Việt Nam-UN: Cooperation partnership for sustainable development

Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, speaks at the UN General Assembly meeting on protecting the planet. — VNA/- VnExpress News Photo 

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính is leading Việt Nam’s high-ranking delegation on a working visit to the United Nations (UN) within the framework of his trip to the US which started on May 11.

The visit takes place at the time as Việt Nam is preparing for the celebration of the 45th anniversary of its membership in the largest global multi-lateral organisation (September 20, 1977-2022).

In the foundations of their 45-year-old cooperation, Việt Nam and the UN have become each other’s partners, and are working together to realise 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to address major development challenges facing people in Việt Nam and around the world.

Việt Nam has built a National Action Plan towards SDGs which serves as the basis to design its own goals in accordance with the situation of the country, provinces and cities. On September 25, 2020, the Government issued Resolution No. 136/NQ-CP on sustainable development, setting out Việt Nam’s 17 SDGs until 2030.

Most of the goals have been included in the country’s national institutional system, especially the current Constitution, as well as in resolutions and socio-economic development programmes of the Government, ministries, departments, sectors and localities.

Under the Joint Strategic Plan for the 2017-21 period between Việt Nam and the UN signed on July 5, 2017, the organisation has assisted the Vietnamese Government in implementing the Socio-Economic Development Plan for the 2016-20 period and the SDGs with four priority areas of investing in human lives, ensuring adaptation to climate change and sustainable environmental development, promoting prosperity and partnership, and strengthening justice, peace and inclusive governance.

Through development assistance programmes, Việt Nam has to date been one of the countries that seriously implements the UN’s goals, especially the SDGs until 2030, which have been mainstreamed in the country’s socio-economic development strategies and plans, in harmony with cooperation frameworks signed with the United Nations in each period.

Among 17 general goals and 169 specific of the 2030 Agenda, Việt Nam has nationalised 17 general and 115 specific ones, suitable to the development conditions and context of the country.

Regarding investment in human lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the achievement of goals. However, Việt Nam has managed to maintain and continue making some significant progress in the implementation of the SDGs, with many outstanding results such as a sharp reduction in the rate of multidimensional poverty, from 9.2 per cent in 2016 to 4.8 per cent in 2020. The coverage of essential health services is higher than the global average. In 2021, the proportion of people participating in health insurance reached 91.01 per cent of the population.

In the field of ensuring climate change adaptation and sustainable environmental development, Việt Nam ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, committed to implementing the 2015-30 Disaster Risk Reduction Framework and is currently working on the intended nationally determined contributions with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 8 per cent by 2030, or by 25 per cent with international support. At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Prime Minister Chính made a strong commitment to reducing net emissions to zero by 2050, and 30 per cent of methane emissions by 2030.

UN Development Programme Resident Representative Caitlin Wiesen spoke highly of the commitments by PM Chính at the COP26 in Glasgow, the UK, especially the commitments to net zero emissions by 2050.

“Việt Nam is also taking the very proactive steps establishing a national steering committee and realigning key climate change strategy documents as well as Power Development Plan No. 8,” she said.

The UNDP official emphasised that although there are big challenges, the opportunities are large too, saying Việt Nam is “on the threshold of also planning a future way of growth that has not yet been fully experienced in the world.”

Việt Nam and the UN have approved the Strategic Cooperation Framework for 2022-2026 with the focus on inclusive social development; combating climate change and natural disasters, and  maintaining environmental sustainability; transformation of economy and governance.

The effective implementation of the SDGs not only brings positive changes to the socio-economic development of Việt Nam, but also is a proof of the country’s active participation and increasing role in multilateral mechanisms, especially the UN, thus contributing to peace and stability in the world.

It also affirms cooperation between Việt Nam and the UN as a typical example of development cooperation among UN member countries, and affirms the organisation’s role in promoting international cooperation to solve socio-economic, cultural and humanitarian issues. — – VnExpress News