National Evaluation Capacities Conference opens in Beijing

The 2024 National Evaluation Capacities Conference (NEC) opened in Beijing on Monday, gathering hundreds of representatives from China and around the world to share experience and insights on achieving sustainable development goals by improving national evaluation systems.

The conference, which is being held in the Chinese capital for the first time, is co-hosted by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

First held back in 2009, the NEC has been helping countries around the world improve their national evaluation capacity and governance, and has played a significant role in promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations.

With the theme "Responsive evaluation: For government, For inclusion, For the future", the five-day event underscores the roles of a strengthened national evaluation system and utilizing new technologies in achieving sustainable development goals.

Zhao Fengtao, deputy director of CIDCA, said that China will share its experience on improving national evaluation systems with other nations, and noted that the conference will hold a special session on how a strengthened evaluation system contributes to the country’s modernization.

"China attaches great importance to the role of the improved national evaluation capacity in promoting Chinese modernization. After the opening ceremony, we will share the ideas of our evaluation work and the practical experience and the achievements we have made. We expect the world to learn more about and give more support to our evaluation work," he said.

Zhao also highlighted the significance of public policy evaluation, saying that it is a critical tool for improving governance and ensuring policy efficiency.

"I hope the meeting will help attract more attention to and more investment into public policy evaluation from all sides so as to inject stronger momentum into achieving common development globally," said Zhao.

Meanwhile, Achim Steiner, the Administrator for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue and sharing experiences in order to build better development frameworks.

"In an organization like UNDP, through finding the constant dialogue and discourse, that allows us not only to be evaluators and evaluees, but indeed to be a virtuous circle of how knowledge [and] experience is translated into more informed, smarter and wiser management, including with greater clarity on how we define the purpose, the theory of change, and all the planning frameworks that guide us in our work," he said.

In addition, an action plan on building a responsive evaluation system will also be released after the conference.

National Evaluation Capacities Conference opens in Beijing

Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.

Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.

More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.

Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.

"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.

During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.

"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.

In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.

With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.

"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.

Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition