08 October, Beijing - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner will arrive in China for his first official visit to the country since the COVID-19 pandemic, from October 9 to 15, 2024. The visit comes on the heels of the conclusion of the UN Summit of the Future in September where world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future, agreeing to take urgent actions towards achieving sustainable development and addressing global challenges.

It also precedes three critical UN summits on biodiversity (COP16 in Columbia on Oct 21-Nov 1), climate change (COP29 in Azerbaijan on Nov 11-22) and desertification (COP16 in Saudia Arabia on Dec 2-13), with China’s role and commitments pivotal in all three.

The purpose of this high-level visit is to expand the scale of the longstanding partnership between China and UNDP to deepen the impact of joint efforts towards these global agendas. The official visit kicked off today with a virtual signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) that aims to strengthen international development cooperation to advance progress on the Sustainable Development Goals – to safeguard the future of people and planet by 2030.

In Beijing, Steiner is expected to hold discussions with government officials and senior leaders from the State Council, National People’s Congress, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and Ministry of Finance (MOF), to explore cooperation opportunities in key areas such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, the green transition and development financing.
 
In addition, Steiner will attend the annual meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), an international advisory body founded in 1992 that informs decision-making on environmental policy and sustainable development. Steiner has held the position of Vice-chairperson of CCICED since 2012 and has been a member since 1997.

Steiner will also attend the opening of the National Evaluation Capacity Development Conference (NEC), a global meeting organized biennially by UNDP in different countries around the world aimed at strengthening capabilities for monitoring and evaluating sustainable development progress. This year’s forum, co-hosted by CIDCA, will be the 8th iteration of NEC and the first time it is being held in China.
 
As part of global efforts to overcome the almost $4 trillion financing gap for the SDGs, Steiner will conclude his visit in Shanghai, meeting representatives from the financial sector. This includes the Shanghai Municipal Government, and the Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange. Key areas to be discussed include new financing tools to support sustainable investments for low-carbon economic development that benefits all.