SIDDHARTH CHATTERJEE

Yesterday, on a beautiful day of spring, I spoke at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Environmental Discipline of Peking University 🇨🇳. A spectacular world 🌎 class institution of scholarship & research, this university is combination of tradition and modernity. Peking University epitomizes the foundation that has unlocked great human capital in China 🇨🇳 and the world. Congratulations 👏 on the landmark milestone of major breakthroughs in the fields of environmental protection & biodiversity #ForPeopleForPlanet. I was particularly inspired by the remarkable career of Professor Tang Xiaoyan, a 91-year-old female scientist who lay the groundwork for Chinese environmental education & research. @UNinChina 🇺🇳🇨🇳 will continue to work with Chinese Government and academia to scale up national efforts to peak carbon emissions by 2030 & carbon neutrality by 2060. Thank you 🙏 Party Secretary Hao Ping & Dean Zhu Tong for your leadership. I hope one day I can go to this University as a student again. Well I will be an elderly student, but we know that one never stops learning. 😊 My remarks: 👇🏽 https://china.un.org/en/223650-50th-anniversary-conference-environmental-discipline-peking-university (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp98GVAPXAQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Happy #InternationalWomenDay2023 from @UNinChina 🇺🇳🇨🇳 family. The UN’s 🇺🇳 Observance of #IWD2023 highlights the need for inclusive & transformative technology & digital education. Let’s make gender equality a reality for women & girls everywhere, both on- and offline. #PowerOn (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpgjGghvKei/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Today is International #YogaDay People around the world, including myself, practice yoga to stay healthy, agile, rejuvenated and overcome stresses. Yoga is very similar to the traditional practice of Qigong, Qigong was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. The development of Yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years in India and very much part of Indian traditional medicine. People around the world have also embraced yoga to fight social isolation and depression during the pandemic. The essence of yoga is balance - not just balance within the body or that between the mind and the body, but also balance in the human relationship with the world. Yoga emphasizes the values of mindfulness, moderation, discipline and perseverance. When applied to communities and societies, Yoga offers a path for sustainable living. In keeping with this spirit, the theme for this year’s Yoga Day celebrations is “Yoga for Humanity.” Learn more from UN 🇺🇳👇🏽 https://www.un.org/zh/observances/yoga-day I practice breath work (pranayama) & yoga everyday. 😀 (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfELGJ0LLKz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I had a bilateral meeting with China’s 🇨🇳 Foreign Minister HE Wang Yi at the spectacular Diaoyutai State House. We discussed the Global Development Initiative(GDI) & it’s importance in giving a boost to the Sustainable Development Goals. I confirmed to him that the UN 🇺🇳 in China 🇨🇳 will work with the Government of China to make the GDI a best in class initiative to give momentum to the SDGs and aligned to international standards & norms. China has important lessons to share with the rest of the developing world. It lifted over 770 million people out of abject poverty in 4 decades, made the country food secure & went from a per capita GDP on US$ 180 in 1979 to nearly US$ 12.500 today. With a population of 1.4 billion such an achievement deserves highest praise. After that I joined the Foreign Minister to mark #WorldMalariaDay. China 🇨🇳 defeated malaria in 2021 which was certified by the World Health Organization. After a 7 decade effort to end the scourge of malaria, China went from 30 million cases to zero. This year is the 50th anniversary since the discovery of artemisinin by Dr Tu Youyou, a Nobel Laureate. A powerful antimalarial drug that has saved countless lives globally 🌎. I also took the opportunity to congratulate HE Luo Zhaohui, Chairman @cidcaofficial for his visionary leadership in advancing South South cooperation & global development as #CIDCA marks its 4th anniversary in April 2022. We @UNinChina 🇺🇳🇨🇳value our partnership with #CIDCA. (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyyMyXvKgd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Congratulations 👏 @Olympics & China 🇨🇳 for a very successful #WinterOlympics. A grand closing ceremony to mark the Olympics spirit of “Faster. Higher. Stronger. Together”. Looking forward to the @Paralympics games which begin on 04 March 2022. Photo Credit- IOC #StrongerTogether | #Beijing2022  https://www.instagram.com/p/CaM1-zcvVRW/?utm_medium=tumblr

