ＣＰＡＦＦＣ’ｓ Ｐａｒｔｉｃｉｐａｔｉｏｎ ｉｎ ＵＮ ＮＧＯ Ａｃｔｉｖｉｔｉｅｓｉｎ Ｐａｓｔ Ｔｈｒｅｅ Ｙｅａｒｓ

The aims of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) are to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and other peoples throughout the world， further international exchanges and cooperation， safeguard world peace and promote common development. Knowing deeply that this is not an easy task， the CPAFFC has been making unremitting efforts for half a century to realize these aims. Therefore， it is understandable for the CPAFFC to pay attention to the role played by UN NGO and NGOs in various countries in the world as well as their influence in maintaining world peace and promoting common development. In the past three years since the U.N. approved the CPAFFC as a NGO enjoying special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of United Nations in May 2001， the CPAFFC has been actively taking part in many activities sponsored by the U.N. and other NGOs at home.

For the first time， CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin， as a representative of Chinese NGOs， led a delegation to attend the World Conference Against Racism， Racial Discrimination， Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban， South Africa in August 2001. Later， she led a delegation to attend the People’s Forum attached to the ASEM 4th Summit held in Copenhagen， Denmark in September 2002 and the 22nd General Assembly of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) as well as the World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva， Switzerland in December 2002. After the CPAFFC became a member of the CONGO in October of 2002， it sent a delegation to attend the Asian Civil Society Forum---ACSF 2002 held in Bangkok of Thailand in December that year. It became a member of nongovernmental organization associated with the Department of Public Information of the U.N. in June 2003， and sent a delegation headed by Mr. Wang Jinghua， director general of the Department of American and Oceanic Affairs of the CPAFFC， to attend the 56th Annual Conference of DPI/NGO of the U.N. held in New York in September of the same year. The editor-in-chief of Voice of Friendship was a member of the delegation. Apart from these， it has also sent delegations to attend international conferences such as The Aftermath of September 11th and Its Impact on the World Today， World Summit on Sustainable Development， The International Conference on Financing for Development and The Second World Assembly on Aging respectively held in Sri Lanka， South Africa， Spain and Mexico.

The CPAFFC， the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development， the China NPO Network and the Japan Foundation Beijing Office jointly sponsored a forum on NGOs in China， Japan and the Republic of Korea at the Friendship Museum of the CPAFFC in March 2003. The participants held discussions and exchanged views on the NGO activities， the existing problems， the prospect and how to further strengthen the cooperation and interflow among the NGOs of the three countries and held unanimously that the financing， the legal status and the training of qualified personnel were the major problems. The NGOs would play a more important role in the international affairs and the political life of various countries， and it would also produce a good impact on the development of “small government， big society”.

The United Nations is a big stage for multilateral diplomatic activities. It is of great significance to the CPAFFC to organize and send delegations to attend the various activities sponsored by the NGO of the United Nations. Through taking part in such activities the CPAFFC can make friends extensively， increase its influence and let the international community learn about the views of the NGOs of China， and at the same time， the CPAFFC itself can be further acquainted with the rules of activities conducted by the NGOs of the United Nations， so that it can carry out NGO activities more extensively and purposefully in conformity with the rules of international NGO activities. Through its involvements in the international NGO activities， the CPAFFC has got to know that the major concerns of developing countries are the eradication of poverty， the reduction， exemption or cancellation of their debts and the setting up of a new economic order for the people with equality and justice， and the realization of sustainable development. Though the economic globalization is the trend of social development today， it could also bring about many negatives to the developing countries. Therefore， people throughout the world should pay attention to it.

The Chinese delegates actively made speeches at the NGO international conferences and forums and try their best to introduce to the people of the world the important achievements China has made in recent years in the fields of reform of internal affairs， economic development and human rights since its implementation of the policies of opening to the outside world giving the people throughout the world a true general picture of China and its people. For example， at the conference on International Financing for Development and the related Forum held in Mexico in 2002 the delegate from the CPAFFC not only emphasized the necessity and urgency of the eradication of poverty for the sake of common development of all and setting up a reasonable new economic order， but also realistically briefed on the achievements the Chinese people have made since reform and opening to the outside world. He further pointed out that though China has made great progress in its economic development and the Chinese people’s livelihood has improved very much， it still belongs to the developing countries because of its low GDP per capita and even under such circumstances， China has announced that it will exempt African countries from 10 billion yuan (RMB) debts within two years. His speech was warmly received by the delegates of NGOs attending the conference and the forum， particularly the delegates of NGOs from African countries.

Attention was also paid by the CPAFFC to invite people from local friendship associations to join its delegation to attend the international conferences and forums sponsored by the NGOs of the United Nations. For instance， the CPAFFC had invited people from the Friendship Associations of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Hainan Province to participate in the General Assembly of the CONGO and the World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva in December 2003. And they were asked to brief on the situation of their reforms and the implementation of the policy of opening to the outside as well as the development of their regions at the conferences. By doing so， the CPAFFC has not only strengthened its relationship with local friendship associations， but also provided them with an opportunity to brief the participants from various countries on their reforms and opening up and the great significance of developing the western region of China.

It is new for the CPAFFC to participate in the activities sponsored by NGO of the United Nations. Obviously， it remains in the stage of groping in the dark and is lacking in experience. However， the CPAFFC will spare no efforts to give its support to and cooperate with the United Nations to do well the NGO work. We believe that with the passing of time and accumulation of experience the CPAFFC will vigorously conduct colourful NGO activities and make its contribution to the cause of NGO of the United Nations.