The signing ceremony of UNDP assisted programme - "Tibet Development and Poverty Alleviation Programme" was held in Lhasa on June 21, 2006. Mr. Wang Yue, Director-General of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges , Mr. Tan Yungao, Director-General of the Department of Commerce, Tibet Autonomous Region and Mr. Khalid Malik, Resident Representative of UNDP signed the programme document respectively on behalf of the government coordinating agency and implementing partner, government cooperating agency and UNDP. Mr. Xiangba Pingcuo, the Governor of Tibet Autonomous Region also attended the ceremony.

With the total input of 6 million US dollars, the "Tibet Development and Poverty Alleviation Programme" consists of five interlinked sub-programmes, including: 1) Tourism Industry Strengthened for Sustainability and Poverty Alleviation; 2) Development of Trade and Investment into TAR; 3) Traditional Artisan Industry Development; 4) Old Lhasa City Protection and Development; 5) Tibet Development Forum platform and Synergy Building.

This four-year programme will seek to strengthen the development capability in the fields of tourism, trade and handicrafts by building capacity, improving planning and raising awareness, as well as piloting concrete models for pro-poor development of the sectors. It will aim to enhance natural cross-sectoral linkages and integrate the principles of environmental sustainability and culturally based development into the overall strategies of Tibet Autonomous Region.