2023.05.31
On May 29, the SCO Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development with the theme of “Exchanges, Mutual Learning and Win-win Cooperation – Promoting Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Rural Development in SCO Countries” opened in the Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone in Shaanxi Province.
At the 22nd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on September 16, 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would hold a forum on poverty reduction and sustainable development in 2023. Poverty reduction is recognized by the international community as one of the biggest highlights of China’s development, and global poverty governance can learn from China’s poverty alleviation practice. The theme “Exchanges, Mutual Learning and Win-Win Cooperation” was an answer to the common concern of SCO countries. Participating delegates actively shared their success stories in poverty governance and rural/community development, and learned from each other’s ideas and practices in this field.
Shen Yueyue, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, attended and delivered a keynote speech. Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Kuchkarov Jamshid Anvarovich and Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Mirza Mohammad Afridi each gave a speech. Zhao Yide, Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress, gave a welcome speech. Other speakers included Liu Huanxin, head of the National Rural Revitalization Administration, Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the SCO, Zhyldyz Polotova, Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, Manoj Bhatta, Member Secretary of the Nepal Social Welfare Council, and Dr. Zaw Myint, Deputy Minister of Education of Myanmar.
Shen Yueyue said that since 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has led the Chinese people in winning the critical battle against poverty, once and for all resolved the problem of absolute poverty in China, achieved moderate prosperity – the millennium-old dream of the Chinese nation, and made important contributions to global poverty reduction. The 20th National Congress of the CPC drew up a grand blueprint for promoting the great national rejuvenation in all respects through Chinese modernization. We are willing to work with other SCO member countries to firmly carry forward the “Shanghai Spirit,” build consensus on cooperation, improve public well-being, adhere to mutual benefits, focus on poverty reduction cooperation, give play to the role of the civil society organizations, help achieve common development and prosperity, and make greater contributions to building a closer SCO community with a shared future.
Mr. Kuchkarov said that in recent years, Uzbekistan has taken a series of measures to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development, and achieved meaningful and positive results. China has accumulated rich experience in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization and has made significant achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. Uzbekistan is willing to carry out extensive exchanges with China, earnestly study and draw on these useful experiences, and find more effective measures through the platform of the SCO to contribute wisdom and strength to poverty reduction and sustainable development of member states.
Mr. Afridi said that China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and made important contributions to world poverty reduction and sustainable development. In order to solve the poverty problem, Pakistan will learn more advanced experience and technology from China, and work with China to achieve the goals of poverty reduction and sustainable development, promote social stability and economic prosperity, and jointly create a better future for people in both countries.
Zhao Yide said that in the first decade of the new era, Shaanxi deeply studied and implemented the important instructions and speeches of President Xi Jinping, solidly implemented the basic strategy of targeted poverty alleviation, and once and for all solve the problem of absolute poverty and regional and overall poverty. Shaanxi will take this forum as an opportunity to actively implement the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit related to Shaanxi, continue to consolidate and build on the achievements in poverty alleviation, promote rural revitalization, deepen exchanges, mutual learning and win-win cooperation with other SCO member states, and jointly develop modern agriculture and reduce poverty in the region.
Liu Shijun, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance, was invited to the forum and delivered a speech entitled “Leveraging the Role of Tourism in Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.” According to Mr. Liu, the content of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers three aspects: economic development, social progress, and environmental protection, and is highly aligned with the sustainable development of tourism: both are to protect the environment on which human existence depends and achieve the goal of economic and social development on a global scale. A well-developed tourism industry is conducive to the achievement of Goals 1, 3, 8, and 15 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The WTA will strengthen cooperation with global partners in economic, cultural, social, and ecological aspects to jointly promote poverty reduction and sustainable development.
It is learned that this Forum was co-organized by the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, the National Rural Revitalization Administration and the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, and jointly undertaken by the International Poverty Alleviation Center in China, China Foundation for Rural Development, Shaanxi Provincial Rural Revitalization Administration, the Foreign Affairs Office of Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC, the Administrative Committee of Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone, and Yan’an Municipal People’s Government. The Forum consisted of an opening ceremony and three sub-forums. The SCO Exhibition of Achievements in Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development was staged during the Forum.