Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, has recently spearheaded efforts to strengthen UNICEF's collaboration with partners in China. The initiative aims to enhance the delivery of high-quality services and supplies to children in humanitarian crises and developing nations.
UNICEF and the Ministry of Education have entered into a memorandum of understanding, designating China as a Champion Country in the Gateways to Public Digital Learning Initiative. Gateways, a global effort jointly overseen by UNICEF and UNESCO, focuses on collaborating with governments and partners to establish digital education as a public asset. This initiative includes developing comprehensive national digital learning platforms and content to ensure quality and inclusivity. Moreover, it aims to foster international knowledge sharing. China, as a Champion Country of Gateways, will contribute technical expertise and financial backing to support this initiative.
Speaking at the signing event, Mr. Chaiban said, “China’s commitment to this global initiative is commendable and valued, adding China’s advancements in digital education and its technical expertise position it well to harness the power of technology and address global learning challenges. "We're very happy that building on the existing solid cooperation, China and UNICEF join hands on the Gateways initiative that aims to benefit every child and young person in the globe, with China being a Champion Country”, said Mr. Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education of China.
On July 15th, Mr. Chaiban, representing UNICEF, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). This agreement aims to harness their combined resources to enhance primary healthcare systems in Africa, focusing particularly on community-level interventions. Additionally, UNICEF, China CDC, and Africa CDC—a health agency of the African Union—will work together under this agreement to enhance surveillance, prevention, and control of infectious diseases across African nations. The collaboration also includes efforts to evaluate and validate public health products and services.
Dr. Shen Hongbing, Director General of China CDC, underscored the importance of the agreement and praised the collaboration between UNICEF and China CDC. He also emphasized the anticipated enhancement of their global health partnership to bolster Africa CDC and enhance public health capacity in African nations. “This agreement is an exciting opportunity to bring improved health services to more children in African countries, through the power of collaboration”, said UNICEF’s Mr. Chaiban.
In addition to formalizing the agreements, Ted Chaiban delivered remarks during high-level engagements with partners in China. Addressing the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development on July 12th, hosted by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Mr. Chaiban discussed the effects of climate change on children in humanitarian settings and outlined future strategies for promoting sustainable development.
