3 December, Beijing – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) organized a forum in Beijing today convening key stakeholders online to discuss critical issues on international development cooperation to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Initiated by CAITEC in 2020, the China and International Development Forum has become an annual event providing a platform for dialogue on China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation with this year being the 3rd iteration of the event.

In light of China’s evolving role from development aid to development cooperation guided by the 2030 Agenda and increasingly linked into the multilateral system the forum aimed to promote in-depth discussion and exchange among different actors to help inform China’s international development cooperation for greater SDG impact.

“We hope that with participation from key actors, this exchange can foster understanding about the different perspectives and practices in global development cooperation and discuss future development pathways together” said Gu Xueming, President of CAITEC.

Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of UNDP in China in her welcome remarks highlighted that, “as China transitions from a development aid to development cooperation with its partners guided by the 2030 agenda, this opens an important opportunity to draw on best practice and international experience and standards in the design, implementation, monitoring and measuring of development cooperation outcomes”.

She added, “through demand-based cooperation and two-way knowledge exchanges, China can work with partner countries to collectively drive forward global progress on the SDGs and leverage its innovations in areas such as low carbon transition and green and sustainable finance for development results at scale.”

The forum convened over dozens of government entities and actors relevant to China’s development cooperation, around ten foreign embassies in China, OECD, five UN agencies , over thirty research institutions, as well as the private sector notably the development financing institutions to share knowledge and discussed how to better join hands in enhancing China’s international development cooperation to advance SDG progress.

“China has attached importance to expanding trilateral and multilateral cooperation. We worked with over 10 international organizations such as UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, and the International Red Cross to further extend trilateral cooperation on climate change, eco-environmental protection, among other fields.” said Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency.

Susanna Moorehead, Chair of Development Assistance Committee, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development emphasized the importance of multilateralism “We should work together to strengthen multilateral development cooperation system – it should not be a competitive endeavor, we need to work hard within those organizations to make sure we’re not competing, but we’re collaborating.”

“WTO has been promoting aid for trade globally and it convened the eighth Aid for Trade Global Review and discussed with OECD, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks on how to best help developing countries through international development projects and enhance their capacity to participate in international trade, thereby helping them achieve sustainable development” said Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization in his remarks.

Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman, Representative of the African Union to China highlighted their development priorities and calls for support from global development actors “the African Union's 2063 Agenda calls for the region's economies to integrate and to join the global economy through the development of human capital, the acceleration of infrastructure development and the fostering of meaningful partnerships – including with the private sector”.

Keynote speakers offered insights on the global development outlook challenges and macro-level policy issues concerning international cooperation towards accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In the second day of the event, the forum hosted a series of parallel panels designed to expand on the complex development challenges that lie ahead and threats to the SDGs.

The first panel discussed how China’s development cooperation can better support other developing countries to achieve their low-carbon goals and build their resilience to climate change. The discussion expanded on the need to improve the inclusiveness of climate related development cooperation to ensure it not only contributes to climate targets but also generates positive social impacts.

The second panel discussion examined diversified development cooperation modalities, and innovative financing instruments and identified pathways to better leverage different financing mechanisms and facilitate an environment that can fully tap into the private sector’s potential to support global development agendas.

During the third panel discussion, panelists explored new opportunities for debt solutions and feasibility of integrating different debt treatment mechanisms in China’s international development cooperation to enhance SDG progress in partner countries.

The fourth panel discussion, drawing on global best practices and experiences, exchanged views and reflections on how to further deepen international development cooperation for the protection and support of children globally.

Discussions and takeaways from the two-day event are expected to inform impactful policies and practices that will accelerate the achievement of the SDGs as well as climate and environmental agendas in China and around the world.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ms. Zhao Yue, Innovation and Communications Officer, UNDP China at yue.zhao@undp.org