Representatives of the World Bank
and the government of China held a joint press conference in
Beijing on March 23, to announce the Global Learning Process and
Shanghai Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction. The event is
being held as part of a global effort to accelerate poverty
reduction by assessing practices and sharing valuable knowledge
among developing countries.
The conference will be held in Shanghai from May 25-27.
Frannie A. Léautier, vice president of the World Bank Institute
(the capacity
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building arm of the World Bank Group); Li Yong,
vice minister of finance; and Liu Jian, director of the State
Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and
Development, talked about the importance of the upcoming
event.
The conference in Shanghai will bring 600 participants together to
analyze 70 case studies illustrating successful and
not-so-successful examples, highlighting approaches that proved
highly successful in reducing poverty on a large scale within
various economic, social, and institutional contexts.
Léautier stated that the World Bank, along with its partners, is
sponsoring the conference because it is critical to share knowledge
in order to expand, or "scale up," results across regions and
countries. The conference marks the first time that developing
country practitioners and policymakers from around the world will
share their expertise about what works, what doesn't, and why, she
said.
The bank is promoting this global dialogue to help reduce poverty
on a large scale, calling on heads of state and multilateral donors
to accelerate the fight against world poverty and find appropriate
and sustainable solutions for achieving its Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, world
leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration, a set of common
objectives with eight MDGs, which range from halving extreme
poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal
primary education.
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The main goals of the Shanghai
conference are to uncover the economic, social, and governance
components that have enabled some countries to reduce poverty on a
large scale; to share these lessons across regions and countries;
and to disseminate them widely to policymakers, practitioners and
researchers.
The nine-month learning process leading up to the conference is
using cutting-edge information technologies and communication tools
to link major practitioners, including developing-country
policymakers, politicians, donor agencies, academics, civil society
groups and development institutions, said Léautier.
The 70 case studies will be presented and discussed at the
conference through 20 multi-country interactive videoconferences,
on-line dialogues, and 10 field visits to project sites in
Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Uganda, and
Yemen.
"The emphasis on global dialogue is expected to yield usable
knowledge that will help forge adaptive solutions," Léautier said.
"This is the most ambitious learning program we have ever launched.
But the real challenge begins after the conference: applying the
knowledge to poverty reduction on a global scale."
Scaling up the fight against poverty can be defined as adapting and
expanding positive experiences to suit local circumstances and
contemporary times. Issues to be addressed include maintaining
programs through changes in political administration or in the face
of weak governance. Participants will also examine how to
communicate lessons of experience effectively.
Vice Minister of Finance Li Yong said that the conference in
Shanghai provides an important arena for exchange of poverty
reduction experience.
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"We in China look forward to a conference that is focused on action
and call upon the international community to act together to
achieve the Monterey Consensus. We especially call on developed
countries to increase development aid, liberalize trade and expand
technology transfer," he said. "We also hope that actions are taken
by the World Bank to mobilize more financial resources to support
poverty reduction efforts in developing countries."
Liu Jian added, "Large-scale reduction of poverty in China has
major implications for the progress of poverty reduction worldwide.
International financial assistance and experience in poverty
reduction has contributed to the development of poor areas in
China. I hope that this cooperation and exchange will continue and
play a greater role in China's efforts to eradicate poverty."
The Shanghai municipal government is committed to providing full
support to ensure success of the conference.
For more information on the Global Learning Process and Conference
in Shanghai, go to:
www.reducingpoverty.org.
(China.org.cn March 23, 2004)