China has been a nation of unprecedented growth. For the past few decades I witnessed a shift of the poor, decentralized populations of China to prosperous, cooperative urban developments. The quality of life in my country has improved greatly through the implementation of progressive policies, social mechanisms, and new technologies. During its first few years of transition, the United Nations played an instrumental role in providing guidance to China’s national “Xiaokang” Programme which means “Better Off Vision” for balanced, equitable, and cultural-based development. I worked closely on United Nations projects, especially in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable development. While my home nation is a successful example of positive change, I believe these change principles can be applied elsewhere across the globe for developing countries. The United Nations is best suited for doing just that.

I worked for the Chinese Government for many years before I began my career with the United Nations. I was the Programme Officer for the rural and renewable energy development policies and projects of the Ministry of Agriculture. I was also the Director of the Environmental Protection Division and the Renewable Energy Division for the State Economic and Trade Commission. From 1985 to 2003, I was given the opportunity to create and supervise new policies and procedures to help the development of new and renewable energy to contribute to sustainable development in the country. I was proud of my efforts to improve the lives of my people, but in 2003 I believed it was time I apply those efforts to the international community.

I started with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and I brought a great deal of work experience and new ideas there with me. I had a strong knowledge base on policy formulation and development, as well as policy implementation and control. I specialized in energy security, climate change, and renewable energy and I wanted to share that knowledge with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. I remember a few years ago the looks on the faces of the families in Indonesia after we provided a hydro-power project to a small and remote farming village called Cinta Mekar. During the consultation, the villagers were quite eager about how the project would develop and how wonderful it would be to finally get electricity to help in their daily lives. Truly, there is no more gratifying experience than watching underprivileged people share in new technology that improves their quality of life.

Although I spend a great deal of time focusing and working on rural sustainable development, especially energy access and environmental issues in Asia, I also spend time exploring large urban areas for inspiration and ideas. Bangkok is perfect for inspiration. It is very modernized, and booming with international activities. I work very closely with people from all over the world; their insights and experiences help me shape new ideas for projects in developing countries. The people of Thailand are extremely nice and helpful. They are a constant reminder of why I serve a greater cause. I love it here and I really love the food as well.

I commend anyone who aspires to work for the United Nations. It is such a rewarding feeling to wake up every day and know your hard work is making someone else’s life better. But I must emphasize, the United Nations requires hard work. I keep a full day; I arrive every morning at 7.00 a.m. and look over plans for the day. I make changes accordingly and collaborate with colleagues to ensure the product is a collective endeavour. I have meetings to go over current projects and I spend a large part of my day preparing documents for proposals, making recommendations for new projects, and communicating via e-mail with partners from different organizations and countries in a variety of time zones.

I leave work every day knowing my hard work is making a difference. The United Nations, however, is an organization that also promotes personal time away from work. I get the opportunities to participate in outdoor sports; I also golf, snorkel, jog, swim and most importantly, spend time with my family.