A seminar on the topic “Exchange of experience in the field of poverty reduction and combating COVID-19” was held on February 2 at the SCO Secretariat with the participation of representatives of the authorized bodies of the SCO member states, as well as senior officials from Guizhou province to report on the progress achieved in combating poverty and the experience gained.

The event was organized jointly with the Leading Group of China’s Poverty Reduction and Development Bureau under the PRC State Council.

The purpose of the seminar is to exchange the experience of the Organization’s countries in addressing issues of improving human well-being, overcoming poverty and combating the coronavirus pandemic.

This event was the first to be organized in the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, noted SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov.

He said that on December 15-17, 2020, together with the heads of diplomatic missions of the SCO and CIS countries, he visited the villages of Huamao and Shiban in Guizhou Province, which was previously one of the poorest regions in China. There, diplomats were able to clearly see the success of the region in the fight against poverty.

Norov expressed confidence that this seminar will make its important contribution to the development of a relevant document aimed at uniting the potential of our countries in eradicating poverty and poverty in the SCO space.

Head of the Department of Poverty Alleviation of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Su Guosia, stressed that the Chinese government is actively cooperating in the field of poverty reduction with relevant international organizations.

After 8 years of continuous efforts by the PRC leadership, nearly 100 million rural poor have been lifted out of poverty by current government standards. Thus, the problem of absolute poverty that has plagued the Chinese nation for millennia has been resolved, and the country has taken a solid step forward in moving forward on the path of common prosperity for all people.

Deputy Director – Inspector of the Poverty Alleviation Office of Guizhou Province Huang Junming noted that the provincial leadership has made the poverty reduction strategy dominant in overall economic and social development.

After hearing reports from the Chinese side, the seminar participants made presentations and reports.

A source