Sally Fegan-Wyles在中国和联合国”国际会议开幕式上的致辞
点击数:1349发布时间:2014-10-23 22:09:19
Introduction :
UN Assistant Secretary-General, Acting Head and Executive Director of United Nations Institute forTraining and ResearchIntroductionUNITAR is very honored to have been asked to co-organise this important conference with the UNAssociation of China and Fudan University.And I am personally thrilled to be here. This is my first visit to China, although I have wantedto come here ever since I read Gunnar Myrdal’s book on bare foot doctors when I was a studentover 40 years ago. It has been so fascinating to watch China’s progress. During that period Chinahas moved from a country that was considered in need of UN technical and financial support, to acountry from whom the UN will need financial and political support if the UN is to continue to berelevant in the 21st century.
China is already one of the most important member states in the working of the UN, both as amember of the P5, and as a very active player through out the various UN bodies. And thisimportance will only increase as we move forwards.
The topic of this conference is very timely.
Firstly, there is wide acceptance that many of the challenges facing the world require globalsolutions, which highlights the current shortcomings of the global governance system.
Secondly, the member states of the UN are currently thinking together about a new Post 2015development agenda, and have recognised the need for a new Global Partnership that would promoteand support the implementation of that agenda.
And thirdly, one year ago the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, together withUNDP, hosted a High Level Policy Forum on Global Governance in Beijing. That forum concluded that‘China, with its growing weight grounded in strong economic and development performance, ispoised to increase its footprint within the global order, and to help address some of the mostpressing global challenges. ……. there is an emerging concensus within academic and policycircles in China and abroad that China should play a greater role in Global Governance.’
The next two days offer us an opportunity to think together about more effective globalgovernance, (including a more effective UN), about what a new Global Partnership might look like,and about the role that China could, should, indeed must play within the global order.
Need new model of partnership
When I started working on development issues in 1980, the prevailing understanding was verydifferent. We worked in terms of donor countries and recipients, with the assumption that thedonors would provide both the funds and the knowledge, and the recipient countries would bepassively grateful.
Thankfully, the world has changed a great deal. We know that development has to come from withineach community and each country, and that while partners can be helpful, the partnership has to bebased on a spirit of mutual respect and understanding; recognising shared interests, differentneeds and common but differentiated responsibilities.
Emerging economies like China rightly have no desire to take on this traditional donor role.
However, while we know that the old model of development assistance needs to be changed, we do notyet have a clear vision of what a new model would look like.
China, as an emerging world power, has the opportunity to play a key leadership role inshaping a new model of partnership.
Questions that need answers
We hope that we can build on the outcome of the High Level Policy Forum, and make some progresstogether over the next two days in addressing some key questions:
How does the UN need to change, to better facilitate effective global governance?
What is the link between Global Governance and a new Global Partnership?
What could be the model for a New Global partnership?
And what role could China play in leading the thinking and action on these very importantquestions?
I look forward very much to the discussion of the next two days.
The list of senior Chinese officials and academics is very impressive. And I am delighted that somany very senior colleagues from across the United Nations have joined us here, reflecting thehigh level of awareness in the UN that without very strong leadership and support from China forall of the various areas where the UN is engaged, the UN cannot hope to remain relevant in this21st Century.
Thank you