The International Conference on" Taking Action for the World's Poor and  HungryPeople" was held in Beijing

　　
　　On October 17th, the International Conference on "Taking Action for the World's Poor and Hungry People" jointly organized by China State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), co-hosted by International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), IFPRI and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was held in Beijing. Mr. Hui Liangyu, Vice Premier of China State Council, and Director of State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, Mr. Fan Xiaojian, Director of LGOP, Mr. Joachim Von Braun, Director General at IFPRI, and Mr. Lennart Bage, President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of United Nations, regarded the conference with a written speech. There are 28 participants at ministerial level (10 foreigners and 18 Chinese). It is going to be a platform for debates on global poverty issues, joined by four hundred delegates from governments, international agencies, NGOs and academia in more than forty countries throughout Asia, Africa, America，Europe and Oceania.
　　
　　The conference coincides with the Fifteenth International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17. It can be dated back to December 22, 1992, when the 47th UN General Assembly declared October 17 to be the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and demanded that its member states act for the global campaign against poverty.
　　
　　Poverty is one of the toughest challenges facing the world today. The number of absolute poor in the world living on less than one dollar a day stands as high as one billion, quite a few of whom starve with a daily expense of less than a half dollar. About 800 million people feel insecure in food supply, and are incapable or unhealthy because of shortage of food. The UN Millennium Declaration approved by many states in September 2000 outlined the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that convey commitment to development. MDGs are composed of eight goals, targeting multiple dimensions of extreme poverty----from economic poverty, hunger and health to education, environment and gender. The top goal of the MDGs is the eradication of poverty and hunger, specifically halving the proportion of poor and hungry people living on less than one dollar a day between 1990 and 2015.  Despite immense efforts to realize this goal, the absolute majority of the world sees limited effects, except for China and a few others.
　　
　　It has become a reality in China to achieve the goals of reducing poverty and proliferating basic education in advance, with joint efforts of the government and social sectors. By the end of 2006, the poor population in China with insufficient subsistence declined from 250 million in 1978 to 21.48 million, and the incidence of poverty dropped from 30.7% to 2.3%. Net enrollment at primary schools rose from 96.3% in 1990 to 99.15% in 2005. The nine-year compulsory education has covered 98% of the nation. Regarding gender equality and women's empowerment, there are higher rates of women enjoying education, employment and political roles. Examples include the disappearance of gender discrimination in primary education, and the fact that 45% of Chinese women are engaged in the work force, which is higher than the world average of 35%. When it comes to the child death rate, it decreased from 32.2‰ in 2000 to 19.0‰ in 2005 nationwide, and from 39.7 ‰ to 22.5‰ for children under five years old. In terms of maternity health, death toll of women in labor has been reduced from 53.0/100 thousand to 47.7/100 thousand. In the fight against diseases, both the sanitary facilities and public awareness are significantly enhanced, bringing down the death rates. With regards to environmental protection, major infrastructure is improved, coverage of forestry has increased from 16.55% in 1998 to 18.21% in 2004 and the areas of desert have been reduced by 37924 square kilometers.
　　
　　The conference is intended to further draw international attention to the importance of poverty, analyze worldwide progress on the situation, research uneven progress and important barriers to achieving the goals, propose and adopt further action policies, and promote the "UN Millennium Development Goals." At the same time, it will reveal the successes and experiences of China's development and poverty alleviation strategies, and enhance the international community's and domestic understanding of China's poverty alleviation work. Lastly, it is meant to promote exchange and cooperation in the field of poverty alleviation.
　　
　　China was selected to be the venue for two reasons: First, on the one hand, China is the country to realize in advance the MDG goal of halving the rate of the poor population, but on the other hand, its development is also uneven. In the conference, successes and challenges will be displayed together to give a balanced and refreshed image about poverty reduction in China. Second, the conference is bound to increase exchange and collaboration between China and other countries in the area of poverty reduction. The Chinese government is no less devoted in supporting global poverty reduction than it is to addressing local problems.
　　
　　The theme of the conference is in line with the issues discussed this week at the Seventeenth National Congress for the Communist Party of China. The conference will serve to further the scientific concept of development and to center government focus on social harmony and human needs.
　　
　　The conference, spanning for three days, is to cover six topics, including "Deeply Understanding Poverty and its Consequences"; "What Will It Take to Enable People to Move out of Extreme Poverty and Hunger?"; What National Development Strategy, Macro Economic and Social Policy, and Poverty Reduction Strategy is Needed?"; "Toward Ending Extreme Poverty and Hunger: Policies and Actions in Countries and Regions"; "Changing Roles and Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: Actors and Institutions"; "Action to Meet the Needs of Minorities and Marginalized People"; "Taking Action: Approaches, Strategies, and Governance for Poverty and Hunger Reduction", etc. The conference will be attributed by more than 80 senior government officials, prestigious experts and scholars in the areas of global poverty reduction and social development with wonderful speeches.