Viet Nam calls for concerted efforts to reduce poverty
New York. Nov. 27 (VNA) -- Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Chau, Viet Nam's permanent representative to the United Nations, called on governments and the international community to join efforts in fighting poverty for social development of all societies, particularly in the developing countries.
To realise the goals set for poverty eradication, "one important element would be that both national governments and the international community should undertake concerted efforts in a mutually supportive manner," Chau told the 57th UN General Assembly's session on social development on Nov. 26.
Viet Nam has achieved encouraging results in poverty eradication, he stressed, citing the fact that the poverty rate in the country was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent within the last 10 years.
At present, there are still more than 1,000 villages listed as in "extreme poverty", but this kind of poverty will be wiped out by 2015, he elaborated.
Regarding the issue relating to people with disability, Chau lauded the establishment and putting into action of the Ad hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, as it helps fully address these people's need.
According to statistics provided by the ESCAP, there are around 600 million disabled persons in the world, more than two-thirds of which are living in Asia and the Pacific region.
After decades of wars, Viet Nam has more than 5 million disabled people at all ages and with varied disabilities (3 million of them are war victims), accounting for six percent of the population.
During the past years, the country has achieved tremendous successes in taking care of and protecting the disabled through social subsidies, rehabilitation centres, national training programmes, employment creation and poverty eradication, and with cooperation and assistance from the international community, especially from UN specialized agencies and regional organisations, the Ambassador noted.
At the moment, the Vietnamese government focuses particular concern on children victims of toxic chemicals and Agent Orange, allotting subsidies from the State budget to help them, Chau emphasized.
In this regard, a drive for charitable assistance has been launched throughout the country with a tremendous response and the country has also received assistance from a number of countries and non-governmental organisations.
"However, more attention and further assistance are needed and it is our hope that the United Nations, with its appropriate possible means, would take the question into its serious consideration and encourage the international community to cooperate and assist Vietnam in this humanitarian endeavor," the Vietnamese Ambassador underscored.
