First Minister
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BRIEFING FOR THE FIRST MINISTER SG/UNICEF SOCIAL POLICY SUMMIT ON TACKLING CHILD POVERTY TUESDAY 10th April 2018 Key message Scotland and China face common challenges and have much to gain from working together to meet our obligations on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Sustainable Goals for Development. Scotland is an outward looking country and we will continue to be good global citizens and play our part in the fight against global poverty, inequality and injustice. We are committed to sharing Scotland’s approach to tackling and measuring child poverty with Chinese policy makers. What Joint SG/UNICEF social policy summit (hosted by the Chinese Friendship Association) on tackling child poverty - “Children’s Rights and Equity: closing gaps for the poorest children”. Opening with: FM key note speech on the importance of tackling child poverty to promote social justice. To note: the key note speech will be followed by a roundtable (facilitated by UNICEF) between Scottish policy makers/academics and Chinese counterparts (FM will not attend this). Simultaneous translation Why [REDACTED] Stimulate future joint working between Scotland and China, to tackle child poverty. To note: the key note speech will be followed by a roundtable (facilitated by UNICEF) between Scottish policy makers/academics and Chinese counterparts (FM will not attend this). Who Audience of 150 Chinese policy makers, social policy students and academics, including: President of Chinese Friendship Association - Li Xiaolin [MS LEE] UNICEF Representative to China - Rana Flowers Deputy Director of Office of National Working Committee on Children & Women - Mme Song Scottish experts: 110 Professor Jane Duckett – Glasgow University Douglas Hamilton - Poverty and Inequality Commission [REDACTED] Where Chinese Friendship Association (auditorium) 1, TaiJichang Street Beijing, 100740 (Site of the former Italian Diplomatic Concession) When 10 April, 09:15 – 10:30 Likely themes Early years development Equalisation of basic service for children Vocational training for young people Measurement of progress of UN Sustainable Development Goals Media See Comms plan Supporting [REDACTED] official Attached Annex A: Agenda documents Annex B: Key attendees Annex C: Child poverty in China and Government priorities Annex D: UNICEF’s work in China/Potential Scottish input Annex E: Scotland’s approach to tackling child poverty Annex F: Scotland’s National Performance Framework 111 ANNEX A AGENDA 9.15 – 9.45 FM pre meeting with President of Chinese Friendship Association - Li Xiaolin 945 – 9.55 Welcome and Introduction from Chinese Friendship Association 9.55 – 10.05 Short Speech by Mme Song Office of National Working Committee on Children & Women 10.05 – 10.10 Opportunity for Input from UNICEF representative 10.10 – 10.30 Keynote address from FM with follow up Q&A. 112 ANNEX B KEY ATTENDEES President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) - Li Xiaolin From 1990 to 1992, Li served as First Secretary of the Embassy of China to the USA. From 1992 to 2007, Li alternatively served as deputy director and director of the Department of the Americas at the CPAFFC, as well as vice-chairperson and deputy party secretary of the CPAFFC. From 2007 to 2011, Li was the vice-chairperson and party secretary of the CPAFFC, before being made chairperson in 2011. Li is one of four children of former President of the People's Republic of China, Li Xiannian and his second wife, Lin Jiamei. *First Minister last met Li Xiaolin during the UK/China People to People Dialogue – Dec 2017 UNICEF Representative to China - Rana Flowers Prior to this appointment, Rana has led UNICEF teams in several countries. As Representative in Cambodia, she worked closely with Government counterparts to build and strengthen systems, to identify bottlenecks to the achievement of MDGs and to support Government to introduce equity focused interventions for the women and children of Cambodia. Prior to Cambodia, Ms. Flowers was the UNICEF Representative to Mongolia where she worked with her team to promote achievement of MDGs at sub-national levels, to increase attention to equity and bring health, nutrition, child friendly education and protection to the most excluded populations. Deputy Director - Office of National Working Committee on Children & Women – Mme Song The National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council is made up of ministers from 33 ministries and commissions. Their mission is to: coordinate and promote various government departments' work on the protection of the rights and interests of children and women; coordinate and promote the establishment and implementation of the children and women development programs; 113 coordinate and promote the government departments concerned to provide the necessary manpower, money and materials for the work on children and women; guide, urge and examine the work of the working committees on children and women in various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. Mme Song’s UNICEF speech will cover: 1. Children and child development are critical to sustainable economic and social development. 2. A brief intro of legal frameworks and social welfare policies concerning children in China. 3. The role of NWCCW and the NPA for Children, and NWCCW’s partnerships with UN agencies, incl. UNICEF, on health, education and child rights. 4. Achievements of China on child development, e.g., under 5 mortality, compulsory education, early childhood education, nutrition, and social assistance to disadvantaged children. 5. Challenges going forward: urban – rural disparities, developmental indicators of poor children, quality social services etc. 6. The 19th CPC emphasized children as a priority for the nation’s development. SCOTTISH EXPERTS Professor Jane Duckett – Glasgow University Professor Duckett is a China public policy expert. She has argued through studies of social welfare, poverty, unemployment and health policies, that the politics behind them and their enormous redistributive consequences make them central to the Chinese state’s marketising project. Professor Duckett is Edward Caird Chair of Politics, International Dean (East Asia), and Director of the Scottish Centre for China Research at the University of Glasgow. She is also Guest Professor at Nankai University (Tianjin, China). [REDACTED] Douglas Hamilton Current chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission. Director of the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust having previously been the Head of Save the Children in Scotland. Between 2013 and 2016, Douglas was a member of the Commission on Social Mobility and Child Poverty, and has also served on the Scottish Ministerial Advisory Group on Child Poverty. 114 ANNEX C CHILD POVERTY IN CHINA AND GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES Current situation 55.75 million people (5.7%) in China's rural areas living below the national poverty line, and poverty disproportionately affecting children, with 7.1% of rural children affected by monetary poverty (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2016b). In 2014, under‐five mortality rates in rural areas were more than twice those in urban areas (United Nations Development Programme in China & Development Research Centre of the State Council of China, 2016). Inequities are reflected in social development indicators for children (UNICEF, 2014b), and also in income inequalities driven by the rural–urban divide (Xie & Zhou, 2014). There is no national monitoring of child poverty in China. The current child poverty headcount ratio estimates the proportion of rural children living under the rural (income) poverty line, which has proven a higher rate of monetary poverty among children as compared to adults. A key growth strategy for China is to realise the rights and harness the full potential of every girl and boy in the next generation by investing in their future. (Source: Extract from Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Journal, 2017) Government priorities The Government of China is committed to early childhood development. Since the landmark decision by the Government of China in 2010 to dramatically expand early childhood education, the country has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of children aged 3-6 attending kindergartens, from just 45 per cent in 2009 to 70.5 per cent by 2014. China is also exploring the emerging international focus on the importance of integrated services for 0-3 year old children. (Source: UNICEF China) China’s current National Programme of Action for Children China’s current National Programme of Action for Children (2011-2020) states, “We should adhere to the principle of children as a priority, protect children’s rights of survival, development, being protected and participation, narrow children’s development gap between urban and rural areas, improve children’s welfare level and the overall quality of children, and promote children’s health and comprehensive development.” Priority has been given to healthcare, nutrition, and education, and rural children, in the implementation of poverty alleviation plans. 115 At the 19th Communist Party Congress, President Xi Jinping identified children as one of the ‘vulnerable groups’ which would be focused on after China has achieved its 2020 goal of eradicating extreme poverty. China’s International commitments China has publicly stated its commitment to the UN Sustainable Goals for Development. China is signatory to the UN Convention