Vietnam Has Achieved and Surpassed MDG 2015

Recently, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in collaboration with the UN Development Program in Vietnam (UNDP), organised a consultation workshop on the draft national report on implementation of the National Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in 2015. The purpose of the workshop is to orient and build economic development objectives in the new stage of Vietnam.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong, from 2001 to 2015, Vietnam has successfully implemented the strategy of socio-economic development for 10 years (2001-2010) and 5 year socio-economic development plan. Vietnam has achieved a milestone as well as overcome difficulties in socio- economic development to successfully implement the goals of the MDG. Vietnam is in the global integration, particularly World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2007 and expansion of trade relations, investment for development of domestic production and export to help reduce poverty and develop society.

 

Vietnam has achieved many economic milestones in maintaining, promoting and implementing the MDG. Specifically, Vietnam has accomplished many millennium development goals such as poverty reduction, promotion of gender equality and improvement of health indicators such as reduction of maternal mortality and child mortality. Vietnam also achieved the goals of controlling malaria and tuberculosis as well as repelling spread of HIV/AIDS. Vietnam is striving to achieve other goals such as universalization of a health services and environmental sustainability in order to establish global relationships for development to the end of 2015 .

 

Especially, Vietnam has been recognised by the achievement in the poverty reduction. The poverty rate has fallen sharply, from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 8.4 percent according to national standards. Success in reducing poverty in Vietnam comes from results of rapid economic growth, along with the efforts of the political system to put the goals of poverty reduction as one of the priorities of the country.

 

Regarding the educational universalisation, Vietnam has attempted to finish early compulsory education programme in accordance with national standards. Vietnam is also trying to universalize primary education and junior high school at the right age. To strengthen gender equality and empower roles of women, Vietnam continues to consolidate achievements, especially in the fields of education, employment and politics. The gender inequalities in access to primary education has been eliminated; the gender equality in employment has made significant strides. Vietnam is one of five developing countries with the highest female ratio in the National Assembly in Asia.

 

Recognising the importance of the relation of economic development and sustainable development of the environment, Vietnam has strengthened the integration of sustainability principles into policies and national programs and made contribution to the international community. Vietnam has gained other remarkable achievements in improving access to clean water to meet the needs of the majority population and vulnerable groups.

 

In the field of international cooperation, Vietnam has achieved remarkable achievements. Accordingly, the levels of trade and economic integration of Vietnam with the region and the world have increased. Thanks to free trade, the import and export activities of Vietnam have increased rapidly although other shortcomings like trade deficit and non-tariff barriers created by the international market still exist.

 

Although Vietnam has achieved many economic milestones while implementing the MDGs in the past 15 years, Vietnam's economy, according to Ms Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator, will face many challenges in the next stage. Some barriers are economic downturn, bad debts from banks and ineffectiveness of the state-owned corporations. Besides, the country continues to face slow growth, existing bad debts, increasing debt, slow poverty reduction rate, bad impact of climate change that are affecting many livelihoods of the poor.

 

At the macro level, after 2015, the overall economy of Vietnam has faced significant challenges since the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), forcing Vietnam to drastically improve growth, build infrastructure to sustain growth, enhance human capital and raise labour productivity through education and training. In addition, the UNDP experts also predict that the upcoming wave of urbanization will complicate urban poverty, inequality and income gap between urban and rural areas, leading vulnerability to the poor people, particularly in the disadvantaged areas. One major difficulty is that the ODA investment flows are forecast to decline sharply next time and the climate changes also create pressures for the economy.

 

Ms Pratibha Mehta noticed that the MDG 2015 report released at the critical moment and will provide information to help determine development priorities as well as solutions to complete unfinished goals. And this is an important document used for the session of the United Nations that will be held in September 2015. This reflects national achievements in the implementation of Vietnam's commitments to the UN.