Mr. President,

Volunteerism, which is a perfect representation of love, dedication, unity and service, belongs to the wealth of fine qualities of the whole humanity. Volunteer services, best described as the voluntary participation in social life gratis and unpaid, are becoming an important part of human activities. They represent a behavior pushing forward social development and promoting human progress. In this context, it is both very important and useful to the development of the course of international volunteerism that the United Nations has declared this year as the "International Year of Volunteers"(IYV) and carried out a series of relevant activities in this regard. Here, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Secretary-General of the UN, who has actively promoted advances in this field, and my highest consideration to volunteers and volunteers' organizations around the world.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the "International Year of Volunteers". With the support of President Jiang Zemin, China has set up the "National Committee for IYV 2001", headed by State Councilor Wu Yi and composed of more than 30 government ministries, commissions and NGOs. The Committee has been designed specifically for coordinating and planning activities during this "International Year of Volunteers" towards the realization in China of its four major goals.

Mr. President,

After years of efforts, a nation-wide network of volunteer service organizations has taken shape in China. According to statistics, more than 24,000 service centers have been established across the country, which have provided more than 80 million person-times or more than 4.1 billion hours of voluntary service. Among the volunteers were students, teachers, medical doctors, and people from the scientific and technological as well as all other circles of the society. Their contributions and efforts have not only created enormous benefits to China's economic and social development but also played a highly positive role in promoting social stability, trust and integration as well as cultural development and social values.

In order to create a legal basis for volunteer services in China, some provinces and cities in China have, in recent years, adopted local laws and regulations in this regard, providing a favorable social environment and protection for voluntary activities.

Mr. President,

Young volunteers stand as the main force of volunteerism in China today, whose work basically includes:

I. The Promotion of Development and Eradication of Poverty. In 1996, China launched a "Young Volunteers' Poverty-alleviation Relay Program", which has recruited volunteers to work, each for a certain time period, in long-term relays for different initiatives. All together, the Program has recruited and sent 10,000 volunteers to 207 poor counties, to do voluntary work for a period of half a year to 2 years in the fields of basic education, health and public hygiene, the promotion of the use of new technologies in agriculture and so on. Their work has helped the poor counties in all these aspects and improved their capacity for self-development. Moreover, about one million college and high school students have been organized to go down to poor and disaster-stricken rural areas every summer to carry out volunteer activities.

II. Community Services and Public Welfare. Regular one-on-one assistance arrangements have been made for young volunteers to help more than 2.5 million poor families in both urban and rural areas. Volunteers across the country have regularly provided care and health services to the old, the disabled, orphans and other vulnerable groups. They have also organized events to reduce illiteracy, promote the learning of science and technology as well as cultural events and entertainment.

III. Environmental Protection. Starting from 1999, the Chinese Government has launched a "green" movement of young volunteers, named "Protect the Mother River", and recruited people to plant trees and fight against desertification, water pollution and "white pollution" in important sections along the Yellow River.

Mr. President,

Over the past 20 years and more, the Chinese Government and civil society have carried out very fruitful cooperation with UNDP and UN Volunteers Organization. Since 1981, the UN Volunteers Organization has sent almost 200 volunteers to China, who have made remarkable contributions in fields of education, health, science & technology, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, etc. China has also sent, through this organization, more than 160 volunteers to over 30 developing countries to work in the fields of agriculture, water conservation, health and so on. Volunteer service is becoming an important channel of exchange and cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

Thank you, Mr. President.