Intervention by Mr. Do Hung Viet, Deputy Permanent Representative
of Viet Nam to the United Nations
at the sixth intergovernmental negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
(General Statements and Declaration – June 22nd, 2015)
Mr. Co-facilitator,
Let me first of all express our gratitude to you and your Co-facilitator for continuing to guide our work in the most capable manner. You can rest assured of Viet Nam’s full support in this process.
My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered earlier by the distinguished Permanent Representative of South Africa on behalf the Group of 77 and China.
Mr. Co-facilitator,
My delegation wishes to join previous speakers in thanking you for producing the zero draft of the post-2015 development agenda. We find that the draft has taken into account and reflected the very rich discussions we have had over the last months, and is a true culmination of our work.
At the February session, we shared our thoughts on what we saw the Declaration is and what it is not. With the zero draft, I am pleased to say that the Declaration IS NOT what we feared it would be, which is an exhaustive, loaded list of issues and a repetition of all other chapter. But rather, it IS visionary, ambitious, concise, well structured and very readable. I particularly like the fact that it contains important pronouncements that are tweetable. For example, in para 43 where it reads “it is an agenda by and for the people”, though I would prefer it to read “ it is an agenda of the people, by the people and for the people” to highlight that it is the people who OWN this agenda.
Having said that, Mr. Co-Facilitator, my delegation is of the view that there are aspects of the Declaration that we believe can and should be improved. Allow me to suggest six points:
1. We suggest that our vision should highlight the aspiration to build a world where no one left behind, and a world of peace, solidarity, partnership and cooperation.
2. In the section on commitments and principles, we propose to place the Declaration on the Right to development on par with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After all, this is a global agenda for development.
3. In the section on our world today, it is important to cast migration in a more positive way, because of the significant contribution that migration has on development. Our discussion on this issue in the FFD process highlights this important contribution.
4. The New agenda, we think should capture the goals and targets in a more balanced manner, reflecting better the important goal areas, for example sustainable agriculture, oceans and seas and biodiversity. Stronger emphasis on countries and groups vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters is also desirable, and so is the importance of building resilience for those countries and groups.
In para 20, the mention of particularly challenges of middle income countries is much welcome. However, we believe MICs are faced with not only challenges within themselves but also particularly susceptible to external challenges, given their high level of integration and interdependence in the global economy.
5. We are of the view that the declaration should better highlight the role of national parliaments in the implementation of the agenda. While parliament has been mentioned, it is only among a group of other stakeholders, which does not do justice to the important role that parliaments play as the legislative body and the highest representative body which decides budgets and provides oversight. Consideration should also be given to the fact that the 4th World Conference of Leaders of Parliaments will be held in late August early September, and will address this particular role of parliaments in sustainable development.
6. And finally, this is an agenda to be adopted at a United Nations Summit, and the United Nations is expected to play an essential role in supporting member states implement the new agenda. It is essential in our view to reflect this important role of the United Nations development system, and also indicate what member states expect from the UN development system and how they wish the UN to do it. This will give the UN system good guidance in its future work.
I thank you Mr. Co-Facilitator.
