Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Hai Bang speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Asia-Pacific countries need to reform policies and public services towards encouraging people from all social strata to participate in the policy making process to ensure inclusiveness and equality, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Hai Bang.
The ambassador made the call in a speech at a ministerial segment of the 75th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok from May 27-31.
The session, themed “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, saw the participation of more than 550 delegates from 46 out of the 53 member countries of the ESCAP.
The Vietnamese ambassador said that although over 80 percent of extremely poor people in the region have escaped from poverty, the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing, meaning that many vulnerable people are being left behind in economic development.
He suggested improving the quality and expanding the system of education, training courses, and job opportunities; ensuring that all people have the right to access education with affordable prices; and enhancing social security and insurance and healthcare services.
He called on developed nations to increase support for developing ones in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially through building up capacity and transferring technology and trade and financial resources.
The ambassador stressed that Vietnam has always been active in implementing the UN Agenda, particularly via the integration of sustainable development goals into national action plans and programmes.
So far, Vietnam has gained remarkable outcomes, such as the national poverty rate based on multidimensional standards reduced from 9.9 percent in 2015 to under 7 percent in 2017; the rate of people covered by health insurance reached 86.4 percent in 2017; and over 99 percent of households had access to electricity in 2016, he cited.
The ambassador said that these achievements are attributable to Vietnam’s always placing people at the centre, promoting equality and ensuring inclusiveness during the policymaking process from the central to local levels.
As an active and responsible member of the UN, Vietnam pledges to continue promoting sustainable development around the world and the Asia-Pacific region in particular, Bang said.–VNA
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