Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son receives UN Assistant Secretary General Kanni Wignaraja, who has expressed her impression on Vietnam’s strong commitments to climate change response, including energy transition. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

At a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on July 28, UN Assistant Secretary General Wignaraja commended efforts by the Vietnamese government in building an efficient and transparent public administration.The UN Assistant Secretary General

She spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements as well as its commitment to multilateral cooperation, and its role and contributions to the United Nations.

Expressing her delight to visit Vietnam on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of its UN membership, Wignaraja affirmed that the UNDP stands ready to support the Southeast Asian nation in green, sustainable and inclusive socio-economic recovery and development.

For his part, Foreign Minister Son lauded the UNDP’s role and contributions globally in poverty reduction, governance enhancement and recovery capacity building, towards sustainable development goals.

The minister thanked the UNDP for its support to Vietnam since the national reunification, and applauded the programme’s valuable assistance to the country in COVID-19 prevention and control, and post-pandemic socio-economic recovery.

Regarding cooperation between the two sides in the time ahead, Foreign Minister Son suggested the UNDP mobilise resources and policy advice to effectively and fully implement the Country Programme Document for Vietnam for the 2022-2026 period.

He also proposed the UNDP coordinate with other UN organisations to implement the Vietnam-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2022-2026, covering socio-economic recovery, climate change response, the implementation of Vietnam’s commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), and the mobilisation of resources in support of vulnerable groups during socio-economic recovery and transformation.