The 2018 China Poverty Reduction International Forum was held today under the theme “Sharing and Promoting Cooperation, Joining Hands in Poverty Reduction”. Highlighting the importance of fighting poverty to achieve the vision for a world free from poverty and hunger, the forum focused on China’s unparalleled success in reduction of rural poverty and how the country’s experiences could be used in the global efforts for elimination of poverty and hunger.

About 200 participants from 28 countries attended this event. They included high-ranking officials, representatives from international organizations, experts and entrepreneurs from home and abroad as well as trainees from developing countries. The Gathering provided an opportunity for participants to discuss, exchange opinion, and share knowledge on how to wage battle against global poverty more effectively.

FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea Vincent Martin attended the forum and highlighted that despite undeniable progress made in many developing countries, particularly in East Asia and the Pacific, global poverty remains one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to end poverty in all its forms while ensuring social protection for the poor and vulnerable, increasing access to basic services and achieving food security and improved nutrition.

He stressed the need for strengthening, deepening and broadening International cooperation on poverty reduction. Such cooperation is needed to adapt to local contexts and localize successful experiences with poverty reduction gained elsewhere. In this regard he emphasized multidisciplinary and international partnerships that embrace and engage innovation and knowledge sharing in efforts to create an inclusive world without poverty. “This forum is another step towards that path, towards bringing resources together, enhancing knowledge sharing and reaching the most vulnerable,” he said 

The forum launched the Global Solicitation and Challenge Prize on Best Poverty Reduction Practices to promote knowledge sharing. The campaign is inviting meaningful poverty reduction case studies from both organizations and individuals working worldwide in poverty alleviation, and will select 100 most impactful case studies for recognition. Interested applicants need to follow the “Writing Standards of Poverty Alleviation Case Studies” in presenting the case studies using meaningful, clear and concise information in words not exceeding 5 000, which could be submitted from 23 May to 23 August 2018.

A preliminary evaluation committee will select case studies to be submitted to the final selection committee for review. In October the organizers will announce the list of winners. Meanwhile, submitted case studies will be uploaded to the database for public dissemination.

In launching the first global solicitation of poverty reduction case studies, this campaign has involved many international organizations, and is the latest attempt to deepen and innovate on global partnerships on poverty reduction.

In addition, China Institute for Poverty Reduction of Beijing Normal University presented research findings of using China Shared Development Index to evaluate the shared development between different areas. That includes areas with different levels of poverty, from different regions in the east, central and west, as well as from different cities. As the first indicator system of its kind in the country, the index has provided a new perspective for addressing challenges in poverty reduction.

This year marks the third consecutive year that China Poverty Reduction International Forum has been held. In 2016, the Global Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth Portal (GPIG) was launched at the forum. During the two years of its existence, GPIG has evolved into a platform sharing policy research, data, country profiles and news on poverty reduction and South-South Cooperation. The forum in 2017 has seen the launch of Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge Sharing Database. Created with a standard template, a tree structure and a sharing system, this is yet another innovative approach to promote poverty alleviation.

The forum was co-hosted by the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), and Asian Development Bank (ADB). It was jointly organized by China.org.cn, China Development Gateway, and Chinese Voice Think Tank, while supported by China Institute for Poverty Reduction Research at Beijing Normal University, and China Institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (CISSCA).