China's Contribution of Two Million USD to Strengthening Capacity of IPPC Developing Contracting Parties through the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Programme

The FAO-China Sixth Annual Consultation Meeting on the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme was held at FAO-HQ on 24 February 2017. Through extensive review and discussion, it was officially confirmed that the Chinese Government is willing to contributing two million USD for strengthening capacity of IPPC developing contracting parties (CPs) through the FAO-China SSC Programme. The signature ceremony was took place by the end of meeting, where the arrangement of the IPPC-China project was signed by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, the FAO Deputy Director-General (Climate and Natural Resources), and His Excellency Mr Niu Dun, the Ambassador of China to FAO. The signature ceremony was attended by Mr Ren Wang, the Assistant Director-General of FAO-AG Department, and Mr Jingyuan Xia, the Secretary to the IPPC, as well as the FAO Senior Officers from TCS and OCP, China Mission to FAO, and the Chinese delegates from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

The initiative of the IPPC-China project on strengthening capacity of IPPC developing CPs through the FOA-China SSC Programme was proposed in 2015 by the IPPC Secretary Xia, immediately after he joined the IPPC Secretariat. His proposal was strongly supported by the Chinese government and the FAO AG Department, as well as FAO SPLs of SO2 and SO4. The consensus on support to the IPPC-China project was reached at the FAO-China Fifth Annual Consultation Meeting on the SSC Programme in 2016 between the MoA of China and the FAO. Following the consensus reached, the concept note of the IPPC-China project was prepared by the IPPC Secretariat, and then approved at the videoconference on the FAO-China Regional South South Cooperation in May 2016.

The overall objective of the IPPC-China project is to bring more innovative ways and means for strengthening capacity of IPPC developing CPs so as to further implementation of the Convention. This is a four-year project (2017-2020), with a total budget of 2,000,000 USD. The project covers four work packages: 1) improving understanding of the IPPC by over 100 developing CPs; 2) promoting inter-regional cooperation among 40 developing CPs in the region closely relevant to the Chinese Initiative of One Belt and One Road; 3) facilitating coordination and collaboration among China, the IPPC and other developing CPs in the areas of human resource and technical cooperation; and 4) increasing awareness of the IPPC at the global, regional and national levels.

The IPPC-China project is the first and the biggest support to the IPPC work programme from IPPC developing CPs, especially from the BRICS countries. This project is also a milestone for the IPPC to strengthen the cooperation with its developing CPs. The IPPC Secretariat will try its very best to have the IPPC-China project to be implemented successfully and fruitfully in order to set up a model for strengthening its cooperation with more developing CPs, in particular with the BRICS countries.

FAO has also reported on the FAO/China meeting, highlighting the addition of a new component to the SSC Programme, to help developing countries implement the IPPC. More at http://www.fao.org/partnerships/container/news-article/en/c/472112/.