On May 31, the Boao Forum for Asia Global Urban & Rural Development Forum (GURD) held its opening ceremony and plenary session in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia; Mr. Zhou Xiaochuan, Vice Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia; Mr. Huang Qiang, Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province; Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization(via video); Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Former Prime Minister of France; Mr. Gu Shengzu, Vice Chairman of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC; Mr. Danilo Türk, Former President of Slovenia; Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan; Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, former Under-Secretary-General of United Nations, and other distinguished guests addressed the conference. Mr. Yang Chuantang, Vice Chairman of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC attended the opening ceremony. Mr. Zhang Jun, Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia, hosted the opening ceremony.
The attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on green development in Asia and around the world, put forward proposals and reached important consensus. The attendees agree that, green development is the only path for global development. Facing major challenges such as climate change and energy shortages, we must transform the development model through innovation and reform, create new growth points, and follow the path of resource conservation and environmentally friendly development. Green development is the essence of sustainable development. We need to promote urban renewal and rural revitalization to achieve balanced, coordinated and sustainable development in both urban and rural areas, and to promote the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Green development is also the common pursuit of Asian countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to integrate the notion of green development into all aspects of economic and social development processes. This is not only the direction of China, but also the common effort of countries in Asia and the world.
Chairman Ban Ki-moon pointed out that, greendevelopment is the way forward for both urban and rural Asia. Rural development can be green, digital and sustainable as well. Green mountains are mountains of gold, as President Xi once said.Vice Chairman Zhou Xiaochuan noted that, countries increasing investment in rural revitalization, urban-rural integration, and green development, sharing best practices, and strengthening international cooperation will make global development more inclusive and sustainable. Governor Huang Qiang said that, Sichuan Province actively practices the concept of green development and is at the forefront of wild animals and plant protection, as well as the development of green electricity. The provincial capital, Chengdu, is building a park city that harmoniously integrates mountains, waters, and people. Director General Daren Tang noted that, as a powerful catalyst of green innovation, intellectual property plays a key role in putting all of us on a more sustainable path. WIPO iscommitted to leveraging the power of IP to advance the SDGs. Former Prime MinisterRaffarin emphasized that, promoting territorial equity is crucial in achieving sustainable urban and rural development, which is a common policy goal among countries including France and other European countries. Secretary General Zhang Jun stated that, the Boao Forum for Asia is ready to work with all parties through practical actions, to make green the background color of high-quality development, an important component of new productive forces, and a sustained driving force for the development of China and Asia.
The attendees agree that, we must find a green, low-carbon and sustainable way to grow our cities. Cities account for 70% of global GDP. However, they also account for 60% of energy consumption and produce 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of waste. Urbanization brings faster growth, more opportunities and higher quality of life. However, we are seeing congestion, pollution, over-crowdedness, environmental degradation and various “urban diseases” going for the worse. The need and urgency to provide housing, transportation, energy, health, education and employment is just overwhelming. Asia is the fastest urbanizing continent in the past 10-15 years. Today, 7 of the world’s most populous megacities are in the Asia Pacific. In order to achieve sustainable development, building smart cities has become a major trend in urban development. Big data, cloud computing and AI are being widely used in E-government, on-line healthcare, smart traffic control and other public goods & services.
The attendees agree that, addressing the imbalance and inadequacy of rural development and achieving balanced rural development is an important task of rural revitalization. About 3 billion people currently live in rural areas of Asia and Africa. Compared with Europe and North America, Asia's rural development is still a long way to go. To achieve rural revitalization, it is necessary to accelerate the industrialization and modernization of agriculture, increase investment in rural infrastructure, and particularly keep pace with the digital age. The natural assets of green mountains and water in rural areas should be turned into competitive advantages in organic agriculture, food processing, tourism and leisure industries. While promoting rural economic development, we should also pay attention to rural ecological protection, cultural inheritance and social governance.
The attendees agree that, narrowing the regional development gap, achieving urban-rural integration and regional coordinated development, are key steps in the modernization process and new economic growth points. We should promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas, strive to achieve smooth two-way flow of resource elements, and achieve population integration, economic integration, and spatial integration. We should vigorously promote the application of green technologies, and the patent conversion in this field. We should actively summarize and share the practices of relevant countries and regions in promoting urban green development and rural revitalization.