Not only has Vietnam become one of the typical countries in the process of implementing the United Nations (UN) Millennium Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, but the international community has increasingly appreciated and trusted Vietnam for its sense of responsibility towards the people, especially in the context of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
Putting people above economic interests The 2020 Global Human Development Report titled “The Next Frontier: Human Development in the Age of Human Impact on Climate and the Environment” published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in mid-December showed that Vietnam, for the first time, entered the group of countries with a high human development index (HDI) in the world. Specifically, with an HDI of 0.704, Vietnam ranked 117th out of 189 countries and territories and is one of the countries that have been implementing gender equality well with a gender development index (GDI) of 0.997 (ranked 65th out of 162 countries and in the highest group of 5 groups in the world). Thus, from 1990 to 2019, Vietnam's HDI value increased by nearly 46%, among the countries with the highest HDI growth rate in the world. UNDP assessed that, in terms of human development quality, Vietnam performed well in health, education, employment and rural development indicators... UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, Ms. Caitlin Wiesen commented: "With the policy of people-centered development, prioritizing human development and promoting equality in the country's socio-economic development strategies and plans, Vietnam has achieved a high level of human development. This is a remarkable achievement and also creates opportunities for better and faster development in the coming period". In fact, since the establishment of the revolutionary government, Vietnam has always been consistent with the slogan: "Independence-Freedom-Happiness". That means, the consistent goal that the entire Vietnamese people persistently pursue is to ensure national independence, civil rights, freedom, and people's happiness. And since the implementation of the renovation process, Vietnam has increasingly become more aware of and better ensured human rights in all political, civil, economic, cultural, and social fields. To achieve such progress, over the past years, the Vietnamese Government has implemented a series of measures and adjusted a series of laws, and implemented well the indicators on education, health, employment, rural development issues, etc. According to the analysis of UNDP experts, what Vietnam has achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic is the latest and most vivid evidence of the spirit of "for the people" as well as remarkable achievements in protecting and promoting human rights. “Vietnam's successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic is an inspiring story,” in which transparency, accountability and social cohesion are the keys to success, Ms. Caitlin Wiesen emphasized. The international community has called Vietnam a "bright spot" and a "model" for effectively responding to the pandemic. Some Western newspapers also wrote that: “With a consistent stance of accepting to sacrifice some economic benefits to protect the health and lives of the people, the Vietnamese Government has firmly adhered to the key strategy: Prevention; detection; isolation; zoning to suppress the epidemic; effective treatment with timely, drastic, public and appropriate measures to the country's conditions...". Southeast Asian political journalist David Hutt on BBC News commented: "
The Communist Party of Vietnam has acted responsibly and put the people first." Sharing this view, liberationnews.org (USA) wrote that Vietnam, a socialist government "puts people above economic interests"...
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| Vietnam always puts people at the center of its national development policy. Photo: Financial Times. |
Leaving no one behind The achievements in ensuring human rights in Vietnam are recognized by the world and are also reflected in the fact that Vietnam is one of the typical countries in the process of implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, from a backward
agricultural economy, at 14 billion USD in 1985, after 35 years, the scale of Vietnam's economy has increased nearly 19 times to 262 billion USD and become one of the 16 most successful emerging economies in the world. Economic growth is the basis and premise for the Vietnamese Government to care for and implement well social security and cultural policies; promote, protect and ensure basic rights for vulnerable groups. To date, the Party and State of Vietnam have issued 118 policies related to hunger eradication, poverty reduction, socio-economic development, improving the lives and ensuring social security for ethnic minorities. The report at the National Online Conference summarizing poverty reduction work in the 2016-2020 period on December 11 also showed that despite many budget difficulties, the National Assembly and the Government of Vietnam have doubled investment resources for poverty reduction compared to the previous period. 21% of the State budget has been spent on social welfare, the highest level among Southeast Asian countries.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam has policies to directly support 13 million people from many different perspectives. Thanks to the synchronous implementation of policies, in the period of 2016-2020, the multidimensional poverty rate in Vietnam has decreased from 9.88% (in 2015) to 3.75% in 2019 and is expected to be below 3% in 2020, making Vietnam the first country to reach the UN Millennium Development Goal on poverty reduction ahead of schedule. To date, 100% of communes have car roads to the center, 99% of commune centers and 80% of villages have electricity. 100% of ethnic minorities and the poor have free insurance. The transportation system, especially in mountainous areas, has shortened travel time, promoted trade in services, and created jobs. Many factories and enterprises have sprung up in many localities, helping people change jobs, escape poverty, and "leave agriculture but not their homeland". The whole country currently has nearly 3 million poor and disadvantaged people who are granted free
health insurance cards... In particular, the movement "The whole country joins hands for the poor - No one is left behind" in recent years has received widespread and effective response from the whole society. Only on the occasion of "Day for the Poor" in October 2020, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front called for and mobilized nearly 2,400 billion VND to support the Fund for the Poor and Social Security. Mr. Ousmane Dione, Country Director of the World Bank in Vietnam, commented that Vietnam's economic and social policies have helped achieve great results in the goal of poverty reduction and improving the quality of life for millions of people. The poverty rate of ethnic minorities in Vietnam continues to decrease, which is a very encouraging result. During the 2014-2016 period, the poverty rate of this group decreased by 13%, the sharpest decrease in the past decade. Efforts focused on increasing income for ethnic minorities can increase opportunities for these groups and reduce persistent inequality. Ms. Caitlin Wiesen said that the international community has positively recognized Vietnam's achievements in poverty reduction over the past decades. Vietnam has made great efforts in using a multidimensional approach to measure poverty, helping to reduce poverty more comprehensively and in more aspects than just improving income. Thus, from a backward country, not on the world map, after 75 years of mobilizing people's strength, unanimously carrying out the cause of resistance, building and defending the Fatherland, Vietnam has become a peaceful and independent country; Vietnam is recognized by the international community as one of the pioneering countries and a bright spot in human development, implementing the Millennium Development Goals on hunger eradication and poverty reduction; achieving social equity and progress. These impressive results are thanks to the inclusive nature of growth and development in Vietnam, with the vast majority of people participating in growth and benefiting from this process. The 2020 UN Happiness Index Report, based on 6 indicators: Income, freedom, trust, life expectancy, social support and generosity, also shows that Vietnam has continuously improved its ranking and this year, increased by 11 ranks compared to 2019.
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