U.N. 's Goals in China

Goal 1: "Promote Sustainable Development to Reduce Disparities"

Although the introduction of market reforms and the transition process has contributed to accelerated economic growth in China (averaging 10 percent over the past decade) which in turn has lead to an increase in living standards for most people, the benefits have not been distributed equally. Reversing inequities caused by the market system and alleviation of poverty for those who are not reaping the benefits of current growth is one major area where the Government has a considerable role to play. Goal One addresses the issue of the wide and growing disparities between regions in China, between rich and poor, rural and urban areas, and between men and women, and the UN's support to reduce these inequities through sustainable social and human development and improvements in basic social services delivery, quality and equal access. Although social services usually denotes the areas of social protection, education and health (including water and sanitation), here it has been widened to also include such human concerns as employment (household income generation) and household food security and nutrition (UNDAF objectives 1 through 5). The reduction of HIV/AIDS has been singled out in Objective 2 to highlight its potential societal threat and the need for the UN to continue support to nationwide efforts on prevention and care. Goal One is in line with the UN's continued advocacy for the need to consider human poverty dimensions, not only income poverty, at the same time supporting the government’s shift from a welfare approach towards an economic integration approach for the poor.

At the UNGASS/Social Summit + 5, it was reconfirmed that all people of the world have a right to basic social services, and that governments are responsible for striving at systems that provide social services for all. Moreover, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (already signed by China and in the process of being ratified) and the Declaration on the Right to Development specifically states that all people have economic, social and cultural rights and entitlements which should be respected. In China, with the world’s largest population, this is a huge and complex responsibility. The already daunting number of people that need to be considered combined with the fact that the delivery services must be tailored to the different needs of respective regions, men and women, provinces and municipalities based on cultural background, resources, traditions and other conditions, makes this a massive challenge. To achieve greater equity, China will need to enhance its current administrative system so that it is efficient, effective, at the same time flexible, open and sensitive to the demands and requirements of different segments of the population: women, poor, children, migrant populations, ethnic minorities, elderly people, etc. UN will promote a participatory governance approach and will also be looking at the provision of basic services in terms of its longer-term advantages of healthier and better-educated citizens who are important players in furthering the nation’s development rather than in term of short-term costs and financial return.

Changes in social policy and delivery systems should be economically viable in the longer term, with sound managerial and financial solutions, striving to combine quality with affordability for all. Social and environmental costs of economic development need to be managed, using human and natural resources rationally to maximize the potential of the Chinese people and their environment without compromising the livelihoods of future generations.

As an important part of reducing inequities, the UN will continue targeting the provision of poverty alleviation initiatives and basic social services to poor regions, marginal and poor people which include women and children, some ethnic minorities, disabled people (particularly disabled children) and the migrant population. Better targeting and management of already available resources can go a long way in improving services in the poorest areas of the country as shown by the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) system which has been applied in the design, implementation and monitoring of several UN-supported activities. VAM has greatly facilitated pinpointing the special needs of the most vulnerable population groups and as a result, it has significantly improved the targeting of Government and UN resources to the most food-insecure households in China. The UN will seek to assist the Government incorporate into its national poverty programme elements of such successful UN approaches to poverty alleviation, including multisectoral and microfinance interventions and targeting institutional and capacity building at local levels to enable a more sustainable framework for these activities.