A project funded by USAID has helped 30 households in central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province's Phú Lộc District raise bees as part of measures to help them earn extra money to escape poverty. Each household raises 15 beehives and each beehive can bring in a profit of VNĐ500,000 (US$21) after four months. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồ Cầu

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc signed Directive No. 13/CT-TTg on sustainable development on Monday, asserting that sustainable development was a consistent policy of the Party and State of Việt Nam.
The Government issued the Việt Nam Agenda 21 in 2004, the sustainable development strategy for 2011-20 in 2012, and the national action plan implementing Agenda 2030 for sustainable development with 17 goals and 115 specific targets covering economics, social affairs, and the environment from now to 2030.
The viewpoint on sustainable development had been mainstreamed in the 2011-20 socio-economic development strategy and the 2011-15 and 2016-20 socio-economic development plans, the Directive said.
The country had attained sustainable development achievements in the economic, social and environmental domains, however, many State offices, businesses and people had failed to have a sufficient and comprehensive awareness of sustainable development, and socio-economic policies favoured fast economic growth and social stability while paying inadequate attention to the sustainability of natural resources use and environmental protection, it noted.
To fix these limitations and facilitate the successful implementation of the country’s sustainable development towards 2030, the PM asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to co-ordinate between ministries, sectors, localities and stakeholders to implement tasks mentioned in the national action plan to implement Agenda 2030.
He directed ministries, sectors and the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to make the implementation of sustainable development goals part of their socio-economic development plans while launching support policies for disadvantaged people, ethnic minorities, social policy beneficiaries and other vulnerable people.
The National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Enhancement was asked to consult the Government and the PM on the building and implementation of policies, strategies, plans, programmes, tasks and solutions to carry out the national action plan implementing Agenda 2030.
The PM asked the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee and other organisations to improve their supervision over the execution of sustainable development goals, focusing on policies and mechanisms to be implemented in ministries, sectors and localities along with encouraging the involvement and contributions of local and foreign organisations, development partners, the business community and people in the effort.
The Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Việt Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development were required to continue promoting their role in directing and assisting businesses in achieving sustainable development, and offering the Government solutions to address challenges in public private partnerships to get the business community involved in implementing the country’s sustainable development goals. — VNS