UN-Habitat China Office inaugurated in Beijing

China News Service, Beijing, November 6 (Reporter Pang Wuji) The unveiling ceremony of the China Office of the United Nations Human Settlements Program was held in Beijing a few days ago. Rosbach, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, and Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, delivered speeches and unveiled the plaque. Ni Kemin, Chairman of the United Nations Habitat Conference and Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, and Jess Heng, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China attended and delivered speeches.

Rosbach said that the establishment of the UN-Habitat China Office is an important milestone in the cooperation between the two parties. China's urban development provides valuable experience to the international community; China's practice brings important enlightenment to countries and cities that are dealing with the challenges of rapid urbanization. UN-Habitat is committed to building its China office into a global hub for urban transformation, sustainable development and international cooperation, building a bridge of cooperation and closely connecting China's professional capabilities and innovation advantages with the needs of other cities around the world. The main work of the China Office will be guided by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the "New Urban Agenda" and the "UN-Habitat 2026-2029 Strategic Plan", focusing on adequate housing, land and basic services, in line with China's urban development priorities, promoting synergy with other international platforms, and ensuring that knowledge results are widely disseminated and transformed into practical actions. We look forward to working closely with China to fully realize its potential and make the China Office an international cooperation platform that promotes knowledge across national borders, jointly seeks solutions, and jointly builds higher-quality, more resilient and sustainable cities for all.

Ni Hong said in her speech that the establishment of the UN-Habitat China Office has opened a new chapter in cooperation between the two parties and will play a positive and long-term role in promoting exchanges and cooperation in the field of human settlements and promoting the sustainable development of global cities. Looking to the future, he emphasized that to deepen cooperation in China, China will work with UN-Habitat to formulate and implement cooperation projects in China, and use UN-Habitat experts, city networks and other resources to promote global urban governance concepts and Chinese practices to explore, exchange and learn from each other; to align the human settlement strategy, and use the UN-Habitat China office as a link to better connect Chinese cities, scientific research institutions and professional forces, meet the needs of developing countries, and carry out joint research, talent training and demonstration cooperation, etc. , promote the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the "New Urban Agenda"; expand international exchanges, deepen exchanges and cooperation among cities in various countries, continuously expand the international influence of World Cities Day and the Global Sustainable City Award (Shanghai Award), promote knowledge sharing and information dissemination in the field of human settlements, demonstrate China's vivid practice in urban sustainable development, build consensus on urban development, work together to promote global sustainable development, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

At the event, Ni Kemin and Jie Siheng respectively expressed congratulations on the establishment of the UN-Habitat China Office. Ni Kemin expressed the hope that the UN-Habitat China Office will become a platform for experience sharing among cities around the world, focusing on joint projects and personnel training in the fields of affordable housing, climate resilience, smart cities, zero waste and circular economy, and sharing practical experience with other regions in the Asia-Pacific and the world. Jie Siheng said that he expects the UN-Habitat China Office to become an open, pragmatic, results-oriented and trustworthy partner that can adapt to local conditions, integrate resources across departments, and spread the results of cooperation widely.

The establishment of the UN-Habitat China Office marks a new level in the partnership between China and UN-Habitat to jointly promote the sustainable development of global cities. As an important part of UN-Habitat, the office will build a global docking platform for urban transformation and sustainable development based on China's sustainable urbanization and human settlements construction practices, promote dialogue, cooperation, exchanges and mutual learning among cities in various countries through knowledge sharing, project cooperation, capacity building, etc., and comprehensively coordinate UN-Habitat's global functions such as World Cities Day, the Global Sustainable Cities Award (Shanghai Award), and participation in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" to build consensus on cooperation and synergy for action in the global human settlements field.