PM affirms Vietnam's readiness to join UN activities

Vietnam has become a middle-income country and has fulfilled many Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule. PM Dung said, “As a reliable and responsible member Vietnam has contributed significantly to UN activities in all areas.

Vietnam has been elected to many important UN agencies, demonstrating its increasing prestige in the international arena.

The country is integrating into the world and contributing to settling global challenges for peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the region and the world. Cooperation between Vietnam and the UN has been a role model for development cooperation between UN organizations and member countries.”  

PM Dung believed that Vietnam and the UN will promote their relations in development cooperation as well as peace keeping, conflict resolution, security and global issues including poverty reduction, environmental protection and climate change response. He said Vietnam is ready to participate actively and contribute more practically to UN global activities.

He said besides economic growth, Vietnam aimed to promote social advancement and equality, democracy and freedom of citizens while considering human as the center in development. Vietnam pledged to successfully implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its agenda until 2030.

On behalf of UN organisations, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta welcomed the Southeast Asian nation’s role and active participation in the UN for almost 40 years, especially as the UN Security Council President in 2008 and a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2013. 

She congratulated Vietnam on its election as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council in the 2016-2018 tenure as well as socio-economic accomplishments and strong commitments to realising the MDGs.

“Vietnam’s leadership on UN reforms and Delivering as One approach to ensure greater UN coherence, harmonisation and effectiveness as well as its commitment to inter – government agreement such as MDGs is globally well known. The United Nations is proud to be a trusted partner of Vietnam for 40 years, even before it officially became a member of the UN, ” she said. 

She noted that Vietnam and other 192 UN member countries signed up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, expressing her hope for Vietnam’s high level participation in UN Climate Change Conference COP 21 to ensure an ambitious and universal climate change agreement, which is the first real test for world’s community to deliver on necessary policy tools for sustainable development. 

Pratibha Mehta affirmed that the UN System in Vietnam stands fully committed to supporting the country in its post-2015 journey to ensure inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. 

At the ceremony, a photo exhibition on the 40-year relationship between Vietnam and the UN was held, highlighting humanitarian supports, rebuilding efforts, all-round reforms and the implementation of the MDGs.

The celebration was jointly held by the Foreign Ministry and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

On the occasion, the UN coordinator in Vietnam, Pratibha Mehta presented Prime Minister Dung with a UN flag.