The Governments of Bangladesh and China, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), marked the conclusion of the China-UNDP South-South Cooperation Project today (December 03, 2024) at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) office. Over two years, the initiative empowered 1,425 individuals, including 1,400 women, across 32 districts, enhancing livelihoods and resilience for vulnerable communities.

Supported by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MoFCOM), the project targeted women, female-headed households, jobless garment workers, and persons with disabilities. Key achievements include new economic opportunities and robust networks for women entrepreneurs, strengthening their resilience against economic shocks.

Chief Guest, Mir Khairul Alam, Chief Executive Officer of DNCC, said, “Our collaboration with China and UNDP aligns perfectly with Bangladesh’s development priorities. I thank both UNDP and the government of China for this collaboration, together, we are paving the way for a resilient and sustainable future for our urban communities.” He further mentioned, “This project has created value by training and equipping vulnerable individuals, particularly women, with automated sewing machines and entrepreneurship skills. It also provided technology transfer and skill enhancement training for PPE and garment production.”

Ambassador Yao Wen of China, reiterated his government’s commitment to strengthen South-South partnerships that drive sustainable development globally. He said, “The successful completion of this project empowered vulnerable groups specially women to better cope with pandemic like COVID-19 and natural disasters. It also created employment opportunities for marginalised people in Bangladesh. The implementation of this project provided valuable insights for the Chinese government and UN agencies to collaborate on future projects in Bangladesh. I would like to take this opportunity to thank UNDP for its support and express gratitude to all the city corporations.”