UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships Karin Hulshof attends the session on A Better Education for the Next Generation at the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in southern China's Hainan province, March 29, 2023. [Photo courtesy of the Secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia]

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships Karin Hulshof reaffirmed the organization's commitment to strengthening its partnership with China in advocating the rights of every child, including the right to inclusive and equitable quality education, during her visit to Boao in southern China this week.

During the three-day visit, Hulshof attended the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, a high-level gathering of government and business leaders, where she highlighted children's issues and the significance of partnerships in advancing children's rights. 

"Concerted investment and coordination to strengthen education systems are needed so that all children and adolescents, especially the most marginalized, can acquire skills that help them realize their potential," said Hulshof. 

She also addressed educational inequality stemming from poverty, conflict, displacement, and discrimination based on disability or gender, and urged action to guarantee every child's right to education.

Karin Hulshof participates in a roundtable discussion on women's leadership in an uncertain world at the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in southern China's Hainan province, March 30, 2023. [Photo courtesy of the Secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia]

At a roundtable discussion on women's leadership in an uncertain world, Hulshof called for investments to ensure equal outcomes for adolescent girls by providing them with resources, opportunities and a supportive environment.

On the forum's sidelines, Hulshof held bilateral talks with senior Chinese government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency. 

Hulshof praised China's progress in advancing children's and women's rights and development, as well as the nation's efforts in combating COVID-19, particularly the early-stage control measures that prevented widespread transmission, benefitting not only children and women in China but the whole world.

"UNICEF can also be a crucial partner for China in advancing global development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by contributing our expertise in program design and delivery to build a better future for every girl and boy across the world," concluded Hulshof.

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