Poverty eradication remains the overarching goal of global development efforts, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent representative of Vietnam at the United Nations said at a session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

In her speech at the event themed “Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world” in New York on February 5, the ambassador called on the international community to boost cooperation for the goal, including the implementation of development support commitments, enhancement of capacity and technology transfer and creating favourable conditions for developing countries to design and perform social development polices.

She introduced Vietnam’s policies and achievements in poverty reduction and ensuring social welfare.

The country’s poverty rate was cut from 58 percent in 1993 to 12 percent today, she said.

“The Government is to adopt a multi-dimension poverty reduction programme for 2016-2020 which would not only look at income, but also other dimensions, namely healthcare, education, housing water and sanitation and access to information,” she said.

The Social Protection Strategy until 2020 is being implemented toward realising all guarantees of the social protection floor, she added.

The diplomat took this opportunity to inform that Vietnam has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

During the session, participants from the UN’s member nations reviewed the implementation of the resolution approved at the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark, 20 years ago, and gave opinions for building the development agenda after 2015.

VNA