Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed Directive No. 13/CT-TTg on sustainable development on May 20, asserting that sustainable development is a consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam.

The Government issued Vietnam Agenda 21 in 2004, the sustainable development strategy for 2011-2020 in 2012, and the national action plan implementing Agenda 2030 for sustainable development with 17 goals and 115 specific targets covering economics, social affairs, and the environment from now to 2030.

The viewpoint on sustainable development has been mainstreamed in the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy and the 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 socio-economic development plans, the Directive said.

The country has attained sustainable development achievements in the economic, social and environmental domains, however, many state offices, businesses and people failed to have a sufficient and comprehensive awareness of sustainable development, and socio-economic policies favored fast economic growth and social stability while paying inadequate attention to the sustainability of natural resources use and environmental protection, it noted.

To fix these limitations and facilitate the successful implementation of the country’s sustainable development towards 2030, the PM asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to host the coordination between ministries, sectors, localities and stakeholders to implement efficiently tasks mentioned in the national action plan implementing Agenda 2030.

He directed ministries, sectors and the People’s Committee of provinces and centrally-run cities to make the implementation of sustainable development goals as part of their socio-economic development plans while promptly launching support policies for disadvantaged people, ethnic minorities, social policy beneficiaries, and other vulnerable people.

The National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Enhancement is asked to consult the Government and the PM the building and implementation of policies, strategies, plans, programmes, tasks and solutions to carry out productively the national action plan implementing Agenda 2030.

The PM asked the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and mass organizations to improve their supervision over the execution of sustainable development goals, focusing on policies and mechanisms to be implemented in ministries, sectors and localities along with encouraging the involvement and contributions of local and foreign organizations, development partners, business community and people in the effort.

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) are required to continue promoting their role in directing and assisting businesses in achieving sustainable development, and consulting the Government solutions to addressing challenges in the public-private partnership (PPP) to get the business community involved in realizing the country’s sustainable development goals.