訊息中心

This is a summary of what was said by Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF, to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the Global International Organization Youth Talent Development Summit Forum in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, 2 February 2026 - Let us reflect deeply on the profound weight — and privilege — of the statement by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “We are the first generation that can end poverty, and the last generation that can avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

We are the hinge generation. The decisions we make, the partnerships we forge, and the courage we summon in this very decade will echo for centuries.

We are gathered here under the shared banner of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — the most ambitious covenant for human and planetary well-being in history. This is not a checklist of goals; it is a moral and practical imperative for our collective survival and dignity. As we stand beyond the midpoint to 2030, the question before us is not merely “What progress have we made?” but “What legacy will we choose to leave?”

The United Nations system is the global architecture built precisely for this purpose. It is the vehicle through which our shared hopes are translated into universal norms, and those norms into national action. From the World Health Organization’s heroic frontline battles against disease, to the UN Development Programme’s work in building resilient societies, to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations that safeguard our planet’s future — these are the pillars of our multilateral promise.

UNICEF operates at the beating heart of this promise — as the UN agency mandated to defend the rights and futures of every child. Our presence in over 190 countries is a testament to a fundamental truth: the SDGs will rise or fall on the fate of children. Our programs, aligned with UN Cooperation Frameworks, turn global commitments into local reality. Consider the fight for SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Our partnership with the World Food Programme and the scale-up of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Food — a simple, revolutionary paste — has made treating severe acute malnutrition at home a reality, saving millions of young lives. This is the UN system in its most powerful form: coordinated, innovative, and relentlessly focused on results.

Now, let us view this global mission through the lens of profound local contribution — here in China and Hong Kong.

The People’s Republic of China’s unprecedented journey in lifting hundreds of millions of its citizens out of poverty stands as one of humanity’s most significant contributions to SDG 1. This is not merely a national achievement; it is a global beacon of possibility. Furthermore, through the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and its commitment to South-South Cooperation, China is actively extending this spirit of partnership, sharing expertise in green technology, poverty reduction, and digital infrastructure to accelerate progress worldwide.

Hong Kong, as a vibrant global hub within China, plays a unique and critical role as a connector and catalyst. UNICEF Hong Kong embodies this dual mission: we are a strategic conduit, transforming the city’s renowned dynamism in finance, innovation, and civil society into direct support for UN programs from Cox’s Bazar to the Congo. But our deeper contribution is in cultivating the architects of the future right here. Our UNICEF Young Envoys and participants in the SDG Actioner Challenge are not just students of global citizenship — they are its practitioners. They are deploying AI for social good, engineering sustainable solutions, and advocating for equity, embodying the very principles of the UN Youth 2030 Strategy.

Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, recently illuminated this vision. He saw Hong Kong not just as a contributor, but as a champion and vanguard for children’s futures. This is our charge. From mobilizing lifesaving aid for emergencies to pioneering “EdTech” programs that reach the most marginalized learners, Hong Kong is demonstrating how a sophisticated society can be a steadfast, intelligent, and generous partner to the UN’s global mission.

The road to 2030 is now a steep climb. It demands we move beyond alignment to fusion — a fusion of global resources and local insight, of international policy and grassroots innovation.

Therefore, my call to action is for a new compact of courage.

Let us leverage global UN platforms — like the Summit of the Future and COP30 — and infuse them with the unique entrepreneurial spirit, academic excellence, and philanthropic vigor found in this region. Let us ensure the remarkable advances in digital inclusion and green finance pioneered here become powerful tools for children everywhere. And let us invest definitively in the youth of Hong Kong and mainland China, not as beneficiaries, but as essential co-creators of the sustainable future.

We possess the blueprint. We have built the partnerships. What we require now is the indomitable will to execute.

Robert F. Kennedy once said, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” We will not be gifted a world of peace, prosperity, and sustainability. We must achieve it. Brick by brick. Partnership by partnership. Child by child.

Let us leave this forum not simply informed, but transformed—and ready to build that achievement together.