ASEAN pledges to go ahead with promoting social development: Ambassador

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, head of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN, has affirmed that ASEAN is fully committed to continuing to promote social development and achieve the ASEAN Vision 2023.

The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, known as the third Committee of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA77), conducted its annual general discussion on September 29.

During the course of the opening session, the majority of the speeches commented that the world is simultaneously facing many challenges that negatively impact the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), social development, and the fairness and equality of many countries in the world.

They therefore called on the promotion of multilateralism, the securing of resources, and joining hands in global efforts to address these challenges.

On behalf of ASEAN, Ambassador Giang, head of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN, delivered a speech on social development.

The Vietnamese diplomat shared the bloc’s concern that while the pandemic is not over, food and energy crises, natural disasters such as floods and droughts, growing inflation and debt, as well as inequality, have all contributed to putting people's lives under unprecedented pressure. This is especially true for those living in developing countries and vulnerable groups.

The local Ambassador emphasised that now is the time when the international community must put social development at the centre of recovery strategies to improve people's self-reliance, sustainable livelihoods, and well-being.

On the ASEAN side, Ambassador Giang affirmed that the regional group is fully committed to continuing to promote social development, implementing the ASEAN Vision 2023, the Hanoi Action Plan, and other relevant ASEAN documents. This will be done in order to build a resilient and inclusive ASEAN community, thereby leaving no one behind.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, head of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN

Furthermore, the bloc has also affirmed its strong commitment to bolstering sustainable development co-operation with the UN by enhancing complementary connections between the ASEAN Community Vision and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to build a better and more sustainable future.

ASEAN is currently developing a number of guidelines relating to the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work towards an ASEAN that is cohesive and responsive, thereby showing the regional bloc’s growing commitment to enhancing social protection in the region.

The same day saw Counselor and Ambassador Le Thi Minh Thoa, deputy head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, give a speech highlighting Vietnamese efforts and achievements in realising the SDGs. Other topics included responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as commitments to achieve "zero" net emissions by 2050, the eradication of poverty, and ensuring social security and people's rights.

The representative affirmed his support for the role of the UN and active Vietnamese contribution to promoting joint efforts of the international community to respond to challenges posed to social development.

Regarding solutions targeting social development issues, the Vietnamese representative underlined the necessity of addressing the causes of poverty and inequality through creating jobs, offering income-generating opportunities, providing educational services, and lifelong learning for all. Other efforts include training high-quality human resources, empowering people, and facilitating vulnerable groups.

Moreover, the international community and development partners must ramp up international ties, fulfill commitments on ODA, and mobilise resources to achieve an inclusive recovery.

VOV