“ If you don't know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he's just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. It's one world, pal. We're all neighbors.” Frank Sinatra #FrankSinatra 🇺🇸 #MondayMotivation #NewYear2022 #peopleandplanet (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP1GYdv-dT/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today is the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. Join @UNinChina 🇺🇳 🇨🇳 family in supporting the #16days of Activism & #orangetheworld ! Let’s work together to end all forms of violence against women & girls. Let’s advance human dignity & humanity. #sdg5🎀 (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWsgCuzFFVO/?utm_medium=tumblr

World 🌎 Children’s 👦🏻 👧🏻 Day 20 November 2021. Mental health is just as important as physical health. We must create a future where every child feels safe, secure & supported. Sometimes to maintain your mental health you need to use your head and find balance. That’s why this #worldchildrensday I’m teaching some younger friends one of my favourite yoga poses, the headstand. #WorldChildrensDay #OnMyMind #leavenochildbehind💞 (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWhLELQPjMJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

祝大家中秋佳节快乐！Happy mid-autumn festival to all 🇨🇳🤝🇺🇳. I am pleased to introduce “Delivering as One” - a new podcast that brings you the stories from the leaders of the UN agencies in China 🇺🇳🇨🇳 which I host. Listen to the first episode with UNICEF Representative to China 🇨🇳 Ms Cynthia McCaffrey in the link below. And stay tuned for more episodes to the first of this series 👇🏽 http://www.un.org.cn/info/6/1175.html (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDCMV5Fv9r/?utm_medium=tumblr

“No one leaves home Unless home is the mouth of a shark No one puts their children in a boat Unless the water is safer than the land.” HOME - a poem by Kenyan 🇰🇪 born, Somali🇸🇴- UK🇬🇧 poet, Ms. Warsan Shire. #refugees #fridaymorning #FridayThoughts 👇🏽 https://www.facinghistory.org/standing-up-hatred-intolerance/warsan-shire-home (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSxqB6qFNjS/?utm_medium=tumblr

Wonderful start to Saturday morning with a mild hint of autumn 🍂 in the air, in Beijing 🇨🇳 with 2 awesome runners 🏃, Wang Xin & Michael Fosh . “Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”— Oprah Winfrey. #SaturdayRun #Fitness (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSQ22nRLgw8/?utm_medium=tumblr

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. #NelsonMandela https://www.instagram.com/p/CRd74RNLkH9/?utm_medium=tumblr

“Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” Maya Angelou #sundaymotivation #sundayvibes #sundaythoughts (at Nairobi, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQn8QsrLkw-/?utm_medium=tumblr

Gentlemen. Happy #FathersDay. Let’s renew our pledge to uphold the sanctity of women’s rights, the centrality of gender equality, strive for women’s empowerment & above all, in this decade of action ensure that by 2030 the world 🌎 achieves SDG 5. #GenerationEquality  #heforshe  (at Nairobi, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWE2WNL2D_/?utm_medium=tumblr

Last night I left Shenzhen,China 🇨🇳 on board @CSAIRGlobal for Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪. Their professionalism, on board services + anti COVID19 protocols & timeliness was exemplary. Wonderful start to this morning, meeting my family after 6 months & a 10 KM run 🏃 in beautiful Nairobi. (at Nairobi, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP-21TqLTN0/?utm_medium=tumblr

“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers”. Rudyard Kipling. #HappyMothersDay (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/COodenOLXC0/?igshid=i8ici0dkrnej

Honored to present my credentials to HE Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China 🇨🇳 as UN Resident Coordinator & the representative of the UN Secretary General @antonioguterres to China. I hope & pray that I am able to match the expectations of the @UN 🇺🇳 & the people of China. (at Beijing, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNpgAKqrnmT/?igshid=8qcnlfc8izzh