The second meeting of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs is held in Shenzhen from October 16 to 17. [photo/drc.gov.cn]

The second meeting of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board (HLAB) on Economic and Social Affairs was held in Shenzhen from October 16 to 17.

It was hosted by Liu Zhenmin,UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Ma Jiantang, Party Secretary and Vice-President of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), delivered a keynote speech on "China's Economic Achievements and Challenges." The Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Mr. Mukhisa Kituyi, expressed his views on "globalization and multilateralism."

More than 20 representatives of high-level advisory panels and international experts attended the meeting and participated in the discussion.

Ma Jiantang speaks at the meeting. [photo/drc.gov.cn]

The second meeting of the High-level Advisory Board focused on new challenges and solutions in multilateralism in the current international situation. The conference set up four sessions with the theme of globalization and multilateralism, Chinese development in the context of an interconnected global economy, economic and social implications of frontier technologies and inequality, and sustainable development and financing.

The outputs of this HLAB meeting will help the senior management of the UN to better address the world's cross-cutting economic and social issues so that member states can realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Under the guidance of the Secretary-General, the HLAB is convened by Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the UN. A total of 16 members were selected globally in the economic and social fields, including some former Heads of State, Senior Government Officials, and Nobel Laureate. Board members have a two-year term.

The second meeting of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs is held in Shenzhen from October 16 to 17. [photo/drc.gov.cn]

The HLAB holds two meetings each year, and the panellists contribute to the UN economic and social affairs involving global economic and social development issues to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The first meeting was held in New York City in July this year, with topics on the global economic outlook, cutting-edge technology development, globalization, inequality and migration issues.

The meeting was co-sponsored by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the China Center for International Knowledge on Developmentand co-organized by the Shenzhen municipal government and the DRC.