Việt Nam prioritises equal access to digital technology for all: diplomat

Minister Counsellor Cung Đức Hân, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations. — VNA/VNS Photo

GENEVA — Ensuring equal access to digital technology and benefits from digital economy for all is a priority of Việt Nam, Minister Counsellor Cung Đức Hân, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations, has said.

In his speech at the dialogue on emerging technologies with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk held in the framework of the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC56), Hân said the country’s National Digital Transformation Programme is developed towards reducing the digital gap through the expansion of Internet access to rural areas and those with difficulties and support for vulnerable groups.

He affirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to promoting human rights amidst digital technology revolution, particularly the rapid development of the Internet and AI.

Since the proliferation of means of communications has brought about such challenges as fake news and misinformation, Việt Nam calls for enhanced cooperation between countries and regional and international organisations to share experience and coordinate to respond to and establish global standards on sustainable development based on emerging technologies, he stressed.

Later on, at the dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, the Vietnamese diplomat held that poverty alleviation is one of the most notable achievements of the international community.

Given the whole world facing a high risk of returning to poverty due to impact of conflicts and climate change, Vietnam calls on the international community to join hands to pen solutions to the problem, he said.

He went on to highlight that Việt Nam has been hailed by the international community for its poverty reduction, adding the update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index by the UN Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative at the University of Oxford in 2023 showed that Việt Nam was one of the 25 countries halving multidimensional poverty by half within 15 years. — VNS