Vietnam is a key partner of the United Nations in general and UNDP in particular.

Director General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner at a meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam in New York. (Photo: UNDP)

On the occasion of General Secretary and President To Lam's recent trip to attend the Future Summit and the High-level General Debate of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Director General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner gave an interview to a VNA reporter in New York.

- Vietnam is increasingly becoming an active, dynamic member with many contributions to the United Nations in general, and UNDP in particular. Could you please share what are the key cooperation areas between Vietnam and UNDP in recent years?

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner: Viet Nam is a key partner of the United Nations in general and UNDP in particular, with significant contributions to human development and sustainable growth achieved in recent years. Our 45-year partnership has evolved through different phases in Viet Nam and this experience has helped shape the current UNDP Country Programme to meet Viet Nam’s specific needs.

Over the years, cooperation between the two sides has focused on several key areas such as governance to increase transparency and digitalization. Vietnam’s active participation in multilateral forums is crucial to shaping inclusive global policies, and Vietnam’s partnership with UNDP also helps strengthen Vietnam’s leadership in addressing regional and international development priorities.

Technology is another focus. Viet Nam and UNDP are working together to ensure that technological developments drive economic growth while addressing social inequalities, leveraging future technologies to achieve sustainable and inclusive development goals.

Director General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner at a meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam in New York. (Photo: UNDP)

The cooperation also emphasizes green transition initiatives, including promoting clean energy, protecting natural resources, building resilience, and promoting nature tourism and a circular economy. An important aspect of this cooperation is support for Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

UNDP stands ready to support Viet Nam where needed, as in the recent Typhoon Yagi. We are working to strengthen resilience and response mechanisms, with a focus on rebuilding livelihoods, infrastructure and ensuring equitable and sustainable recovery for vulnerable communities.

The long-standing Vietnam-UNDP partnership, based on mutual trust, to continue to work together to address national, regional and international development challenges, is a model for other countries to follow.

- Despite facing many challenges in an unstable world, Vietnam has achieved many remarkable development achievements. How do you evaluate Vietnam's efforts to complete the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner: Viet Nam’s long-standing commitment to poverty reduction and universal health, education and essential infrastructure has yielded remarkable results, especially in rural and remote areas; the average growth rate reached over 6% in the 2020-2024 period. Since the 1990s, poverty has been reduced significantly and extreme poverty was almost eliminated by 2020. The Human Development Index (HDI) increased by nearly 50% from 1990 to 2022, placing Viet Nam in the group of countries with high human development.

In addition, the proportion of the population living below the international poverty line decreased from 2.9% in 2010 to 0.7% in 2020. This figure is a testament to Vietnam's strong impact in its efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty.

Despite gaps in access to essential services in remote areas, Viet Nam has shown progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s Viet Nam SDG Insight report highlights commendable progress in poverty reduction, clean water, affordable clean energy and economic development in Viet Nam. However, the country still faces many challenges in climate action, tackling marine pollution and conserving mountain and coastal biodiversity.

The road ahead requires new and urgent approaches. As Typhoon Yagi reminded us, climate change is making Viet Nam and its people increasingly vulnerable. UNDP is committed to supporting the Government of Viet Nam to develop a comprehensive social protection package to mitigate these impacts, strengthen the resilience of the poor and deliver on all other SDGs.

Creating an enabling environment for digital and green transformation is also critical to achieving sustainable development, requiring strong governance. UNDP is proud to work with Viet Nam in these critical areas, all of which are at the heart of UNDP’s Country Programme to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

- General Secretary and President To Lam has just concluded a working trip and attended the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week for the first time. Could you please assess the significance of this visit?

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner: General Secretary and President To Lam's attendance at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week reaffirms Vietnam's support for the world's largest multilateral organization and Vietnam's active contributions to various UN initiatives, such as peacekeeping, climate action, sustainable development goals and the recently-achieved "Pact for the Future."

In my opinion, the participation of General Secretary and President To Lam is an opportunity for Vietnam to share its achievements in national development and vision for the future.

As a country that has successfully transformed itself from war-torn to economic growth and development, Vietnam can inspire other countries with lessons in poverty reduction, climate change mitigation and sustainable economic development.

Director General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner (back row, sitting in the middle) at a meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam in New York. (Photo: UNDP)

In the current context, this experience and vision are needed more than ever. I had a very productive and meaningful meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam and discussed the Viet Nam-UNDP partnership, how we can work together to support early recovery from Typhoon No. 3; promote a just and inclusive energy transition; strengthen water security, including through the Mekong River Commission; and facilitate a digital transformation that benefits all; and the importance of good governance…

- What do you expect from the relationship between Vietnam and the United Nations in general, and UNDP in particular, in the coming time?

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner: Viet Nam is a modern, dynamic, middle-income country with aspirations to become a high-income country within a generation and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This demonstrates Viet Nam’s leadership and commitment to the multilateral agenda on the international stage. Therefore, I am confident that the relationship between Viet Nam and the United Nations in general, and UNDP in particular, will grow stronger in the years to come, given Viet Nam’s development priorities.

We will focus on promoting sustainable development, with an emphasis on economic transformation, environmental protection and social equity. We will support Vietnam in mobilizing resources and investment, particularly through domestic capital markets, to finance green and sustainable development projects, with a focus on a just energy transition and climate resilience.

Promoting digital transformation is also a focus of cooperation. For example, UNDP’s support for the “Doctor for All” telehealth initiative is increasing access to health care and reducing costs. UNDP will also continue to engage in post-disaster recovery and climate change efforts. The partnership between UNDP and Viet Nam will be driven by a shared commitment to sustainable, equitable and inclusive development.

UNDP stands ready to support and help Viet Nam adapt to future challenges and build a fair and resilient society. We look forward to continuing our partnership for sustainable development in Viet Nam and the region.

Thank you very much!

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-la-mot-doi-tac-chu-chot-cua-lien-hop-quoc-noi-chung-va-undp-noi-rieng-post980603.vnp