Vietnam’s achievements and challenges in fulfilling the United NationsMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) were presented to the AnnualMinisterial Review of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO), whichtook place in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 1-2.
Following is the full text of a speech delivered by Nguyen The Phuong,Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, at the event, where Vietnamwas selected as one of the three countries to voluntarily share theirexperience and progress in national development:
“ Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank the organisers for inviting me tothis important meeting to present the national voluntary report ofVietnam on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals ofVietnam under the topics “science, technology and innovation withcultural potentials in the promotion of sustainable development andachieving the Millennium Development Goals”.
As you alreadyknow, just more than 1 year, the United Nation will summarize 15 yearsimplementing the Millennium Declaration and evaluate the achievement ofthe Millennium Development Goals. Vietnam, along with more than 180countries around the world that committed to implementing the MillenniumDevelopment Goals has yielded encouraging achievements, but also faceswith many difficulties and challenges.
Over the past 10 years,Vietnam reached a rather high economic growth rate although affected bythe global economic downturn. Growth rate of gross domestic product(GDP) per capita annually in the period 2000-2012 was 6.3 percent, whichhelped put Vietnam out of the group of poor countries with low income.Vietnam was also aware of the importance of science and technology, ofwhich application has contributed to significantly improve nationaleconomy’s productivity and competitiveness. Economic development has apositive impact to reduce poverty and to successfully implement theMillennium Development Goals.
As of 2012, Vietnam has completedmost of Millennium Development Goals that were committed before. Onnational level, many targets set for 2015 were achieved or over achievedin 2008. However, it is necessary to have more efforts to ensure theachievement of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and of ensuringenvironmental sustainability.
Vietnam has achieved the goal ofhalving poverty rate (MDG 1) in 2002 and continues reducing poverty. Thepoverty rate in 2010 was only 10.7 percent. Vietnam has completedprimary education universal (MDG 2) in 2000 based on Vietnam standard.To date, the net enrollment rate of primary education at the right agewas 97.7 percent. Rapid progress has been noted in promoting genderequality and empowering women (MDG 3). Vietnam basically eliminatedgender disparity in primary education and secondary education in theperiod 2006-2010. The net enrollment rate in primary education in 2010was 92.3 percent for boys and 91.5 percent for girls. Child health careand strengthening maternal health (MDG 4 and MDG 5) also recordedsignificant achievements. The mortality rate of under-5 children andmaternal mortality per 100,000 live births tend to decrease and thesetwo goals are positively to be achieved by 2015. Vietnam has made greatsteps in establishing global partnership for development (MDG 8) thathelps to raise foreign direct investment, official developmentassistance and to take advantages of trade liberalization in promotingeconomic growth and poverty reduction.
Vietnam has put malariaunder control and essentially restrained HIV growth rate (MDG 6). TheHIV prevalence is under control at 0.3 percent/year. However, HIV/AIDSevolution is still very complex with high-risk and widening scope,especially among groups of men having sex with men and drug users.Vietnam has actively implemented the Agenda 21 to ensure environmentalsustainability (MDG 7) and has achieved important results but alsoencountered many difficulties, especially in the context of increasingclimate change.
Achieving these results is due to strongcommitment and determination of Vietnam to implement the DevelopmentGoals Millennium. Besides, the development and application of scienceand technology advances also significantly contributed to thedevelopment of production sector, poverty reduction, health care,education and training, environmental protection...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Science, technology and innovation are particularly focused inVietnam. The Law of Science and Technology was passed by the NationalAssembly of Vietnam in 2000 and came into force on 1 st January 2001.Besides, the Technology Transfer Law and Intellectual Property Law andother related laws are available. These laws have created a legalframework to promote the development of science, technology andinnovation.
In 2012, the Prime Minister has approved theStrategy of science and technology development in the period of2011-2020 with the goal for 2020 is a number of areas shall reach theinternational and ASEAN advanced level, contributing significantly toeconomic growth and restructuring of the economy; the value of high-techproducts is about 45 percent of GDP.
In the national ten-yearsocio-economic development strategy 2011-2020, Vietnam focus on scienceand technology, and consider this field a top national priority and amimportant driving force of development. Many policies and programsrelated to the development of science and technology has beenestablished. Every year, the government spends about 1 percent of thestate budget expenditure for the development of science and technology.
