UNESCO and China held their first-ever High-Level Strategic Dialogue. On this occasion, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their long-standing partnership, and to advancing the sustainable development goals. The dialogue brought together His Excellency Mr. Chen Jie, former Chinese Vice-Minister of Education, Qu Xing, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, as well as UNESCO Assistant Directors-General and senior officials.
As the largest contributor to UNESCO in 2022-2023 through its combined assessed and voluntary contributions, China has played a pivotal role in strengthening UNESCO’s global initiatives in education, sciences, and culture. The dialogue also highlighted China’s rich network of knowledge partners who were identified as critical assets for further development of the partnership, including UNESCO Category 2 Centres, Chairs, Associated Schools, universities and the Chinese experts placed at UNESCO’s disposal.
“Through our collective efforts, over 9,000 youth across 12 African universities have received quality higher technical education, and more than 180 site management experts from 15 African countries have been trained in cultural heritage conservation. UNESCO’s initiatives, supported by China, have also fostered intercultural dialogue, with over 32,000 youth participating in the Silk Roads photo contest" emphasized the Deputy Director-General.
Mr. Qu also expressed gratitude for China's support, recognizing the contributions of the First Lady, Professor Peng Liyuan, as UNESCO's Special Envoy for advancing education for girls and women worldwide.
His Excellency Mr. Chen, former Vice-Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO underscored the strategic relevance of the partnership recalling the words of President Xi Jinping on a recent meeting with Director-General Audrey Azoulay in Beijing: “The cooperation between China and UNESCO is of great significance, and is conducive to jointly advancing the cause of world peace and development. This kind of cooperation is very precious and should be maintained for a long time.’ Especially in the past decade, the depth and breadth of the partnership have been continuously expanding continuously, yielding fruitful results”.
Her Excellency Ms. Yang Xinyu, Ambassador and of China’s Permanent Delegation of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO, concluded the dialogue by reinforcing the value of collaboration. She expressed optimism about the ongoing partnership, reaffirming priorities such community empowerment, digital innovation, and capacity building in heritage preservation. This renewed commitment from both sides, positions the partnership to drive further advancements in advancing education, cultural preservation, and sustainability globally.
