Hanoi (VNA) – Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam NguyenThi Kim Ngan on October 2 (Vietnam time) sent an important message to theHigh-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to celebratethe 25th anniversary of the fourth World Conference on Women.

Following is the full text of the message.

Seventy-five years ago, the United Nations came into being, with the aim ofsaving future generations from the scourge of war and promoting development andsocial progress. At the Fourth World Conference on Women fifty years later, theideals of equality and respect for human dignity once again came to the fore inthe Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, one of the most comprehensivedocuments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Efforts to realize theobjectives of this blueprint have strengthened legislative frameworks toempower women and create equal opportunities for women to take updecision-making positions. Importantly, these efforts have facilitated morecohesive national, regional and global implementation mechanisms. This isgradually guiding the world closer to the ideal of an equitable, progressivesociety where gender barriers cease to exist.

Today, gender equality and the empowermentof women are top priorities at international and regional parliamentary fora.The 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliaments held by theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on August 17 and the recent 41st ASEANInter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Hanoi highlighted the role andcontributions of women in all aspects and in response to emergencies, includingthe COVID-19 pandemic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Promotion of gender equality and women's rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam.This is enshrined in our Constitution and guaranteed in practice. President HoChi Minh, the Vietnamese hero of national liberation and UNESCO-recognizedgreat man of culture, once stressed: “Failure to emancipate women means failureto emancipate half of humankind”. Vietnamese women have been a vital force andmade immense contributions throughout our history, be it in the cultivation ofthe Vietnamese cultural identity, or in the development of the Vietnamesesociety.

The National Assembly of Vietnam has adopted wide-ranging legal documents toadvance women’s empowerment and encourage their participation across economic,political and social domains. It also supervises the enforcement of legislationand implementation of Government policies in these matters.

This year, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the United NationsSecurity Council, the ASEAN Chair and the President of the 41st ASEANInter-Parliamentary Assembly, Vietnam has championed initiatives on women andgirls at these critical institutions. We will continue working with allpartners towards a truly equal society and a world of sustainable peace anddevelopment.

Thank you very much./.