Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang addresses a meeting of the UN. (Photo: VNA) Ambassador Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to theUN, expressed ASEAN’s concern that while the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to beover, food and energy crises, natural disasters like flooding and drought,inflation, mounting debt, and growing inequality have caused unprecedentedpressure on people’s life, especially those in developing countries andvulnerable groups.
He stressed that it’s high time for the internationalcommunity to put social development at the centre of recovery strategies toimprove resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and welfare for people.
Representing ASEAN, he underlined that the bloc pledges topress on with social development issues, realise the ASEAN Vision 2025, theHanoi Plan of Action, and other relevant documents of ASEAN to build aresilient and inclusive ASEAN community that leaves no one behind.
ASEAN is also committed to strengthening cooperation insustainable development with the UN through promoting complementarities betweenthe ASEAN Community Vision and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentto build a better and more sustainable future, he noted.
Giang revealed that the grouping is also making someguidelines for the implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action on enhancingsocial work towards a cohesive and responsive ASEAN that is able to generatebenefits for millions of people, thereby reflecting its increasingly strongcommitment to promoting social protection in the region.
The same day, in a speech for Vietnam, Minister Counsellor LeThi Minh Thoa, Deputy Resident Representative of the country to the UN,highlighted Vietnam’s efforts and achievements in realising the SustainableDevelopment Goals, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, working towards netzero emissions by 2050, eliminating poverty, and ensuring social security andpeople’s rights.
She underlined Vietnam’s support for the role of the UN andthe country’s active contributions to the international community’s commonefforts in response to challenges to social development.
Regarding solutions to social development issues, Thoastressed the need to resolve causes of poverty and inequality through vocationaltraining, income generating chances, provision of quality educational andlife-long learning services for all people, training of high-quality humanresources, empowerment of people, and creation of favourable conditions forvulnerable groups.
The international community and development partners shouldalso reinforce international cooperation, implement commitments on officialdevelopment assistance (ODA), and mobilise resources for inclusive recovery,she added./.
VNA