Vietnam has made significant achievements in science andtechnology since the implementation of Doi Moi (Renovation) policy. Inthe process of international economic integration, Vietnam has beentransferred many scientific achievements, advanced technology as well asbenefit from developed countries. Applied science and technology hashelped Vietnam from a food importing country to become the leadingexporter of agricultural products such as rice, seafood, coffee, pepper,cashew and many other important items. Agriculture is an importantsector to raise people's income and to reduce poverty. In addition, theapplication of science and technology in health care, education, theenvironment also directly affects the achievement of MDGs in thesefields.
However, Vietnam is still lagging behind othercountries in the region and in the world. The development of science andtechnology has not met the requirements of economic growth. The rate ofinvestment per capita in Science and Technology and the ratio ofresearchers per capita in Vietnam are relatively low. Vietnam is stilllack of highly qualified young engineers and researchers - who arecapable of doing all the research projects on a large scale.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Vietnam is determined to implement the commitments to achieve theMillennium Development Goals despite facing many challenges. It isparticularly that climate change tends to become clearer and to havemore severe impacts on economic activities and people's lives. As one ofthe most vulnerable nations to climate change, there are reasons toworry that climate change will increase the vulnerability of Vietnam'spopulation, and is an important cause to poverty.
Vietnam wouldlike and is willing to share experiences in implementing the MillenniumDevelopment Goals with the international community through South-Southcooperation model. We also would like to have further cooperation andsupport from international community to improve the quality ofimplementation of the Millennium Development Goals century and to walkabreast towards 2015.
With consciousness of not stopping by2015, Vietnam is actively coordinating with the United Nations inpreparing a development agenda after 2015. UN selected a number ofcountries, including Viet Nam to conduct national consultations, to findout the challenges and aspirations of different population groups. Thenational consultation Report in Vietnam has been completed and isconsidered an important contribution to the UN decision process for Post2015 Development agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are someof the basic report content on the implementation of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals of Vietnam under the theme of science, technology,innovation and cultural potentials of the promotion of sustainabledevelopment and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. I sincerelythank you and wish you good health and a successful Review"-VNA
Following is the full text of a speech delivered by Nguyen The Phuong,Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, at the event, where Vietnamwas selected as one of the three countries to voluntarily share theirexperience and progress in national development:
“ Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank the organisers for inviting me tothis important meeting to present the national voluntary report ofVietnam on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals ofVietnam under the topics “science, technology and innovation withcultural potentials in the promotion of sustainable development andachieving the Millennium Development Goals”.
As you alreadyknow, just more than 1 year, the United Nation will summarize 15 yearsimplementing the Millennium Declaration and evaluate the achievement ofthe Millennium Development Goals. Vietnam, along with more than 180countries around the world that committed to implementing the MillenniumDevelopment Goals has yielded encouraging achievements, but also faceswith many difficulties and challenges.
Over the past 10 years,Vietnam reached a rather high economic growth rate although affected bythe global economic downturn. Growth rate of gross domestic product(GDP) per capita annually in the period 2000-2012 was 6.3 percent, whichhelped put Vietnam out of the group of poor countries with low income.Vietnam was also aware of the importance of science and technology, ofwhich application has contributed to significantly improve nationaleconomy’s productivity and competitiveness. Economic development has apositive impact to reduce poverty and to successfully implement theMillennium Development Goals.
As of 2012, Vietnam has completedmost of Millennium Development Goals that were committed before. Onnational level, many targets set for 2015 were achieved or over achievedin 2008. However, it is necessary to have more efforts to ensure theachievement of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and of ensuringenvironmental sustainability.
Vietnam has achieved the goal ofhalving poverty rate (MDG 1) in 2002 and continues reducing poverty. Thepoverty rate in 2010 was only 10.7 percent. Vietnam has completedprimary education universal (MDG 2) in 2000 based on Vietnam standard.To date, the net enrollment rate of primary education at the right agewas 97.7 percent. Rapid progress has been noted in promoting genderequality and empowering women (MDG 3). Vietnam basically eliminatedgender disparity in primary education and secondary education in theperiod 2006-2010. The net enrollment rate in primary education in 2010was 92.3 percent for boys and 91.5 percent for girls. Child health careand strengthening maternal health (MDG 4 and MDG 5) also recordedsignificant achievements. The mortality rate of under-5 children andmaternal mortality per 100,000 live births tend to decrease and thesetwo goals are positively to be achieved by 2015. Vietnam has made greatsteps in establishing global partnership for development (MDG 8) thathelps to raise foreign direct investment, official developmentassistance and to take advantages of trade liberalization in promotingeconomic growth and poverty reduction.
