LocationsOpening Remarks by Mr James George at the Launch Ceremony and International Workshop on the Technical Task Force for Poverty Reduction
November 23, 2023
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in China, James George, delivers opening remarks at the launch ceremony of the China-UNDP Cooperation Project Activity-Demonstrating Technical Task Force Model for Povert Reduction in Wuyishan, China.
Distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends,
Good morning,
On behalf of the United Nations Development Program in China, it is a great pleasure to be here in Wuyishan.
We are gathered here on a cause that unites all of us in this room and millions around the world – the urgent need to eradicate poverty worldwide.
Nearly 700 million people are still living in extreme poverty worldwide, living on less than $2.15 per day today. The global extreme poverty rate rose from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.3% by the end of 2022.
What is certainly much needed now globally - are key well designed, pragmatic, evidence based and replicable models that have lessons learned that can be adapted and adopted to local needs around the world.
China has much to contribute to this global exchange of best practices and lessons learned in poverty reduction.
On this point, I am happy to be in the city of Nanping - where the Technical Task Force approach for poverty alleviation was first proposed and implemented 24 years ago, in Feb 1999.
It remains as relevant then as it is now.
Let us not forget the past as we forge the future.
With the strong partnership and collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology and CICETE, we have through the years succeeded in establishing and scaling up the Technical Task Force (TTF) program between since 2006. 30 counties in 15 provinces were selected as pilot sites.
As a result, since 2008, an estimated 1 million farmers benefited from the programme each year .
From 2012 to 2014, the program was further scaled up to cover 31 provinces and 75,000 government-appointed personnel were dispatched to the rural communities benefitting more people.
The TTF approach has greatly contributed to poverty eradication in rural China and is now contributing to further support China’s rural revitalization strategy in the new era.
"Only through meaningful and robust interventions grounded in the day-to-day realities of the communities we serve - can we achieve long-lasting and sustainable poverty reduction progress."
Ladies and gentlemen,
Discussing successful poverty alleviation models and how they can be efficiently implemented remains not only relevant but crucial.
Only through meaningful and robust interventions grounded in the day-to-day realities of the communities we serve - can we achieve long-lasting and sustainable poverty reduction progress.
The TTF is one such intervention - generated from close to two decades of experience in China and at a scale where it has been repeatedly tested by local government to achieve real and tangible progress.
The success of TTF approach to reduce poverty provides us insights, lessons and best practices as the global community experiments, explores, tests and develop new approaches to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
I am delighted to be here on behalf of UNDP, CICETE and IPRCC and a host of partners and supporting organizations as we embark on a new chapter.
This chapter aims to systematically codify the knowledge and demonstrate the TTF approach through demonstration pilots that can be shared with other developing countries for mutual learning and exchange of best practices.
Fujian has been specifically selected based on its previous successful TTF experience and for its commitment to ensure gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment.
I am pleased to note that in 2021, Fujian launched the “carbon sinks and women TTFs Alliance” in China.
This dedicated effort of deploying highly qualified female science and technology commissioners to rural areas and encourage rural women and cooperatives to successfully apply green agricultural technologies, promote high-quality and efficient development of agriculture is highly welcomed.
This TTF approach has demonstrated that it is an effective intervention for poverty alleviation and sustainable development and in addition it has been a successful accelerator for gender mainstreaming and equality.
These are exciting days ahead as we begin on this new chapter. I look forward to all of your active engagement, support, ideas and suggestions as we make this demonstration pilot an excellent example to share with the global development community.
I am looking forwards to upcoming project activities and confident this project will make a significant contribution to the eradication of poverty worldwide.
Thank you!
