由联合国教科文组织驻华代表处和武汉理工大学共同举办的 “军山新城杯”首届国际大学生绿色智慧城市设计大赛于2022年6月17日在武汉正式开幕。

联合国教科文组织驻华代表处主任兼联合国教科文组织驻中国、朝鲜、日本、蒙古国和韩国五国代表夏泽翰教授出席了仪式并致开幕辞。代表当地政府、学术界和其他主要利益相关方的300名与会者出席了开幕式并表达了对此次活动的支持。

图1 夏泽涵教授在会议上致辞

夏泽翰教授在其开幕辞中肯定了近年来中国在无障碍环境建设方面取得的进展，特别是来自政府层面的政策和立法支持。同时，他强调了青年，特别是残障青年融入和参与这一进程的重要性，因为 “青年有为其自身、社群和世界实现变革的创造力、潜力和能力”。同时，夏泽翰教授重申了联合国教科文组织与中国利益相关方关于共同推进可持续无障碍发展和为这一进程中的青年参与提供平台的合作承诺。

图2  各方领导及代表宣布大赛开幕

大赛将邀请中国以及国际大学生（包括研究生和博士）围绕“绿色有爱，智慧无碍”的主题参与，并通过开创性的方式，在理论和实践层面针对如何使城市无障碍、可持续地发展提出想法。

大赛还将于进行期间开展“大讲堂”系列活动，邀请绿色无障碍环境建设领域的专家分享相关专业知识和见解，为参赛者提供思路和灵感。作为“大讲堂”系列活动的首讲，中国残疾人联合会副主席、中国助残志愿者协会会长吕世明先生分享了他对中国无障碍环境建设的过去、现在和未来发展的见解。吕世明先生强调了法律基础对未来发展的重要性，并鼓励青年参与发展进程。

大赛将于2022年7月开放注册报名。大赛邀请参赛者选择设计赛道（提交设计作品）或论文赛道（提交论文作品）参赛，并于2022年10月底前提交参赛作品。大赛将于2022年12月举办的学术论坛和颁奖典礼上揭晓获奖作品并颁奖。

作为肩负促进信息无障碍特殊使命的联合国机构，联合国教科文组织通过制定准则和标准、能力建设、政策建议以及宣传倡导活动，努力促进融合教育、无障碍文化和科学、信息与传播以及创建包容型城市，积极参与促进残障人权利和实施联合国《残疾人权利公约》，以更好地赋能残障人并实现残障融合。

联合国教科文组织同时领导联合国中国残障主题小组的工作，该小组致力于通过与中国残障领域利益相关方的对话和协调合作，支持中国履行国际和国家层面对确保残障人士平等权利和包容的承诺。武汉理工大学是联合国中国残障主题小组的重要成员。“军山新城杯”首届国际大学生绿色智慧城市设计大赛也将作为该小组提出的残障包容型城市联盟试点项目。

UNESCO calls for youth participation in constructing a green and accessible environment for all

The International Student Competition and International Academic Conference on Innovation for Green and Accessible Environment, co-organized by UNESCO Beijing Office and Wuhan University of Technology, was officially launched on 17 June 2022 in Wuhan.

Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office and UNESCO representative to China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Republic of Korea, attended the ceremony and delivered opening remarks. 300 participants representing the local government, academia, and other key stakeholders attended the launch ceremony and expressed their support for the event.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Khan recognized the progress made in recent years regarding the construction of an accessible environment in China, especially policy and legislation support from the Government. At the same time, he highlighted the importance of inclusion and involvement of youth in the process, particularly youth with disabilities, as “youth have the creativity, the potential and capacity to make change happen – for themselves, for their communities, and for the rest of the world”. In this regard, Prof. Khan reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment in cooperating with Chinese partners to further a sustainable accessibility development and providing a platform for youth engagement in the process.

Under the theme “Green with Love, Smart without Obstacles”, the International Student Competition and International Academic Conference on Innovation for Green and Accessible Environment invites university students around the world to participate and share their ideas on making cities more accessible and sustainable through innovative approaches at the theoretical and practical level.  

As part of the Competition, a series of open lectures will be held featuring experts and professionals sharing knowledge and expertise on relevant topics throughout the Competition process, aiming to provoke thoughts for actions of participants. Kicking off the lecture series, Mr. Lv Shiming, Vice Chairperson of China Disabled Persons' Federation and President of the China Association of Volunteers for Persons with Disabilities, shared his insights on the past, present, and future of the construction of an accessible environment in China. Mr. Lv Shiming stressed the importance of a legal foundation for future development and encouraged youth participation throughout the process.

The International Student Competition will be open for application in July 2022. Participants will be invited to prepare and submit their work in the format of a design project or research thesis by the end of October 2022. Winners will be selected and awarded at the International Academic Conference and Award-winning Ceremony in December 2022.

As a UN agency with a specific mandate in promoting information accessibility for persons with disabilities, UNESCO is actively involved in promoting disability rights and implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) through the promotion of inclusive education, accessible culture and sciences, communication and information, as well as the creation of inclusive cities, through guidelines and standards development, capacity building, policy recommendations, and advocacy and campaigns, for better inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities.

UNESCO leads the United Nations Theme Group on Disability (UNTGD) in China, which promotes dialogue and coordination with disability stakeholders in China to support the country’s fulfillment of international and national commitments to the equal rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Wuhan University of Technology is a valuable member of the UNTGD. The International Student Competition and International Academic Conference on Innovation for Green and Accessible Environment will serve as a pilot project under the Coalition of Disability Inclusive Cities proposed by the UNTGD.

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