UN Resident Coordinator Pratibha Mehta has urged Vietnam to makegreater efforts to fulfill the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) asthere are only 1,000 days as of April 5 to go before the MDGs expire.
Pratibha Mehta said after ten years of committing to realise the MDGs(2000-2010), Vietnam is one of a handful of countries to have madesignificant progress towards achieving the goals.
Thisprogress was recognised by the international community at the 2010Global Summit on the MDGs, where Vietnam ranked sixth in terms ofboth absolute and relative progress, she added.
She praisedVietnam ’s important achievements in reducing the level of poverty,which fell from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 14.5 percent in 2008.
She also commented on the country’s performance in the areas of gender equality, education and children’s health.
While Vietnam has indeed made impressive national progress on theMDGs, efforts are still needed to see that they are achieved in everyvillage, city and province, she said, noting that the milestone of 1,000days is seen as an appeal to accelerate action on the basis of achievedsuccess.
Thirteen years ago, President Tran Duoc Luonggathered with 188 world leaders at the UN headquarters in New Yorkto sign the UN Millennium Declaration.
The leaderscommitted to cut the rate of poverty in half, fight against climatechange and diseases, address issues regarding water shortage,environmental sanitation and education, as well as create moreopportunities for girls and women.-VNA