Can Tho (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man has called on French-speaking countries’ parliaments to strengthen cooperation develop sustainable agriculture, secure livelihoods for each household, and ensure food security for every nation, while addressing global climate change.
Opening the Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on January 21, he said that through this initiative, the Vietnamese NA aims to foster collaboration within the Francophone community, particularly in promoting scientific and technological cooperation, innovation, digital economy, entrepreneurship, and public-private partnerships, while also advocating the French language and cultural diversity.
The forum underscores the shared determination of Francophone countries to pursue sustainable development, ensuring a balance among growth, poverty reduction, and environmental protection, he said.
He emphasised that, as legislative bodies, the parliaments and their members play a vital role in promoting and overseeing the realisation of these goals.
The Vietnamese NA leader called on parliamentarians to share best practices in policymaking and legislation to promote sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response while exchanging initiatives and fostering cooperation among countries, international organisations, including the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), development partners, financial institutions, and the private sector, toward the objectives outlined by the forum.
The top legislator said that hosting the forum as well as a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committee in Vietnam shows the country’s activeness and sense of responsibility within multilateral cooperation frameworks. It also demonstrates Vietnam’s priority and active participation in addressing regional and global issues, as well as its solidarity with and commitment to the development of the Francophone community and its member countries.
Highlighting Vietnam’s achievements after nearly 40 years of “Doi Moi” (renewal), with notable progress in poverty alleviation and early completion of the Millennium Development Goals, along with effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, he noted that in 2024, the country recorded a 7.09% GDP growth rate, an economy size of approximately 476 billion USD, an inflation rate of under 4%, and import-export turnover of 786 billion USD, including 62 billion USD from agriculture.
Man highlighted that agriculture has been a key pillar of Vietnam's economy. During the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, agriculture supported the economy, ensuring food security domestically while also contributing to global food supplies. In 2024, agro-forestry-aquatic exports reached a record high, including more than 9 million tonnes of rice valued at around 5.7 billion USD.
He underlined Vietnam’s goal to enter a new era – that of the nation’s rise with prosperity, democracy, equality and civilisation, as well as the country’s determination to become a developing country with a modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed socialist country with high income by 2045 when it marks its centenary.
Basing on Vietnam’s experience, Chairman Man suggested that the most successful approach to achieving these goals is multilateral cooperation, exemplified by the successful trilateral partnership – one party being the countries in need of support, the second comprising experienced countries and international organisations that can share their expertise, and the third being the countries and development partners that can fund the transfer and sharing of knowledge.
Pointing out that one of the highlights of this forum is the expected adoption of a Can Tho declaration on Francophone cooperation for sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change adaptation, he showed his belief that this will be an important result reaffirming the crucial role of Francophone parliaments and the contribution by Francophone parliamentarians to addressing global challenges, enhancing regional and inter-regional cooperation, and transforming commitments into concrete actions.
Addressing the forum, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Hilarion Etong hailed the efforts by the APF's Vietnam sub-committee in hosting the forum, which shows Vietnam’s strong commitment and desire to play an active role in promoting Francophone cooperation in crucial issues related to sustainable development, including food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate change response. He said he hopes that the forum will mark the beginning of a new era in Francophone cooperation, with a shared commitment to resolving challenges of food security, climate change, and sustainable agricultural development.
Meanwhile, IOF Administrator Caroline St-Hilaire stressed that sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response are urgent global issues that are of paramount concern to the Francophone community and its member countries, urging the parliaments of member countries to use available tools to generate more practical solutions.
Following the opening session, the forum held three panel discussions on Francophone cooperation in sustainable agriculture, the Francophone community and food security, and experiences on climate change response./.
