Innovative partnership key to poverty reduction

The 2018 China Poverty Reduction International Forum was held on May 23rd in Beijing.  [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

The 2018 China Poverty Reduction International Forum was held on May 23rd in Beijing. About 200 participants from 28 countries, including high-ranking officials, representatives from international organizations, experts and entrepreneurs at home and abroad as well as trainees from developing countries, attended the event to discuss how to combat global poverty through knowledge sharing.

Themed as “Sharing and Promoting Cooperation, Joining Hands in Poverty Reduction”, the forum mainly focused on how China’s experiences could contribute to a world with no poverty and zero hunger.

The Global Solicitation and Challenge Prize on Best Poverty Reduction Practices was launched at the forum.   [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

The Global Solicitation and Challenge Prize on Best Poverty Reduction Practices was launched at the forum. The campaign is seeking meaningful poverty reduction case studies from both organizations and individuals working around the world in poverty alleviation, and will select 100 most impactful case studies for recognition. From May 23 to August 23, applicants could submit case studies following the “Writing Standards of Poverty Alleviation Case Studies” in presenting meaningful, clear and concise information, with no less than 5,000 words. A preliminary evaluation committee will select case studies to be submitted to the final selection committee to review. In October the organizers will announce the list of winners. Meanwhile, case studies will be uploaded to the database for public dissemination.

As the first global solicitation of poverty reduction case studies, this campaign has involved many international organizations, and is the latest attempt to deepen and innovate on global partnerships on poverty reduction.

In addition, China Institute for Poverty Reduction of Beijing Normal University presented research findings of using China Shared Development Index to evaluate the shared development between different areas. That includes areas with different levels of poverty, from different regions in the east, central and west, as well as from different cities. As the first indicator system of its kind in the country, the index has provided a new perspective for resolving challenges in development.

Fang Zhenghui, Vice President of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG)  [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

The China Poverty Reduction International Forum has been held for 3 consecutive years. Fang Zhenghui, Vice President of the China International Publishing Group, said, “Since 2016, the forum has been scaling up with fruitful achievements. China Poverty Reduction International Forum has now become a major platform for knowledge sharing on poverty reduction among the international community.”

Chen Zhigang, Deputy Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development   [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

Chen Zhigang, Deputy Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, believed that the forum had introduced China’s experiences to the world, contributing greatly to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Bekele Debele, Acting Country Director for China, Mongolia and Korea, World Bank  [Photo by Li Jia / China.org.cn]

Bekele Debele, Acting Country Director for China, Mongolia and Korea, World Bank, pointed out that China had rich experience referable and transferable to many other countries. “Such experiences vary from long-time rapid economic growth to targeted poverty reduction,” he said, “We applaud that China has contributed 70% of global poverty reduction in the past four decades and will continue as a major contributor in this regard.”

Vincent Martin, FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

Vincent Martin, FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea, further explained that China had been an active and strong partner towards international poverty eradication through the sharing of its expertise. “As China’s experience has shown, a focus on rural transformation is needed to help the poor move from subsistence and casual wage labour to full employment and higher incomes, including in other sectors.”

Matteo Marchisio, Country Director and IFAD Representative for China and Mongolia [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

Matteo Marchisio, Country Director and IFAD Representative for China and Mongolia, said that China was exemplary in poverty reduction. “China’s successful experience in reducing poverty has generated a bulk of knowledge to share with the rest of the developing world. It could be the immediate, tangible contribution that China can make to the global commitment to end poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030.”

Qu Sixi, WFP Director in China  [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

Qu Sixi, WFP Director in China, maintained that Asia especially China had set a shining example for the world in poverty alleviation. “With unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievement and become one of the few countries achieving objectives of both MDG and World Food Summit in reducing the number of hunger people,” he said.

Benedict Bingham, Country Director, Resident Mission in the PRC, ADB  [Photo by Yang Jia / China.org.cn]

Benedict Bingham, Country Director, Resident Mission in the PRC, ADB, believed the forum was very timely and constructive, saying that “the China Poverty Reduction International Forum provides a useful and powerful platform allowing us to share experiences learned from the country’s efforts on this front.”

In 2016, the Global Poverty Reduction & Inclusive Growth Portal (GPIG) was launched at the forum. With two years of development, it specializes in sharing policy research, data, country profiles and news on poverty reduction and South-South Cooperation. The forum in 2017 has seen the launch of Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge Sharing Database. With a standard template, a tree structure and a sharing system, this is another innovative approach to promote poverty alleviation.

The forum was co-hosted by the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), and Asian Development Bank (ADB). It was jointly organized by China.org.cn, China Development Gateway, and Chinese Voice Think Tank, while supported by China Institute for Poverty Reduction Research at Beijing Normal University, and China Institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (CISSCA).