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| Overview of the general discussion session on poverty reduction, agricultural development and food security. |
On October 11, in New York, the United States, the Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs (Committee 2) of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UN) held a general discussion on poverty eradication, agricultural development and food security.
At the discussion, countries expressed concern about the continuing poverty and inequality in many countries and regions around the world. By the end of 2022, about 670 million people will be living in extreme poverty. Food security is threatened by the post-pandemic impacts, armed conflicts, climate change, inflation, etc.
Many delegates raised the need for comprehensive measures to enhance the resilience and sustainability of food systems and respond to climate change, emphasizing the importance of investing in social security systems, especially in rural areas; calling on development partners and UN agencies to increase support and facilitate access to finance, and enhance capacity to promote poverty reduction in developing countries.
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| Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang speaks. |
Speaking on behalf of ASEAN, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, emphasized that agriculture is a key economic sector in Southeast Asia, creating jobs for about one-third of the population and contributing 22% to GDP, thereby making an important contribution to poverty reduction, ensuring nutrition and sustainable development in the region.
The Ambassador affirmed that ASEAN is committed to enhancing regional food security through the application of advanced technology, improving agricultural productivity, ensuring supply chains, and building early warning and rapid response systems to ensure adequate food supply in crisis situations.
ASEAN will continue to cooperate closely with the private sector, relevant international organizations and research institutions such as FAO, WPF, World Bank, ERIA, etc., while effectively promoting the achievements and existing mechanisms and frameworks such as the ASEAN Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Reduction 2021-2025, ASEAN Development Vision, etc.
Regarding the direction of promoting poverty reduction and ensuring sustainable food security, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang emphasized 5 main solutions stated in the High-level Statement "ASEAN is the center of growth" (Jakarta, September 2023), including: Promoting global supply chains, trade and investment through effective implementation of the RCEP agreement and new-generation ASEAN+1 FTAs; accelerating digital transformation, towards the ASEAN Digital Economic Community 2045; strengthening the construction of a Green Economy, towards carbon neutrality and net zero emissions; promoting the Blue Ocean Economy and promoting the Creative Economy and developing an Inclusive Economy.
On the same day, Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, also delivered a national speech on this topic, sharing some of Vietnam's outstanding achievements in ensuring food security, poverty reduction and agricultural and rural development, including efforts to reduce the multidimensional poverty rate to 4.3% and agricultural exports to over 52 billion USD in 2022.
The Vietnamese representative emphasized the importance of investing in agricultural infrastructure, applying scientific and technological advances and measures to reduce food loss and waste, strengthening the food system towards a more sustainable direction, as well as supporting policies to ensure livelihoods and welfare for the poor, especially households in rural and remote areas.
Vietnam is determined to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 on poverty reduction by 2023; and is ready to share relevant experiences and practices with other countries, especially through South-South cooperation and trilateral cooperation.
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