The United Nations Development Programme in China has been honored with the International Award in the China Poverty Eradication Awards established by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and supported by the State Council Leading Group on Poverty Alleviation.
To commemorate and highlight the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Poverty Eradication Award Presentation Conference was held yesterday in Beijing. The event was presided over by Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and aimed to honour individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to China's ongoing struggle against poverty.
"This is a great acknowledgement of UNDP's work in China and should because for pride as well as encouragement for all of us in surmounting the challenges of the day and remembering what it is we are working for," said Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China.
2006 marks the second installment of the Awards, with the first one held in October 2004. This year goes under the theme "All together", which highlights the need to mobilize broader participation from all parts of society, particularly to encourage those who have already benefited from economic growth.
The Awards covered 10 categories including special personal achievement, innovation, volunteers, donation, international award, self-struggle and dedication. Other winners included the Amity Foundation, China Construction Bank, China Children and Teenagers' Fund, and China Lifeline Express Foundation.
In his congratulatory message to this particular event, the UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan spoke highly of the significant role China played in the global combat against poverty. "China's remarkable economic growth has helped to reduce poverty on a scale that is unprecedented in human history, "he said: "Because of China's size, the way it performs on achieving the Millennium Development Goals is crucial to how the world as a whole does in reaching them."
