Beijing, China – July 9, 2024
The UN Country Team in China, in collaboration with the Embassy of Senegal (FOCAC Co-Chair), the Permanent Mission of the African Union in China, organized an event titled “Symposium on the Priorities of China-Africa Cooperation in the Context of the FOCAC Summit in Beijing, 2024” on July 9, 2024, facilitated by UNAIDS China and Development Reimagined.
The meeting was held with the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) approaching in Beijing in September 2024. In the last two decades, China has become a vital ally in Africa’s efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has played a pivotal role in shaping advancements across various sectors. Therefore, the meeting was held for UN agencies, African embassies in China, and Chinese stakeholders from the private sector to prepare for the upcoming FOCAC Summit.
The meeting underscored six priorities identified by the African Ambassadors, including:
- Food security and agriculture modernization
- Social sector and human security (Health, Education, Women)
- Industry and energy
- Climate change
- Financing SDGs
- Governance
Among the above-highlighted topics, H.E. Ms. Winnie Byanyima, the UNAIDS Executive Director and Under Secretary-General, who is currently visiting China emphasized the “Driving health innovation on SSC on pharmaceutical products and commodities” in her keynote speech. Other topics were also well discussed by African Ambassadors and the UN team to develop strategies to bridge the financial gap of the development on the African continent in the context of the next FOCAC Summit process.
72 participants attended the high-level closed-door Symposium. 25 African embassies attended the event, including 14 Ambassadors. High-level officers from 13 UN agencies in China joined the meeting, including representatives from UNICEF, WFP, UNIDO, UNDP, UNHCR, UN Women, IOM and UNAIDS, led by The UN Resident Coordinator to China.
The symposium emphasized the significance of deepening the tripartite cooperation and strengthening partnerships among UN agencies, Chinese, and African partners in addressing development challenges and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. With more substantive ‘ask’ discussions of prioritized FOCAC programme pillars led by the Ambassadors, the event integrated technical expertise and policy-making gestures, laying the groundwork for policy initiatives for the upcoming FOCAC 9. This effort set the stage to achieve future success in China-Africa development cooperation in the next three years.
Meeting Highlights:
