Communiqué of Civil Society 20 China 2016

Qingdao, China

6 July 2016

1. We, representatives from 54 countries and regions attending the Civil Society 20 (C20) China 2016, gathered in Qingdao, China on 5 and 6 July 2016 for candid and in-depth discussions on the theme of "Poverty Eradication, Green Development, and Innovation: Role of Civil Society". We share the view that, the world economy currently remains sluggish and growth lackluster；Major economies lack sufficient coordination in policies and develop on different tracks; in some countries, inequality and imbalance in all their forms are increasingly prominent as unemployment rates remain high. Poverty eradication, green development and innovation are essential to the achievement of a strong, inclusive and balanced growth of the world economy and that of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There is no development to talk about without the eradication of poverty. There is no guarantee for sustainability without green development. Yet, both poverty eradication and green development need innovation as the driving force. We urge the G20 Summit and governments of all countries to take speedy and concrete actions in the above-mentioned fields, including the formulation of national "action plans" to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. International cooperation shall be carried out in an active manner with the supportive role of multilateral financial institutions brought into fuller play in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Civil society organizations shall, in this process, make their contribution by offering advice and suggestions. We set great store by the long-term trend of the Chinese economy, in anticipation of its success development and its leading role in injecting new momentum and propelling a stable recovery and sustainable development of the world economy through the implementation of the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

2. We commend the positive contribution of the previous three C20 meetings in the above-mentioned fields. By focusing on green development and presenting a series of valuable insights on poverty alleviation and innovation, the previous three C20 meetings thus serve as the basis for deliberations at C20 China 2016.

Poverty Eradication and Shared Development

3. To end poverty, the impoverished population must be empowered to expand their knowledge, learn new skills, build up physical strength, be informed of their rights and interests and be guaranteed of such rights and interests. We need to further eliminate gender discrimination and improve both the quantity and quality of jobs available to the whole society. We call upon all governments to approach poverty eradication from broader perspectives of safeguarding world peace and social stability and improving the well-being of each and every individual, share experiences of poverty reduction, intensify international development cooperation and extend stronger support for developing countries in poverty eradication.

4. Criteria for poverty reduction shall be further refined and a multi-pronged assessment system shall be established. Besides economic indicators, social indicators shall also be incorporated. In addition to meeting the minimal needs of the low-income population for food and clothing, the most basic security shall be provided in their education, healthcare and housing.

5. The advocacy of equality and sharing shall be promoted through the creation of a generally enabling social and policy environment for poverty reduction. Basic means of production and livelihood shall not be concentrated in the hands of a few. To mobilize adequate resources, governments shall create a level playing field through taxation and investment, launch anti-corruption campaign and narrow the income gap by expanding such public services as education and healthcare. There is a need to establish fair tax systems and intensify international cooperation in cracking down illicit capital outflows and tax havens and regulating and stopping the spread of tax evasion and avoidance. Developed countries shall, by means of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), reinforce the developing countries' efforts in seeking growth.

6. A development-oriented approach shall be advocated in poverty alleviation. Various causes of poverty shall be addressed by stepping up supporting infrastructure construction, increasing input, reforming tax systems, improving public services and providing basic social security. Special emphasis shall be laid on tackling the lack of capacity to shake off poverty on the side of the impoverished and make them more incentivized and capable. There shall be precision poverty alleviation initiatives for the implementation of programs tailored to the specific circumstances of underdeveloped localities including the development of specialty industries.

7. Efforts shall be made to put in place a multi-actor system built and shared across the entire society to encourage participatory poverty alleviation. In this regard, governments shall create favorable policy environment to support and encourage the private sector and the civil society to play a greater role in poverty alleviation. The civil society shall strengthen cooperation and make joint efforts to eradicate poverty.