The country is on track to achieve 5 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 10 SDGs being achievable amid numerous difficulties and challenges, according to permanent member of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Pham Phu Binh.

Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue chairs a consultation with experts on socio-economic development on September 27. (Photo: VNA)

The first Global Parliamentary Meeting on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is jointly being organized via videoconference from September 28-30 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the House of Representatives of Indonesia.

Running the theme “Turning the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic into opportunities for parliaments to achieve the SDGs”, the event featured the participation of around 130 parliamentarians from nearly 60 IPU member parliaments.

In his speech, to Permanent member of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Pham Phu Binh said a national report assessing the 5-year progress in carrying out SDGs, Vietnam is on track to achieve 5 out of 17 SDGs, with 10 SDGs being achievable amid numerous difficulties and challenges, and the remaining 2 targets set to be hard to achieve by 2030.

Over the past time, the National Assembly of Vietnam has applied the IPU self-assessment toolkit for parliaments in the implementation of SDGs. The National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee has compiled information and made reports from NA agencies in accelerating the implementation of the SDGs.

The National Assembly Standing Committee has monitored and assessed the progress and quality of the SDG implementation at the national as well as local levels.

Discussions at the event focused on the role of parliaments in achieving the SDGs amid the pandemic, the delivery of commitments to “leaving no one behind”, and prioritised investment in people’s health care.

Participants suggested parliaments should effectively tap internal resources and promote cooperation with countries in realizing the SDGs.

Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Puan Maharani urged parliaments to accelerate the sharing of vaccines and transfer of vaccine production technology.

She underlined the need for the international community to promote policies and economic recovery measures in the post-pandemic period.

Source: VOV