Vietnam has participated for the second time in an annual social forum which took place in the Swiss city of Geneva from August 31 to September 2.

The forum, attended by representatives from the United Nations’ member countries, specialists on social and economic issues, as well as consultants and representatives of non-governmental organisations, focused on discussing major issues including the impact of the economic crisis on poverty reduction efforts, and national poverty reduction programmes in addition to sharing the experiences of countries in implementing social welfare programmes based on ensuring human rights and international cooperation in poverty elimination.

Addressing the forum, the Vietnamese delegation shared its experiences in coping with the crisis and highlighted its political commitments and efforts to ensure social welfare.

The delegation also shared its future plans to combine poverty reduction with new construction in rural areas, a new social welfare system and providing vocational training and jobs for those in poor localities.

It spoke highly of the international community’s cooperation and active assistance over the past years and put forward ideas on international cooperation in poverty reduction in the 2011-2020 period.

The annual social forum, organised by the UN Human Rights Council since 2008, is an opportunity for UN member countries, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations to hold direct dialogues on issues that help promote human rights./.