On 14 November 2022, the High-level Forum on South-South cooperation on Climate Change was held at the 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the China Pavilion. H.E. Mr. Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), delivered a video speech upon invitation.
Secretary-General Shi stated that climate change is a major challenge facing humanity. Currently, our world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation with major changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. All countries have to work together to turn pressure into driving forces and crises into opportunities. ASEAN and China are good neighbours, good friends and good partners, linked by mountains, rivers and bond of history. Both sides pursue people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, constantly strengthening cooperation in climate change, environmental protection, the blue economy and other fields, and achieved a series of practical cooperation results. In November 2021, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping and ASEAN leaders jointly announced the establishment of ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership, and Chinese President Xi Jinping made five proposals on building home together, of which to “build a beautiful home together” has pointed out the way forward for ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China to carry out cooperation in the field of ecological environment. Together with the partners in AMS and China, ACC will put more efforts to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both sides, promote friendly exchanges and practical cooperation and make greater contribution to the development of the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
The forum was co-organised by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China and the United Nations “Sustainable Energy for All”. Ministers and ministerial representatives of developing countries such as Cambodia, Antigua and Barbuda, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Fiji and Tonga, the secretariat of UNFCCC, the United Nations World Food Programme, the World Resources Institute, and relevant heads of international institutions such as the Energy Foundation attended the forum and made remarks.