中国人民对外友好协会

中国人民对外友好协会

中国人民对外友好协会“中楼”。

中国人民对外友好协会（简称“全国友协”）是中华人民共和国从事民间外交事业的全国性人民团体，以增进人民友谊、推动国际合作、维护世界和平、促进共同发展为工作宗旨，代表中国人民在国际社会和世界各国广交深交朋友，奠定和扩大中国与世界各国友好关系的社会基础，致力于全人类团结进步的事业。全国友协贯彻执行中国独立自主的和平外交政策，遵循和平共处五项原则，开展全方位、多层次、宽领域的民间友好工作，为实现中国的和平发展与和平统一大业服务，为建设持久和平、共同繁荣的和谐世界而努力奋斗。全国友协的各项活动得到中国政府的支持和社会各界的赞助，已设立46个中外地区、国别友好协会，与世界上157个国家的近500个民间团体和组织机构建立了友好合作关系。

中国人民对外友好协会的主要任务是：

■ 开展中外民间友好交往，组织代表团互访，举办纪念庆典，倡议和主办研讨会、洽谈会、论坛等交流活动，增进与各国人民之间的相互了解，建立信任，发展友谊。

■ 推动国际合作，建立交流机制，搭建合作平台，促进中外双方在经济、科技、人才等多领域的务实合作，为实现互利共赢、共同发展创造有利条件。

■ 开展中外民间文化交流，派出和接待文化艺术团体和人士进行友好访问，举办演出和展览，促进中外文化互鉴，加深了解和友谊。

■ 受政府委托，协调管理我国同外国建立和发展友好城市关系的工作，推动中外地方和城市的交流与合作。作为世界城市和地方政府联合组织的成员，代表中国地方政府参与国际合作。

■ 作为在联合国经社理事会具有全面咨商地位的非政府组织，广泛参与联合国的事务，积极参加其他国际非政府组织的交流活动，有效传递中国的信息。

■ 发展中外民间友好力量，建立对不同地区和国家的友协团体，联系各国对华友好组织、社会团体和人士，向为民间友好作出重要贡献的组织和人士，分别授予“人民友好使者”荣誉称号、“人民友谊贡献奖”“中外两国友好使者”荣誉称号和“中外两国友好贡献奖”。

■ 致力于维护世界和平、人类共同安全的事业，声援各国人民争取国家发展、社会进步、维护主权和安全的正义斗争。

■ 开展其他有关中国人民同各国人民友好合作的工作。

中国人民对外友好协会是1954年5月3日由10个全国性的社会团体联合发起成立的。最初称中国人民对外文化协会，1966年改称中国人民对外文化友好协会，1969年起改称现名。会址设在北京。在中国各省、自治区、直辖市及部分市、区、县设有地方对外友好协会。

中国人民对外友好协会每五年召开一次全国理事会会议，选举会长、副会长、秘书长，并组成常务理事会。第十届全国理事会会议于2012年5月召开，选举李小林女士继续担任会长。

（全国友协供图）

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) is a national people’s organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China. The aims of the Association are to enhance people’s friendship, further international cooperation, safeguard world peace and promote common development. On behalf of the Chinese people, it makes friends and deepens friendship in the international community and various countries around the world, lays and expands the social basis of friendly relations between China and other countries, and works for the cause of human progress and solidarity. It implements China’s independent foreign policy of peace, observing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, while carrying out all-directional, multi-level and broad-area people-to-people friendship work to serve the great cause of China’s peaceful development and reunification and contribute to the building of a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. In launching its activities, it has supported from the government and assistance from all sectors of the society. It has set up 46 China-regional or China-national friendship organizations and established relationship of friendly cooperation with nearly 500 nongovernment organizations and institutions in 157 countries.

Main tasks of the CPAFFC include:

■to carry out people-to-people friendly contacts with other countries by organizing exchange of visits of delegations, holding commemorative activities, initiating and hosting exchange activities including seminars, talks, forums to enhance mutual understanding, build up trust and develop friendship with people of other countries;

■to promote international cooperation by establishing contact mechanisms, building cooperation platforms and furthering pragmatic cooperation in economy, science and technology, personnel and other areas to create favorable conditions to achieve win-win results and common development;

■to effect people-to-people cultural exchanges by dispatching or hosting cultural groups or personalities on friendly visits and sponsoring performances or exhibitions to promote learning from each other in the cultural fi eld and enhance understanding and friendship;

■entrusted by the government, to coordinate and oversee the work of establishing and developing friendship-city relations between China and other countries and promote exchanges and cooperation between their localities and cities; as a member of United Cities and Local Governments, to participate in international cooperation on behalf of Chinese local governments;

■as a nongovernment organization in general consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council, to take an extensive part in U.N. affairs, actively participate in the exchange activities of other international nongovernment organizations to effectively communicate information about China;

■to develop the force of people-to-people friendship between China and other countries by establishing China-regional or China-national friendship organizations, keeping contacts with friendship-with-China organizations in various countries, and conferring separately upon organizations or personages that have made important contributions to people’s friendship the honorary title of Friendship Ambassador or the Award for Contribution to People’s Friendship; the honorary title of Chinanational Friendship Envoy or the Award for Contribution to China-national Friendship;

■to engage in the cause of safeguarding world peace and common security of humankind and support the people of various countries in their just struggle to achieve national development and social progress and defend sovereignty and security;

■to carry out other activities for friendly cooperation between the Chinese and other peoples.

The CPAFFC was founded on May 3, 1954 on the initiative of ten national public organizations. It was fi rst called the Chinese People’s Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. It was renamed the Chinese People’s Friendship Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries in 1966. Since 1969, it has been known by its present name. It is located in Beijing. Local associations for friendship with foreign countries have been set up in all the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central government, and in a number of cities, districts and counties.

The National Council of the CPAFFC convenes every f ive years, at which the president, vice presidents and secretary-general are elected to form the Executive Council. The Tenth National Council was convened in May 2012, and Mme. Li Xiaolin was reelected CPAFFC president.

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries