31 August, 2010 – Ha Noi – “While Viet Nam has made impressive progress in reducing poverty over the past two decades, additional efforts are required to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable groups and the sustainability of progress made” said the United Nations Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Magdalena Sepúlveda, at the end of her nine-day visit to the country.

Ms. Sepúlveda stressed that poverty should not be understood purely as an economic issue that can be solved solely by increasing the income of households. “Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon and its eradication requires a holistic approach in which compliance with human rights instruments plays a key role”. According to the independent expert, “effective poverty reduction strategies must be always framed by the overall premise that everyone in Viet Nam must enjoy the full range of civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights.” Moreover, she noted that under a human rights framework the State must ensure that growth remains inclusive and that no groups or regions are left behind.

Ha Noi, 19 August 2010 - H.E. Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and IOM Director General William Lacy Swing today signed a new cooperation agreement cementing ties between the Southeast Asian nation and the migration agency.

“The signing of this agreement is a measure of the importance that Viet Nam places on migration management and its willingness to cooperate with international partners to address migration issues,” said Director General Swing, who met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem  in Hanoi prior to the signing ceremony.

“The new agreement puts the close cooperation between Viet Nam and IOM on a new, stronger basis. It offers new opportunities for enhanced cooperation to meet Vietnam’s 21st century’s migration challenges,” he added.

Ha Noi, 16 August 2010 – The United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Special Advisor on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, will participate in the Second Viet Nam-Africa International Forum due to be held from 17 to 19 August, five years after the first edition was held in May 2003. This year’s theme is “Viet Nam –Africa: Cooperation for Sustainable Development”.

In his address at the opening ceremony on the 17th of August, the Under-Secretary-General will highlight the increasingly dynamic role of South-South cooperation and the growing relationship between Viet Nam and Africa. The latter will also underline the crucial role played by South-South cooperation for both partners in the pursuance of sustainable development and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, in particular the Millennium Development Goals.