| Date added: | 06/05/2018 |
| Downloads: | 2638 |
This study provides new insights into how women perceive the justice system in Viet Nam and how the victims are treated. When the very actors tasked with facilitating access to criminal justice instead "counsel" and pressure victims to settle cases out of court, or treat them without regard for their dignity or privacy, it should come as no surprise that many women eventually give up on a system which is often unresponsive to their needs. When the criminal justice system fails to fulfill women's human rights, this contributes to perpetuating cultures of reconciliation, cultures of invisibility, and cultures of impunity. This impunity – an exemption from punishment and accountability – fuels violence against women, reducing the impact of advocacy and hard-fought policy achievements.
| Date added: | 11/06/2017 |
| Downloads: | 2312 |
This update is issued on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam. It covers the period for 3-6 November 2017. Another update will be shared once new information become available.
Situation Overview
| Date added: | 06/06/2017 |
| Downloads: | 5205 |
This work was made possible by a generous grant from The Walt Disney Company
Vietnam's apparel and footwear sector has seen fast growth over the past years and it plays an important role in national socio-economic development as the country's second largest export sector, accounting for more than one quarter of the value of all Vietnam's exports. It is the country's largest source of formal private sector jobs and a majority of workers are women. It therefore has a huge impact on children – not only directly as potential workers in the industry or in the informal sectors that grow around the industry, but also indirectly as a major employers of parents and caregivers; affecting the livelihood of millions of families. UNICEF seeks to address key concerns for children through a targeted initiative starting with an assessment to build a comprehensive understanding and evidence of the multiple ways in which children's rights are affected in the apparel and footwear sector in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas, both inside and beyond factory gates.
The assessment includes an analysis of key drivers and underlying root causes, and recommendations on steps companies can take to mitigate adverse and strengthen positive impacts to help implement effective and targeted interventions and develop guidance material, including of good practices on child-friendly business in the footwear and apparel supply chain, at the local and international levels.
The assessment was carried out in 2016 and is based on publically available resources and field research involving stakeholder interviews, factory visits, direct observations and exploratory research to validate the desk study findings and identify additional impacts. Geographic scope focused on the apparel and footwear industry in Ho Chi Minh City (Binh Tan and Thu Duc districts) and surrounding provinces including Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Long An and Vung Tau.
| Date added: | 07/31/2013 |
| Downloads: | 10142 |
Over the past few decades, Viet Nam has made significant strides in improving its legislative framework to advance gender equality. The 2006 Law on Gender Equality illustrated the government’s commitment to advance this issue, and subsequent policies and laws have contributed to the promotion of women’s rights. However, women continue to face challenges in many areas of society, including the criminal justice system. Whether they experience violence, perpetrators of crimes, or criminal justice workers, women face a patriarchal system laden with gender stereotypes. In order to contribute to the growing volume of research on gender in Viet Nam, the United Nations in Viet Nam undertook an assessment process to research the role of women in the criminal justice system and identify areas for improvement.
| Date added: | 08/05/2016 |
| Downloads: | 3912 |
This update is issued on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam. It covers the period from 27 July to 2 August 2016. The next update will be issued as new information becomes available.
Highlights
| Date added: | 06/16/2016 |
| Downloads: | 9315 |
The report “2015 Justice Index – towards a justice system for the people” is the second iteration of an innovative research project aiming to measure the performance of the justice system in ensuring access to justice, equality and protection of fundamental rights, based on citizens’ experiences and observations.
The report’s main findings and policy recommendations help guide policy solutions and future reforms at the central and local levels, the development of a rule of law state and a democratic society. It includes suggestions on how to use the index as a tool to monitor and evaluate the performance of national action plans to realize Viet Nam’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Justice Index results also informs civil society organizations and citizens, and encourage their participation in building “a justice system for citizens” that ensures fairness and equality and protects the legitimate rights and interests of the people in Viet Nam.
| Date added: | 01/22/2016 |
| Downloads: | 7511 |
Children are special citizens. They are both physically and intellectually young and fragile, so they cannot defend their rights by themselves and therefore mainly depend on their caregivers. The rights of children should be considered when determining the obligations and responsibilities of adults, families, schools, the state and society.
Therefore, for many years the international community has asked countries to ensure that all development efforts support the achievement of the goals related to human development, especially the development of children. On the 20th of February 1990, Viet Nam became the second country in the world and the first country in Asia to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Early ratification of the convention shows that the Communist Party and the State are interested in the implementation of children’s rights. On the 5th of March 1991, the chairman of the Council of Ministers signed the “Declaration of the World Summit for Children” and on the 18th of August 1991 Viet Nam National Assembly promulgated the “Law on Protection, Care and Education of Children.”
