverty reduction, and a seminar on "Global Partnerships for Poverty Reduction", by means of which we had in-depth exchanges with a raft of international experts in the field of poverty reduction. Astonished by China's experience and achievements in this field, the experts set an expectation that China play a greater role in implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), benefitting the international community by promoting its model and methods through knowledge sharing.

China's methods and achievements in poverty alleviation have won widespread recognition from experts in the field. At the seminar on "Global Partnerships for Poverty Reduction" co-hosted by the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), AICS, FAO and IFAD, at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ashwani Muthoo, Director of Global Engagement, Knowledge and Strategy Division (KM), IFAD, spoke highly of China for its efficiency in delivery systems. Both the theory and practices of targeted poverty alleviation show a high likelihood that China will eradicate poverty, through a sound political vision, a scientific strategy and appropriate policies. China's success will also provide inspiration to the cause of global poverty reduction.

Davide Giglio, Head of the North-East Asia Office, Directorate General for Global Affairs, MAECI, took the view that sustainable urbanization was one of the reasons for China's success in poverty reduction, and that China has avoided some of the ills often associated with urbanization, particularly large-scale urban poverty and unemployment. Sharing China's experience with the world will be a driving force for achieving the SDGs .

Anne Moulin, Poverty Reduction Specialist, SDC, told us that she had just inspected an aid program in Haiti. 7 years after the Haiti earthquake, there was still visible debris in the ruins. "In stark contrast is the Yushu earthquake in China's Qinghai Province the same year. Thanks to the government's powerful ability to mobilize, and support from many quarters, it took only three years for the region to recover, despite an underdeveloped economy. This shows that government-led poverty alleviation and disaster relief in China is working well."

The experts expressed an expectation that China would play a greater role in international affairs, accelerating the drive to achieve the SDGs. Pietro Sebastiani, Director General for Development Cooperation, MAECI, said that China, as the world's second largest economy, has an important role to play in the international community. He appreciated China's efforts in South-South Cooperation and collaboration with impoverished areas in Africa. In addition, he proposed that China and Italy work more closely to promote global poverty reduction.

Jean-François Cuénod, Deputy Head Domain South Cooperation, SDC, pointed out that China was determined to eliminate extreme poverty by 2020 and implement the Paris Climate Agreement, making it a world leader in both poverty reduction and climate change.

The experts agreed that China could inspire further solutions to poverty elimination through enhanced knowledge sharing and international cooperation. Markus Dürst, Specialist of East Asia Division, SDC, maintained that China should also emphasize exchanges and cooperation with development assistance agencies in developed countries, while building projects in developing countries in Africa. "China has made remarkable progress in poverty alleviation. But I notice that you do much, say little and share even less." Markus said.

In this context, the Global Poverty Reduction & Inclusive Growth Portal (GPIG) has drawn attention and participation from international experts. Initiated by the World Bank and supported by ADB, the portal is co-hosted and co-managed by IPRCC and CIIC. It aims to promote exchange and cooperation on global poverty reduction through knowledge sharing. Martha Mueller Guicciardini, Head of the World Bank's Office in Italy, remarked that GPIG is a user-friendly platform with a simple yet practical structure and a wealth of content. A proposal was tabled for active promotion of the portal, so as to reach more research institutions and a wider audience.

Benjamin Davis, Strategic Programme Leader for Poverty Reduction, FAO, held that he was happy to see what GPIG had achieved. He disclosed that FAO would join hands with CIIC to launch a program called Innovation Lab, exploring new ways to promote China's experience in poverty alleviation.

Umberto Vattani, the Governor of the triad of the Venice International University system, commented that GPIG was a window for the world to learn from China's experience in poverty reduction. He called for stronger cooperation with the platform and urged more young people to get engaged in its content building.

Print E-mail

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

Add your comments...

• User Name Required
• Your Comment
• Enter the words you see:   
  Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.