China's micro-small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have played a constructive role in helping the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, partly by promoting sorting and recycling efforts.
In Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, garbage sorting and recycling stations have been set up in neighborhoods. Residents will be rewarded with money by placing used clothes, plastics and other waste materials into the facilities for recycling.
"I have been engaging in the garbage sorting and recycling program for more than one year. During this time, I have received 637.1 yuan (about 87.67 U.S. dollars) for the sorting and recycling as a reward, which is good," said a participant.
One of the sorting and recycling station operators is an SME which specializes in waste management -- Chengdu Aobag Environmental Protection Technology. The company has joined hands with paper mills, plastic granulation factories and other manufacturers in garbage recycling.
It has been invited by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to join an entrepreneurship network, where the company receives training and got a chance to connect with potential partners.
"They [The UNDP] regularly organize leading companies and experts in the industry for exchanges, lecturing and training," said Wang Jianchao, chairman of Chengdu Aobag Environmental Protection Technology.
To mark the 2024 U.N. Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, joint events were held in Beijing and Chengdu on Thursday. Under the theme of "Small Business, Big Change", the event focused on the vital role of MSMEs in addressing global challenges and discussing ways to enhance their innovation capabilities through policy-making, business financing, capacity building, supply chain management and global cooperation.
By the end of 2022, the number of MSMEs in China had exceeded 52 million, an increase of 51 percent from the end of 2018.
The UNDP's China Representative Beate Trankmann said that China's MSMEs have used special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, showing strong innovative capability. At present, the UNDP mainly offers training courses such as financial knowledge and green business practices, and networking opportunities for China's MSMEs. She said the agency welcomes MSMEs whose main business is related to Sustainable Development Goals to apply for the projects.
"They [MSMEs] are very important for us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and protect the planet for people by 2030. Together with the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, (we've) created a platform that provides information on access to finance but that also links MSMEs into expertise," Beate Trankmann said in an interview on the sidelines of the 2024 U.N. Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day event in Chengdu.
China's MSMEs contribute to U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
A delegation from the Taliban-led Afghan government is currently in Doha to attend the third round of UN-convened talks on Afghanistan scheduled for Sunday to Monday, hoping to take it as an opportunity to foster understanding between their government and the wider international community.
Key issues on the meeting's agenda include frozen Afghan assets and the Taliban's counter-narcotics policies.
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesperson for the caretaker government, led a six-member delegation to the meeting. Before heading to Doha, he briefed the media on Saturday about his government's approach toward the gathering.
Answering a question from China Global Television Network (CGTN), Mujahid outlined the state of his country's ties with the rest of the world, including some Western countries.
"We don't have problems with all of the world, but we want to reach a solution and maintain mutual understanding with some countries that have been pursuing obsessive policies toward Afghanistan. Afghanistan has faced financial challenges, and its business affairs have been impacted by the sanctions that have been imposed. This needs to be addressed," he said.
A group of Afghan activists from diverse backgrounds, mostly based in the country, wrote an open letter on Sunday to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Envoys for Afghanistan, and the Interim Taliban Administration.
The letter addresses key concerns regarding Afghanistan's current socio-economic and political landscape under the Taliban-led government. It highlights severe economic challenges, exacerbated by international actions such as funding cuts and banking restrictions, alongside internal Taliban policies hindering the economic participation of women and educational opportunities for girls.
The activists urge participants of the third Doha meeting to increase aid to the Afghan people, pave the way for unfreezing the Afghanistan Central Bank's assets, and assist Afghan businesses and women.
"I think Afghanistan really deserves right now a chance to be reconnected to the world, to be reintegrated into the international community's framework and to be able to do business with the rest of the world just like any other country. And I think it's an absolute right of the Afghan people, regardless of any other political agendas or issues that we have in Afghanistan," said Muhammad Sulaiman Bin Shah, founder and CEO of Catalysts Afghanistan.
Kabul residents urge both the Taliban and international community to pay attention to the needs of the Afghan people and avoid confusing humanitarian with political issues.
"As we all know, the political and economic situation of Afghanistan is not leading to progress due to Afghanistan's frozen assets. I urge the international community to find a solution at this meeting, and unfreeze Afghan money," said Mushtaba Atayi, a Kabul resident.
"We want the Taliban-led government to reopen schools and universities for sisters, based on Islamic law, and provide the educational environment for them. That would be a very good step," another resident Asimullah Hamdard said.
Delegation of Afghan gov't attends Doha meeting of special envoys
