Vietnam has fulfilled the three major Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of poverty reduction, universal primary education, and gender equality.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) unveilled the achievement at a September 17 seminar in Hanoi discussing the 2013 MDG report.
MPI Deputy Minister Nguyen The Phuong summarized the report as reviewing two thirds of the MDG implementation and updating the current national situation.
Despite recent economic difficulties, Ninh said the Vietnamese Government has maintained its focus on the MDGs’ socio-economic development targets.
Over the 2010–2013 period, national poverty rates have dropped from 14.2 percent to 9.6 percent in 2012. The number of primary educated children reached 97.7 percent while female workers accounted for 48 percent of new hires in the reviewed period.
Implementing Vietnam’s MDGs is still hampered by the lingering effects of the global economic downturn, adversely affecting economic growth, profits, job opportunities, and worker incomes.
Vietnam also faces complex problems such as climate change, living standard disparities between minority groups and majority populations, and education and training that does not meet international standards.
The report warns the above challenges could prevent the country from fulfilling its MDGs.
Domestic and international experts said Vietnam’s development programmes should be based on sustainable development targets.
The major issues deserving priority after the MDG period ends in 2015 include gender equality, social integration, governance, population structure, medical service quality, education, vocational training, and the environment.
Addressing the seminar, UNDP Vietnam Director Louise Chamberlain applauded the country’s MDG achievements while expressing hope it would make additional progress in areas such as child fatality reduction and maternal healthcare improvements before 2015.
She highlighted the remarkable progress made in preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other epidemics, ensuring environmental sustainability, and establishing global cooperation.
VOV