Vietnam has put malariaunder control and essentially restrained HIV growth rate (MDG 6). TheHIV prevalence is under control at 0.3 percent/year. However, HIV/AIDSevolution is still very complex with high-risk and widening scope,especially among groups of men having sex with men and drug users.Vietnam has actively implemented the Agenda 21 to ensure environmentalsustainability (MDG 7) and has achieved important results but alsoencountered many difficulties, especially in the context of increasingclimate change.
Achieving these results is due to strongcommitment and determination of Vietnam to implement the DevelopmentGoals Millennium. Besides, the development and application of scienceand technology advances also significantly contributed to thedevelopment of production sector, poverty reduction, health care,education and training, environmental protection...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Science, technology and innovation are particularly focused inVietnam. The Law of Science and Technology was passed by the NationalAssembly of Vietnam in 2000 and came into force on 1 st January 2001.Besides, the Technology Transfer Law and Intellectual Property Law andother related laws are available. These laws have created a legalframework to promote the development of science, technology andinnovation.
In 2012, the Prime Minister has approved theStrategy of science and technology development in the period of2011-2020 with the goal for 2020 is a number of areas shall reach theinternational and ASEAN advanced level, contributing significantly toeconomic growth and restructuring of the economy; the value of high-techproducts is about 45 percent of GDP.
In the national ten-yearsocio-economic development strategy 2011-2020, Vietnam focus on scienceand technology, and consider this field a top national priority and amimportant driving force of development. Many policies and programsrelated to the development of science and technology has beenestablished. Every year, the government spends about 1 percent of thestate budget expenditure for the development of science and technology.
Vietnam has made significant achievements in science andtechnology since the implementation of Doi Moi (Renovation) policy. Inthe process of international economic integration, Vietnam has beentransferred many scientific achievements, advanced technology as well asbenefit from developed countries. Applied science and technology hashelped Vietnam from a food importing country to become the leadingexporter of agricultural products such as rice, seafood, coffee, pepper,cashew and many other important items. Agriculture is an importantsector to raise people's income and to reduce poverty. In addition, theapplication of science and technology in health care, education, theenvironment also directly affects the achievement of MDGs in thesefields.
However, Vietnam is still lagging behind othercountries in the region and in the world. The development of science andtechnology has not met the requirements of economic growth. The rate ofinvestment per capita in Science and Technology and the ratio ofresearchers per capita in Vietnam are relatively low. Vietnam is stilllack of highly qualified young engineers and researchers - who arecapable of doing all the research projects on a large scale.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Vietnam is determined to implement the commitments to achieve theMillennium Development Goals despite facing many challenges. It isparticularly that climate change tends to become clearer and to havemore severe impacts on economic activities and people's lives. As one ofthe most vulnerable nations to climate change, there are reasons toworry that climate change will increase the vulnerability of Vietnam'spopulation, and is an important cause to poverty.
Vietnam wouldlike and is willing to share experiences in implementing the MillenniumDevelopment Goals with the international community through South-Southcooperation model. We also would like to have further cooperation andsupport from international community to improve the quality ofimplementation of the Millennium Development Goals century and to walkabreast towards 2015.
With consciousness of not stopping by2015, Vietnam is actively coordinating with the United Nations inpreparing a development agenda after 2015. UN selected a number ofcountries, including Viet Nam to conduct national consultations, to findout the challenges and aspirations of different population groups. Thenational consultation Report in Vietnam has been completed and isconsidered an important contribution to the UN decision process for Post2015 Development agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are someof the basic report content on the implementation of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals of Vietnam under the theme of science, technology,innovation and cultural potentials of the promotion of sustainabledevelopment and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. I sincerelythank you and wish you good health and a successful Review"-VNA
