On 11 February, the UNICEF Executive Board reviewed and approved the Country Programme Document (CPD) for China (2021-2025) at its 1st regular session in 2021. Prior to this, the UNDP and UNFPA Executive Board also passed CPDs for China(2021-2025). So far, China CPDs for the new cycle of the three major UN development entities have been successfully approved.

The Chinese Government and the three major UN development entities officially established cooperation relations in 1979. Over the past 4 decades, they have implemented consecutive 8 cycles of country programmes in China, making positive contributions to China’s economic and social development. This session approved the 9th CPD. At the session, heads of the entities introduced the main content and drafting process of the CPDs. They emphasized that the CPDs are aligned with China’s development priorities, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and comparative advantage of each entity, and are consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the purposes of the UN Charter, and UN norms and standards. Comments by Board members and various stakeholders have been taken into full account. The CPDs will support China in key transitions and development, promote the establishment of broader partnerships between entities and China, and further strengthen international communication and cooperation.

Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the UN, pointed out that the Chinese Government attaches great importance to its cooperation with UN development entities. The successful approval of China CPDs by the Executive Boards not only embodies the spirit of unity and cooperation of the international community, but also opens a new chapter for China’s cooperation with UN development entities. China will continue to firmly uphold multilateralism, support the entities in country programme implementation, and further strengthen communication and cooperation with all partners.

Ambassador Zhang Jun highlighted that the cooperation between China and UN development entities has always been on an equal footing and mutually beneficial. China actively contributes to the cause of international development. China provides voluntary contributions to the three major UN development entities and shares their resident cost every year. Furthermore, China has carried out triangular cooperation with them through the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund. Cooperative projects on poverty reduction, disaster relief, and climate change have been implemented in many developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean with good results. China is ready to further consolidate its cooperation with UN development entities and continue to follow the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and relevant GA resolutions in the area of development. With concrete actions, China will make every effort to help other developing countries respond to the pandemic, implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and achieve common development.

The Permanent Representatives of Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Russian Federation, Cuba and many other countries expressed their warm congratulations to China. They commended China for its strong support for international development and the work of development entities. They believed that the implementation of the new China CPDs would help tackle global challenges and demonstrate the good cooperation between UN development entities and developing countries. They looked forward to further strengthening development cooperation with China.