United Nations Hails China's Progress towards the MDGs in Final Report

Friday 24 July 2015, Beijing  –  As the end of 2015 and the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, the Government of China in partnership with the United Nations (UN) System in China today jointly launched the Report on China's Implementation of the MDGs (2000-2015) This is China's final progress report on the MDGs before the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda later this year. 

According to the Report, the country has seen unprecedented transformational results in accomplishing the vision that was set out in 2000 by world leaders in New York. The MDGs mandated the 189 nations that signed them to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing condition of extreme poverty" and were outlined in eight specific goals. 

Highlights of China's progress in the past 15 years include lifting over 439 million people out of poverty between 1990 and 2011, reducing the under-five mortality rate by at least two-thirds, cutting the maternal mortality rate by three quarters, halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, and actively engaging in South-south cooperation and providing help to over 120 developing countries in their efforts to attain the MDGs. 

In his video message to the launch ceremony, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "the Report is the product of close collaboration between the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the UN System in China. It showcases China's unremitting efforts to implement the MDGs; it records China's journey over the past 15 years; it summarizes our experiences, and it reflects China's aspiration for a better future." 

Helen Clark, the Chair of the UN Development Group, also sent her congratulations to China for "achieving many of the MDG targets ahead of schedule which has greatly contributed to the overall global performance on the MDGs."She stated that “the publication of this report is a testament to the Chinese Government's hard work while also signifying the importance that it attaches to sharing the country's experience with the rest of the world."

Speaking at the launch of the report, UN Resident Coordinator in China Mr. Alain Noudehou commended these achievements and the cooperation that bore them. He remarked that "the UN System in China is proud to have supported and witnessed China's transformation over the past decades and very much looks forward to continue strengthening this partnership with the Government as we move to the Post-2015 Development Agenda."  

Furthermore, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong reiterated China's firm commitment to the new global development agenda towards 2030, saying "China will integrate its ambitious goals of comprehensively deepening reform and completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects with implementing the Post-2015 Development Agenda."

The launch of the report was followed by a seminar which convened representatives from the Chinese government, UN System, and national and international experts to discuss the next global development agenda. It provided an opportunity to take stock of the circumstances that enabled China's achievements on the MDGs, experiences that could be shared with other developing countries, areas which need further efforts, as well as the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the post-2015 era. 

The Report on China's Implementation of the MDGs (2000-2015) follows the UN's global MDG final assessment report released on July 6. The UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon stated on that occasion that "the global efforts to achieve the Goals have saved millions of lives and improved conditions for millions more around the world." Furthermore, he said, "The MDGs have greatly contributed to this progress and have taught us how governments, business and civil society can work together to achieve transformational breakthroughs."