Deputy PM Pham made the above statement in his remarks to the 77th Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Committee of Asia and the Pacific on April 27th, 2021.

The following is his full remarks:

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Distinguished Delegates,

Over the past three decades, our region has gone through multiple social and economic shocks. However, the one resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented. On the other hand, this pandemic has also brought in new and clearer perspectives on the path towards a stable, inclusive and sustainable recovery process.

In this context, Viet Nam welcomes the theme of the 77th Commission on “Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific.”

Distinguished Delegates,

For the past year, thanks to our national efforts and the valuable cooperation and support of the international community, Viet Nam has fundamentally put the pandemic under control, ensuring social protection and security and economic growth recovery, attaining our “dual goals” of pandemic prevention and social-economic growth and recovery.

Viet Nam has also adjusted our short and long-term policies in transforming our growth model into one that is based on technologies, innovations, increasing the quality of economic growth to sustain production and rapid post-pandemic recovery towards sustainable development.

Viet Nam is also one of the countries in the forefront of international and regional economic integration. In the region, as the Chair of ASEAN in 2020, Viet Nam had closely coordinated with other ASEAN Member States and partners towards the signing of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This Partnership, covering 30% GDP of the world, demonstrates the determination of countries to continue regional cooperation and integration, creating momentum for regional economic recovery.

Viet Nam has also pursued important initiatives within ASEAN to further efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, towards the recovery of regional supply chains and ASEAN connectivity in coherence with sustainable development. Viet Nam has also actively participated in the strengthening of the Mekong cooperation frameworks and the adoption of APEC Vision to 2040.

Distinguished Delegates,

The world is facing a critical moment when countries on one hand need to tackle the pandemic while on the other need to enhance international and regional cooperation in order to make full use of all opportunities to build back and recover in a more stable, inclusive and sustainable manner.

In this context, Viet Nam calls for:

First, the United Nations needs to continue to play its central role in policy cooperation and coordination to effectively implement a comprehensive strategy to tackle the pandemic, including having vaccines as the common goods of the international community, ensuring fair, equitable and timely access to vaccination, to diagnosis and treatment of the COVID-19.

Second, countries need to enhance international cooperation at all levels in practical experience and knowledge sharing in order to implement post-pandemic recovery strategies and policies, which are suitable for each country’s context, conditions and priorities.

These strategies and policies must aim towards a sustainable recovery and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Countries must also maintain their commitment and create favourable conditions for financial, technological and trade support for developing countries.

Third, it is imperative to enhance regional cooperation on trade and investment, tourism and innovative economy, energy, as well as on digital economy, including eradicating digital gap, repairing supply chains disruption, ensuring the continuous flows of goods and supply chains, enhancing regional economic integration and development of high-quality human resources so that the Asia-Pacific region continues to be the forefront of international economic recovery.

ESCAP should provide the highest possible support to all of these aforementioned efforts.

Viet Nam believes that, through the enhancement of international and regional cooperation, we will together tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better.

I thank you./.