Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang stressed ASEAN’s commitment to enhance development cooperationa at a meeting of the UNGA 77. (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, expressed ASEAN’s concern that while the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be over, food and energy crises, natural disasters like flooding and drought, inflation, mounting debt, and growing inequality have caused unprecedented pressure on people’s life, especially those in developing countries and vulnerable groups.

He stressed that it’s high time for the international community to put social development at the centre of recovery strategies to improve resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and welfare for people.

Representing ASEAN he underlined that the bloc pledges to press on with social development issues, realise the ASEAN Vision 2025, the Hanoi Plan of Action, and other relevant documents of ASEAN to build a resilient and inclusive ASEAN community that leaves no one behind.

ASEAN is also committed to strengthening cooperation in sustainable development with the UN through promoting complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to build a better and more sustainable future, he noted.

Ambassador Giang revealed that the grouping is also making some guidelines for the implementation of the Hanoi Plan of Action on enhancing social work towards a cohesive and responsive ASEAN that is able to generate benefits for millions of people, thereby reflecting its increasingly strong commitment to promoting social protection in the region.

The same day, in a speech for Vietnam, Minister Counsellor Le Thi Minh Thoa, Deputy Resident Representative of the country to the UN, highlighted Vietnam’s efforts and achievements in realising the Sustainable Development Goals, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, working towards net zero emissions by 2050, eliminating poverty, and ensuring social security and people’s rights.

She underlined Vietnam’s support for the role of the UN and the country’s active contributions to the international community’s common efforts in response to challenges to social development.

Regarding solutions to social development issues, Thoa stressed the need to resolve causes of poverty and inequality through vocational training, income generating chances, provision of quality educational and life-long learning services for all people, training of high-quality human resources, empowerment of people, and creation of favourable conditions for vulnerable groups.

The international community and development partners should also reinforce international cooperation, implement commitments on official development assistance (ODA), and mobilise resources for inclusive recovery, she added.