Remarks by Ms. Beate Trankmann at the Global Panda Partners Conference

November 26, 2024

女士们，先生们，大家上午好！

今天，我谨代表联合国开发计划署，向“全球熊猫伙伴大会”的召开表示热烈祝贺。这是一个前所未有的、聚焦熊猫保护的全球性平台

In 2015, world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – our global blueprint to protect people and planet by 2030.

At the same time, two baby panda cubs were born in the Panda Base here in Chengdu named Qi Qi and Dian Dian who soon became UNDP’s first-ever Animal Ambassadors for the SDGs.

Their names mean “the beginning of a journey,” reflecting our journey towards achieving the Global Goals.

Today, they remain not only symbols of China’s rich biodiversity, but with the natural world under threat around the globe, they also play a critical role in raising public awareness about the importance and urgency of efforts to promote sustainable development and ecological protection.

Indeed, the significance of conservation work is particularly evident here in China’s Sichuan Province, home to most of the world’s giant pandas.

"With the recent conclusion of this year’s COP29 UN summit on climate change, we are reminded of the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, and protecting our planet’s precious ecosystems and the species they sustain."

Through dedicated initiatives like habitat restoration and breeding programs, Sichuan has made important achievements that have seen Giant Panda populations on the rise and their status downgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Moving forward, this progress is vital to continue building on. With the recent conclusion of this year’s COP29 UN summit on climate change, we are reminded of the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, and protecting our planet’s precious ecosystems and the species they sustain.

At UNDP, we are committed to working with Chengdu, and all our partners, in continuing to advance wildlife conservation and fostering sustainable development.

Together, we can ensure a healthier planet for all, and shape a future where humans and nature can live in harmony, and the natural world symbolized by Qi Qi and Dian Dian can not only survive but thrive.

Thank you.