The 19th Annual Sessions of the Global Forum on Human Settlements, New Sustainable Cities, and the Human Settlements Awards Ceremony were held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters from Oct 24 to 25. Over 300 delegates from more than 40 countries and over 20 permanent ambassadors to the UN attended the meeting.

At the event, Youyu county in North China's Shanxi province was honored with the "New Sustainable Cities And Human Settlements Awards" (New SCAHSA) for over 70 years of sand control, afforestation, and ecological restoration.

This made it the only county in the world to receive the outstanding achievement category of New SCAHSA in 2024. Ma Zhanwen, Party secretary of Youyu county, accepted the award and delivered a speech.

Ma Zhanwen (right), Party secretary of Youyu county, receives the award. [Photo provided to goshanxi.com.cn]

Youyu county is located in the northern part of Shanxi, bordering Inner Mongolia. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, successive county committees and governments in Youyu have united and led the people to persistently plant trees, combat desertification, continuously improve the ecology, and beautify their homeland.

The county's forest coverage rate has increased from less than 0.3 percent to 57 percent, transforming the once barren land into a green oasis and creating a miracle in human ecology. The county has forged a balanced development path between ecology, economy, humans, and nature, becoming a model for global ecological civilization construction.

Youyu is the only AAAA-level tourism county in Shanxi, with the province's first provincial-level ecological and cultural tourism demonstration zone. It has been honored as the most recommended tourism county, the Chinese low-carbon tourism demonstration zone, and the model county for beautiful China, making the list of China's most beautiful counties for seven consecutive years.

Ma Zhanwen, Party secretary of Youyu county, delivers an acceptance speech. [Photo provided to goshanxi.com.cn]

The New SCAHSA is an annual international award presented by the Global Forum on Human Settlements. It is one of the most important sustainable development awards globally. The award has been successfully held for 19 consecutive sessions across five continents, including at the UN Headquarters in New York, and has had significant demonstration effects. 

The award aims to recognize and promote the winners' outstanding progress and valuable experiences in building safer, greener, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities and human settlements, encouraging more participation and conscious action.

After inspection and review, the award jury acknowledged that Youyu county, through over 70 years of green practices, has scientifically balanced economic and social development with ecological protection. It has accumulated valuable experience in promoting ecological civilization construction in ecologically fragile areas, become a model for global ecological civilization construction, and contributed a "Chinese sample" to the construction of a harmonious global community.