The first side event of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") was held at the China Pavilion on the afternoon of the 4th, introducing the "Ningxia experience" of desertification control to the world. The theme of the event is "Promoting Green and Rich Development in Ecologically Fragile Areas and Exploring the Path to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals". Valerie Hickey, Director of the Global Environment Department of the World Bank, said at the side event that the bank's mission is to eradicate poverty and build a livable planet. The Ningxia model injects vitality into this mission, demonstrating a roadmap for eliminating poverty and creating prosperity by creating livable environments, improving land, and restoring landscapes. She said that China is at the forefront of creating prosperity on desertification and degraded land, and the World Bank is proud to be a partner with China. Both sides will cooperate to promote these experiences to other parts of the world. Wu Zhimin, Director of the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, said at the meeting that China's "Green Great Wall" construction has summarized various technical models that can be shared with countries facing similar problems and challenges, especially African countries. Liu Jun, Vice President of the People's Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, introduced in his speech that Ningxia had demonstrated and promoted a number of new technologies with low control costs, such as brush mesh rope, cyanobacteria sand crusting, efficient seedling planting, actively integrated into and served the construction of the "the Belt and Road", signed a memorandum of cooperation with the secretariat of the Convention, and successfully held five international workshops on desertification control technology and practice. Johns Carrica, Director of the Innovation Department of the Convention Secretariat, said in a speech at the meeting that the International Desertification Control Knowledge Management Center jointly established by the Convention Secretariat and Ningxia has become a valuable platform for sharing practices, promoting research, and cultivating capacity building, which is a true model of South South cooperation. (New Society)