Chinese first lady attends UN events on women, children, education

Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan attended here Saturday two UN events related to women, children and education.

As World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and at the invitation of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, Peng attended the opening ceremony of a high-level meeting of the "Every Woman Every Child" global movement.

Addressing the audience in English, Peng said that caring the health of women, children and adolescents is the most important investment in mankind's future.

Over the past years, Chinese anti-HIV/AIDS advocates and public figures, in cooperation with the government and non-governmental organizations, have raised funds through various channels to help AIDS orphans, she added.

They open schools and organize summer camps for those children, and provide them with free medical treatment, said Peng, adding that many children have benefited from these efforts.

Their selfless care, said the Chinese first lady, can serve as the best spiritual support for those AIDS orphans.

Launched by Ban during the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in 2010, the "Every Woman Every Child" campaign is a global partnership that mobilizes and intensifies international and national actions to address the major health challenges facing women and children. At the meeting, Ban initiated the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health.

Also Saturday, Peng attended a high-level meeting of the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) as UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls and Women's Education.

Speaking at the event, Peng said education is crucial in addressing inequalities and plays a foundational role in national development and the improvement of people's lives.

"In China, the Spring Bud Education Program has helped over 3 million girls go back to school. Many of them have finished university education and they are doing well at work," said Peng.

She called for more educational resources to be allocated to poor countries and regions where "the number of school dropouts is astonishing."

"Education is important because it not only gives young people knowledge and skills but also helps them become responsible citizens," said Peng.

The GEFI, launched in September 2012, is an initiative that gathers a broad spectrum of world leaders and advocates who all aspire to use the transformative power of education to build a better future for all.

Peng is in New York accompanying Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first appearance at the UN headquarters. Earlier in their ongoing tour, Xi paid his first state visit to the United States. Endi