(Originally published on 09/11/2015)

An international forum was held today in Beijing to discuss internet finance regulatory policies and share innovative practices, in China and around the world. The event was jointly hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE) and the China Association of Microfinance and Huizhong Wealth Management.

“Accelerating financial inclusion is a priority for poverty alleviation globally. Internet finance is a useful tool that can make a huge difference,” said Mr. Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Country Director. “Today, the nternet has made it possible to enlarge scale and reduce costs for financial inclusion, through platforms such as P2P lending and mobile banking,” he added. 

The Internet Finance (P2P Lending) Innovation Forum was attended by representatives from the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), the State Council Development Research Center, regional financial offices, international organizations, and internet finance companies.

This event was part of UNDP and CICETE’s Building Inclusive Financial System in China programme. In addition to organizing platforms for knowledge exchange among internet finance stakeholders such as the Forum, the programme also plans to establish an inclusive finance research center and cooperate with the Research Department of PBOC to promote internet finance policies and practices.

During the Forum, participants discussed the newly released regulatory guidelines called Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Sustainable Development of Internet Finance, and shared different perspectives on risk management in inclusive finance and international practices. Participants also engaged in a panel discussion around challenges and new opportunities facing China’s Internet finance sector.

Funded by the Huizhong Group, the Forum provided a unique opportunity for regulatory authorities, research institutions and private sector companies to work together to achieve inclusive finance for poverty reduction.

As the first organization to introduce microfinance in China, UNDP has been working since 1994 with the Chinese government to push for inclusive finance for poverty alleviation. With 48 microfinance pilot projects in 17 provinces, the partnership has greatly contributed to the development of microfinance in China.

(Originally published on 11/18/2015)

On Wednesday November 18th, UNDP China, as part of the regional Being LGBTI in Asia Initiative, hosted a Media and LGBTI Policy Roundtable in Beijing. The meeting, organized in partnership with the Beijing Gender and Health Education Institute and the Media and Communications Department of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), brought together journalists and media professionals from print media, TV and new media, with academics and civil society representatives to discuss the role of the media in creating a more open and embracing society towards sexual and gender minorities.

In China, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) identities are still vastly underrepresented or represented inaccurately or negatively in mainstream media, without a clear understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The inability or unwillingness by Chinese media to discuss sexual minority issues contributes to keeping Chinese LGBTI people in the shadows. Even worse, negative media representations perpetuate and legitimize widespread stigma against sexual and gender minorities.

Media creates meanings about sexuality and sexual orientation, and plays an important role in the way we understand the role sexuality plays in our identities, our history, our social institutions, and our everyday lives.

The bias, fear, and stigma within and towards LGBTI people, largely stems from culturally constructed ideas of what is “normal.”  These ideas further reflect assumptions about what is morally “right”. The media plays a central role in reinforcing these moral or social constructs.

Prof. Bu Wei  - Director of the Media and Communications Research Centre at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences stressed the need for more media monitoring when it comes to SOGI issues, as well as better data and evidence on LGBTI issues in China.

Xiaogang Wei, Executive Director of the Beijing Gender and Health Institute moderated the panel discussion and highlighted the need for better links to be built between media organizations, media professionals and the LGBTI community.

The meeting focused on developing effective, sensitive and inclusive communications strategies for journalists and media professionals dealing with SOGI issues and the use of media as a tool for change in the advancement of LGBTI anti-discrimination initiatives.  The ultimate goal is to establish a network of media professionals receptive to positively engaging with and advocating on LGBTI issues.

As part of the Being LGBTI in Asia Initiative UNDP China has committed to carry out a national study of media coverage of SOGI issues and launch a media fellowship to sensitize and engage journalists in 2016. UNDP plans to launch the results of this study and the fellowship next year at a national media conference.

For more information contact Andrea Pastorelli, Policy Specialist (andrea.pastorelli@undp.org) or James Yang, Programme Analyst  (James.yang@undp.org)