A campaign seeking meaningful poverty reduction case studies from both organizations and individuals around the world working in the field of poverty alleviation will select 100 most impactful case studies for recognition.

The Global Solicitation and Challenge Prize on Best Poverty Reduction Practices was jointly launched by China Internet Information Center (CIIC), International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Program (WFP), and Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the 2018 China Poverty Reduction International Forum in Beijing on May 23.

Submission criteria

As the first global solicitation of poverty reduction case studies, this campaign involves many international organizations, and is the latest attempt to deepen and innovate global partnerships on poverty reduction.

According to the organizers, applicants can submit their case studies either in English or Chinese, in no less than 5,000 words. Participating case studies must fulfill at least one of the following criteria:

* Clearly demonstrate results in poverty relief and other relevant effects;

* Demonstrate applicability in the wider poverty reduction context, such as in other economies; and

* Advance the conversation around poverty reduction practices, such as in failed projects or those with mixed results.

Authors should also follow the "Writing Standards of Poverty Alleviation Case Studies" (http://south.china.org.cn/content/index/id/7166.html) in presenting meaningful, clear and concise information.

The campaign will last for three months from May 23 to August 23. A preliminary evaluation committee will select case studies to be submitted to the final selection committee to review. In October the organizers will announce the list of winners. Meanwhile, case studies will be uploaded to the database for public dissemination.

Wang Xiaohui, Editor in Chief of CIIC, calls on more people and international organizations to join hands, to share their experiences and provide ideas in improving poverty reduction.

Raising awareness

Matteo Marchisio, IFAD Representative for China and Mongolia, points out that by soliciting best practices and supporting this initiative, IFAD and other development organizations can raise awareness of the database among both development groups and among developing countries. "If more organizations and more countries can feed the database, knowledge can be shared more broadly," said Marchisio.

"Through this campaign, we can collect first-rate poverty reduction case studies from around the world, enriching our database and facilitating international exchanges," said Zhang Guangping, Deputy Director General of IPRCC.

Fabric of learning

Benedict Bingham, Country Director, Resident Mission in the PRC, ADB, believes that this campaign incentivizes people who work in poverty reduction to go through the arduous process of reviewing what they've done, and communicating it to others. "It is setting up incentives for people to collate, distill, package and present the information," he said. "The case studies will all be part of this rich fabric of shared learning that will be important to the government agenda, not just in China, but also outside of China."

Vincent Martin, FAO Representative in China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, also stresses the importance of knowledge sharing, which he says is absolutely essential for poverty reduction and can happen through dialogues and discussions between countries facing the same challenges. "It [the campaign] is based on sharing documented and evidence-based experiences and finding mechanisms to localize practices. This is at the heart of the work we are doing with our partners in China and abroad, as a key contribution to reach the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]," he said.

Help meet 2030 SDGs

Bert Hofman, the World Bank Country Director of China, Mongolia and Korea, said, "I hope that the challenge prize will inspire many people around the world to share their examples and best practices in poverty alleviation. We are looking forward to seeing these examples and sharing them wider so that we can meet the SDGs."

Meanwhile Qu Sixi, WFP Country Director in China, echoed the sentiments of his peers, saying the campaign will assemble best practice on poverty reduction from institutions and individuals around the world. "We are undoubtedly inspired by innovation in this regard, which will contribute to a better world with no one left behind."

Background Information

About the Global Poverty Reduction & Inclusive Growth Portal (GPIG)

The Global Poverty Reduction & Inclusive Growth Portal (GPIG) (http://south.china.org.cn/) is a knowledge platform specializing in sharing policy research, data, country profiles and news on poverty reduction and inclusive growth. The portal offers information on the latest research in the fields of poverty reduction and inclusive growth, expert opinions, events, and news. It also features opportunities for research, training, and knowledge sharing initiatives available to policy makers, network of partners, and the general public.

Initiated by the World Bank and supported by ADB, GPIG is co-hosted and co-managed by IPRCC and CIIC.

About the Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge Sharing Database

As part of GPIG portal, the Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge Sharing Database (http://case.iprcc.org.cn/) is a platform to share information on meaningful poverty reduction models and initiatives from both China and the international community. Designed for users around the world, the database presents poverty reduction case studies along with relevant research, studies, policies and laws.

Since its launch, the database has received contributions from organizations including the World Bank, ADB, FAO, the United Nations Children's Fund, IFAD, and WFP.