Poverty eradication remains the overarching goal of global developmentefforts, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent representative ofVietnam at the United Nations said at a session of the UN Economic andSocial Council (ECOSOC).

In her speech at the event themed“Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporaryworld” in New York on February 5, the ambassador called on theinternational community to boost cooperation for the goal, including theimplementation of development support commitments, enhancement ofcapacity and technology transfer and creating favourable conditions fordeveloping 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.

“TheGovernment is to adopt a multi-dimension poverty reduction programmefor 2016-2020 which would not only look at income, but also otherdimensions, namely healthcare, education, housing water and sanitationand access to information,” she said.

The Social ProtectionStrategy until 2020 is being implemented toward realising all guaranteesof the social protection floor, she added.

Thediplomat took this opportunity to inform that Vietnam has deposited itsinstrument of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Peoplewith Disabilities.

During the session, participants from the UN’smember nations reviewed the implementation of the resolution approvedat the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark, 20years ago, and gave opinions for building the development agenda after2015.-VNA