Vietnam has won plaudits from the international community for its
achievements in fulfilling many of its United Nations Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule.
During the Annual
Ministerial Review of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO), which is
taking place in Geneva from July 1-4, delegates from countries such as
Laos, the Republic of Korea and Mozambique praised Vietnam’s success in
this field.
As one of the three countries selected to
voluntarily share their experience and progress in national development,
Vietnam told the meeting that by 2012, the country had reached many of
the MDGs committed to the international community.
In ten
years the country has halved the number of poor people and continues to
make encouraging progress in the first goal to eradicate hunger and
poverty. The poverty rate has dropped from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 10.7
percent in 2010.
In 2000, the country achieved universal
high-standard primary education and by 2012, net enrolment rates for
primary education reached 97.7 percent.
Remarkable progress
has also been seen in promoting gender equality and empowering women, as
well as improving child and maternal health.
The country has
obtained significant achievements in establishing global partnerships
for development, helping mobilise foreign investment flow and official
development assistance (ODA) while taking advantage of opportunities
offered by trade liberalisation to spur economic growth and poverty
reduction.
However, a substantial proportion of the population
is in danger of falling back into poverty, as Vietnam is one of the
countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Vietnam has, so far, fulfilled three goals ahead of schedule, with three more expected to be reached by 2015.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong, who led
the Vietnamese delegation to the event, told the Vietnam News Agency
that two others MDGs, including ensuring environmental sustainability
and restraining the growth rate of HIV, still face an array of
challenges.
This year, the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review has
put the spotlight on the role of science, technology and innovation in
the promotion of sustainable development.
Phuong noted that
Vietnamese laws, such as the Law on Technological Transfer and the Law
on Intellectual Property, have created a legal framework to promote the
development of these areas.
The Vietnamese Government has also
paid special attention to science-technology and innovation, he said,
citing the adoption of the Law on Science and Technology in 2001 as an
example.
Phuong’s delegation proactively held bilateral
meetings in Geneva to exchange scientific and technological models that
can aid the countries to reach their MDGs.
Vietnam is willing
to share its experience in achieving the MDGs through the South-South
cooperation model (in which developing countries exchange resources and
knowledge) and hopes to continue receiving cooperation and support from
the international community in order to raise the job’s quality, Phuong
said.
The country is actively partnering with the UN in devising the post-2015 Development Agenda.
As one of the countries selected by the UN to conduct national
consultations and study the desires and challenges of the consultative
groups, Vietnam’s final report will make a significant contribution to
the agenda.-VNA