Ambassador Đỗ Hùng Việt, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Ambassador Đỗ Hùng Việt, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations (UN), has highly valued the role and tangible contributions of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to global sustainable development, describing the body as the most concrete embodiment of the UN for people in many countries, including Việt Nam.

Addressing an interactive dialogue between UN member states and UNDP Administrator Alexander de Croo at the UN headquarters in New York on February 4, Việt noted the effectiveness of the close cooperation between Việt Nam and the UNDP, particularly in enhancing resilience to natural disasters and environmental protection.

He reaffirmed the country’s support for the priorities of the UNDP Strategic Plan for the 2026–2029 period, and called on the agency to continue strengthening its assistance to Việt Nam in implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), as well as in promoting science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) as important drivers of sustainable development.

Regarding the reform of the UN system, the Vietnamese representative urged the UNDP to continue playing a leading role in enhancing system-wide coherence and coordination, drawing on practical lessons from the 'Delivering as One' initiative implemented in Việt Nam. He also stressed the importance of maintaining stable core funding to ensure the UNDP's effective operations, particularly on the ground.

In his opening remarks, UNDP Administrator Alexander de Croo underscored that global development is facing multiple structural challenges, including rising conflicts, increasingly severe impacts of climate change, persistent inequalities, and declining trust in multilateralism.

He affirmed that the UNDP will continue to focus on prevention, strengthening resilience, promoting digital transformation and innovation, mobilising sustainable finance, and making active contributions to the reform of the UN system under the UN80 Initiative. — VNA/VNS