Optimistic outlook but challenges remain

A senior Vietnamese delegation led by State President Nguyen Minh Triet will attend the United Nations High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG Summit) to be held at UN Headquarters in New York from September 20-22.

Ten years ago (September, 2000), the UN convened a high-level meeting at its New York-based headquarters, drawing the participation of leaders from 189 member countries.

The meeting, regarded as the chance of a lifetime was to build a peaceful, prosperous and equal world for all people and adopt a millennium statement focusing on eight development goals, which are expected to be fulfilled by 2015.

So far, many countries around the world have made headway towards implementing their MDGs by reducing poverty rate and increasing the number of children going to school and people having access to clean water. In addition, many epidemic diseases have been put under control.

Such achievements recorded by poor countries show it is possible to reach the MDGs.

Despite this fact, there should be better coordinated efforts to further reduce child mortality rates, control HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases, improve maternal health care and ensure a sustainable development environment.

The Asia-Pacific region, particularly East Asia and Southeast Asia is seen as a bright spot with the number of poor people dropping by half compared to 1990, more than 90 percent of children going to school, better gender equality and more effective control of HIV/AIDS.

Many countries in East Europe, North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean have also achieved good results in implementing their MDGs while those in West Asia, Africa, and especially in 33 underdeveloped countries, are finding it difficult to fulfill all their development goals by 2015.

Over the last ten years, with an annual economic growth rate of 7.2 percent along with effective socio-economic policies, Vietnam was recognised by the UN as well as the international community, as a leading country in carrying out MDGs in the Asia Pacific.

According to a report just released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Vietnam has now reached 90 percent of its MDGs, ranking first in Southeast Asia. The country has even fulfilled its goals set for 2015 in 2008, such as eliminating extreme poverty and hunger, universalising primary education, enforcing gender equality, increasing women’s roles, reducing child mortality rates, improving the health of mothers, combating malaria and other epidemics, and making  new partners across the world.

Regarding poverty reduction, Vietnam is seen as a shining example amongst the countries that are committed to fulfilling their MDGs. The country had cut the number of poor families from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 28.9 percent in 2002 and 14.5 percent in 2008. In 2000, it achieved the goals of universal access to primary education and then to junior-high school education and set up their goals for senior-high education.

Compared with similar developing countries, Vietnam has a high gender equality index as it has removed gender differences in education. Women are now more equal and have more deputies in the National Assembly and the grassroots-level People’s Councils as well as leaders in political and social organisations.

The international community says that Vietnam has done well with its MDGs. However, the challenges facing the country in the future are how to reach these goals equally amongst the regions. In addition, the negative impact of the global economic crisis has hindered Vietnam's efforts to reduce poverty and achieve other goals in a sustainable way.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation led by State President Nguyen Minh Triet, will discuss development plans from now until 2015. Vietnam will be an active, constructive and responsible member and continue contributing to developing the international community.