This comes after Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, made the remarks when detailing the country’s development experience via promoting digital technology during the 59th session of the UN Commission for Social Development, an event running virtually from February 8 to February 17.

The session is running with the theme of “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”.

The Vietnamese diplomat outlined the necessity of paying close attention to education and training in science and technology, whilst also investing in digital technology infrastructure and providing services at affordable prices, especially in remote and mountainous areas.

The Ambassador believes that development policies should take into account short and long-term goals in a bid to ensure that balance exists between economic recovery and sustainable development.

He also underlined the need to step up international co-operation and called on all developed nations to carry out commitments aimed at earmarking 0.7% of the gross domestic product for official assistance to developing nations.

In line with this, the country has always viewed people as the driver for national development, and has therefore issued a number of comprehensive and sustainable policies aimed at reducing poverty and improving people’s daily lives, changes which have been welcomed by the international community, he said.

The Vietnamese Government has set out the dual goal of combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic whilst ensuring stable socio-economic development and social welfare moving forward. This can be achieved via the launch of a social assistance package worth US$2.6 billion, he said, adding that the country has also applied technological advances to aid in development and social policies. This has thereby contributed to the international community’s common efforts to develop a global society.

During the course of the session, Munir Akram, president of the UN Economic and Social Council, said in order to ramp up the use of digital technology and narrow the digital gap, US$428 billion is needed to invest in global bandwidth. Therefore, now is the time for innovation, creativity, and solidarity, he said.

Participants at the event also shared their experiences and initiatives regarding social policies, all of which serve to create the conditions for the public to access digital technologies and adopt them in both production and the distribution of goods and services.