Peng Liyuan visits UNESCO headquarters, meets agency chief

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, visits the UNESCO headquarters on invitation, and meets with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in Paris, France, May 6, 2024. [Photo by Ding Lin/Xinhua]

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visited the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters on Monday morning in Paris on invitation.

Upon the arrival of Peng, also a UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warmly welcomed her at the entrance.

Azoulay accompanied Peng to visit an exhibition on the ten-year achievements of cooperation between China and UNESCO, and spoke highly of China's contribution to the development of girls' and women's education around the world.

Peng briefed Azoulay on China's latest progress in promoting girls' and women's education, especially the achievements of the Spring Bud Project, a Chinese nationwide drive to help dropout girls return to school and to improve teaching conditions in impoverished areas.

Peng said that serving as the UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education in the past decade, she has visited many schools in various countries and is delighted to see more and more women being able to have a better live thanks to education.

Promoting girls' and women's education is a great cause that is closely related to social progress and the shared future for humanity. The Chinese side is willing to work with UNESCO to encourage increased global investment in girls' and women's education, help more women obtain equal access to education rights and jointly create a better future, she added.

For her part, Azoulay highly praised Peng's work and contributions as the special envoy, expressing UNESCO's willingness to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China to promote new developments in global girls' and women's education.

Azoulay presented Peng with a ten-year service honor certificate. Peng presented UNESCO with a tapestry titled "blooming spring bud" co-created by beneficiaries of the Spring Bud Project. 

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education, visits the UNESCO headquarters on invitation, and meets with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in Paris, France, May 6, 2024. [Photo by Ding Lin/Xinhua]