September 26, 2024
HANOI – Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm had meetings with leaders of a number of international organisations in New York on September 24 (local time), as part of his US trip.
Meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Lâm praised the increasingly important role of the UN in global governance, promoting multilateral cooperation, upholding international law, narrowing the gap and promoting development, and ensuring full participation of all countries.
He thanked UN agencies in Việt Nam for supporting the country in overcoming consequences of Typhoon Yagi, proposing that the UN promote cooperation to enhance the capacity of countries to respond to natural disasters and manage risks and disasters.
The top leader of Việt Nam suggested that the UN Secretary-General continue to promote cooperation in energy transition, green transition, digital transformation, and digital governance system building, taking into account the interests of developing countries, including Việt Nam.
Guterres, who once took to the streets to support Việt Nam’s resistance war, expressed his special sentiments for Việt Nam, and highly valued the role, position and socio-economic development achievements of Việt Nam.
He lauded the active engagement of Việt Nam in important UN agencies as well as in all priority areas of the UN’s activities, especially in peacekeeping, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, responding to climate change, and promoting just energy transition.
The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen dialogue and further deepen the Vietnam-UN and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-UN relations in the coming time, promoting ASEAN’s central role in settling regional issues, especially in maintaining peace and stability in the region, and peacefully resolving disputes in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) in compliance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).
They reached consensus on cooperation measures for promoting sustainable development, putting the 2030 Agenda back on track, speeding up energy transition, enhancing capacity to effectively respond to global challenges, and further increasing Việt Nam’s participation in UN peacekeeping activities in the future.
Lâm took the occasion to invite the UN Secretary-General to visit Việt Nam at an appropriate time.
Meeting with President of the 79th United Nations General Assembly Philemon Yang, the Party and State leader affirmed that Việt Nam will actively support his leadership, initiatives, and priorities for the current term. These include the promotion of peace and security through multilateral efforts, the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the enhancement of resilience of vulnerable and less developed countries, the sustainable management of natural resources, the promotion of gender equality, youth empowerment, the narrowing of digital gap, and better innovation and digital access.
Lâm stated that Việt Nam remains steadfast in its strong support for multilateralism, with the UN playing a central role in global governance and the UN General Assembly considered the most important body comprising all member states. Việt Nam supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he said.
Việt Nam is also ready to promote trilateral agricultural cooperation, which consists of sponsorships from development partners, Việt Nam’s experts, techniques and crops, and other nations, including Cameroon.
Yang, who previously served as Prime Minister of Cameroon, lauded Việt Nam’s relationship with both the UN and Cameroon, its impressive socio-economic achievements and its increasingly prominent role on the global stage. He agreed to collaborate with the Southeast Asian nation to promote the compliance with the UN Charter, international law, and multilateralism.
Recognising Việt Nam’s strengths in science, technology, and agriculture, Yang pledged his commitment to fostering cooperation between Việt Nam and Cameroon in these areas and to seriously consider and address issues raised by the Vietnamese side.
On this occasion, Lâm extended an invitation to the UN General Assembly President to visit Việt Nam in the near future.
At the meeting with Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Lâm highly valued the UNDP’s role and contributions to Vietnam’s national construction and socio-economic development cause over the past five decades.
In this important new phase of development, he proposed the UNDP focus on supporting Việt Nam in terms of knowledge and resources, promoting the transfer of science and technology aimed at building a green economy and circular economy.
Appreciating Steiner’s contributions during his time in Việt Nam as a technical advisor on water resource security, the Vietnamese leader called on the UNDP to continue helping the country and the Mekong River Commission in the sustainable and effective management and use of water resources, thereby enhancing resilience and response to water security challenges in the basin.
The UNDP Administrator hailed Việt Nam as a model in socio-economic development and in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, thus offering valuable practical experiences for the United Nations and the international community.
He affirmed that the UNDP is proud to be Việt Nam’s development partner in green growth, energy transition, and innovation, and is ready to support the country in building green, sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development policies, and in attracting investments, financial resources and green technology to enhance climate change adaptability and promote a just energy transition and digital transformation to strengthen Việt Nam’s self-development capabilities and avoid becoming a market for monopolistic groups.
Talking to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, the top Vietnamese leader highly valued the ongoing cooperation between the two sides, which produces positive results, especially the valuable support from UNICEF for Việt Nam’s national expanded immunisation programme for children.
Regarding cooperation orientations in the future, Lâm underlined the importance of ensuring resources to implement sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to children, especially in terms of education, health care, nutrition, and vaccination.
He called for UNICEF’s policy advice and support packages for Việt Nam to ensure the best care, protection, and education for children in areas affected by Typhoon Yagi.
He also suggested the two sides carry out meaningful and practical activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-UNICEF cooperation, and the 35th anniversary of Vietnam’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 2025.
Russel praised Việt Nam’s efforts in realising SDGs, especially in the areas of child protection, care, and education, especially climate education. She also commended Việt Nam’s preparedness for disaster prevention and relief, highlighting the country’s exemplary experiences and good practices that can be shared with other countries.
She said that UNICEF will continue to actively implement the Việt Nam-UNICEF National Programme for the 2022-26 period to best meet Việt Nam’s priorities, supporting efforts to address post-typhoon consequences, particularly to ensure that schools reopen as soon as possible.
UNICEF is willing to collaborate with Việt Nam on the country’s initiative for the International Day of Play on June 11 each year, she said, and hopes that Việt Nam will be a partner of UNICEF in promoting girls’ access to science and technology.