Accordingly, the rights of children and the responsibility of the state, families and society were institutionalized by law. Policies for children were implemented along with strategies and plans for socio-economic development plans.
| Date added: | 09/16/2015 |
| Downloads: | 7966 |
The Viet Nam Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) was carried out during 2013-2014 by the Viet Nam General Statistics Office (GSO) in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as part of the global MICS programme. Technical and financial support was provided by UNICEF.
The global MICS programme was developed by UNICEF in the 1990s as an international household survey programme to collect internationally comparable data on a wide range of indicators on the situation of children and women. MICS surveys measure key indicators that allow countries to generate data for use in policies and programmes, and to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed upon commitments. Additional information on indicators and the analysis conducted in the final report can be found at www.gso.gov.vn, and mics.unicef.org.
Click to download the related materials:
| Date added: | 06/30/2015 |
| Downloads: | 7627 |
This report is a study initiated within the framework of a regional study on women’s access to justice through plural legal systems. The regional study is conducted through UN Women’s regional programme on “Improving Women’s Human Rights in Southeast Asia – CEDAW, Phase II” with the support from the Government of Canada. In Viet Nam, the Institute of Sociology, a State organization part of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, worked with the UN Women country office in Viet Nam to conduct this study on “women’s access to justice in the plural legal system in Viet Nam from the CEDAW perspective to promote policies, focusing on domestic violence”. This study analyzes the relationship between formal and informal legal systems and identifies factors preventing women from accessing justice. It also determines specific demands and steps to address barriers in the plural legal system and increase women’s access to justice.
| Date added: | 03/09/2015 |
| Downloads: | 8995 |
In 2012, the United Nations launched a global conversation on the Post-2015, Development Agenda, to listen to the voices of the people on the future that they want to see. 83 countries, including Viet Nam, were selected for national consultations. The Viet Nam country consultations focused on eight groups and culminated in a consultation workshop on the 20th of March 2013. These consultations engaged over 1300 Vietnamese people, and even more voted on the issues most important to them on the ‘My World’ website.
The second round of Post-2015 Global consultations focused on ‘Means of Implementation’ for the new global development framework. Viet Nam was one of ten countries to select the theme of “Participatory Monitoring, Existing and New Forms of Accountability”. This theme links with the overarching message of the first round of consultations which was the people’s aspiration to play an active role in decision- and policy-making processes. People-led monitoring for accountability can provide a means both of empowering people to articulate their priorities, while also taking greater decision-making control over their lives.
| Date added: | 08/01/2013 |
| Downloads: | 7760 |
To bring together the different sectors of the Government and other key stakeholders to address migration health issues and concerns, IOM and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) of MoH organized a workshop entitled "Health care for migrants in Viet Nam – Situations and Solutions". The workshop was held on 24 May 2013 in Hanoi, Viet Nam.
The objectives of the workshop were: to draw attention toand discuss gaps in health issues, health care needs and the related regulatory and policy frameworks of international and internal migrants in Viet Nam; to share experiences and good practices among policymakers and other stakeholders exploring existing policies and initiatives that have proven to be successful in addressing migrants' health issues; to highlight the importance of the Migrants' Health Resolution of the WHA; and to draft a set of priorities for future action for the Government and other stakeholders to address migrants' health issues in response to the Migrants' Health Resolution.
| Date added: | 10/16/2013 |
| Downloads: | 11435 |
The issue of women’s access to land is often framed in the context of oppression, emancipation, or Vietnamese uniqueness. This study report examines contemporary women’s access to land across ten provinces outside of these traditional narratives. Ten selected research sites reflected a diveristy of rural-urban locations, lineage patterns, and ethnic diversity. In addition to the survey data, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the Research Team analyzed available court cases involving inheritance and succession issues in the Vietnamese courts, from the district through Supreme Court levels.
In order for any outreach program to function well, the Research Team suggested that any initiative undertaken to improve women’s land rights should seek to 1) improve the content and communication strategies of outreach programs; 2) encourage and support women in registering their land rights and to use land transfer documents; and 3) raise the standard of basic legal services in communities throughout Vietnam. Initiating an outreach pilot program that is governed by the principles of inclusiveness, diversity, and clarity is also recommended.
| Date added: | 10/03/2013 |
| Downloads: | 10784 |
This Report proposes the Justice Index as a new tool for analyzing and making legal and judicial policies. It is also an effective tool to make state agencies both at central and local levels accountable to citizens for the performance of public institutions, efforts to ensure justice – or fairness and equality – for citizens. The Report begins by explaining the demand for a policy tool to help measure and assess people’s experience of justice in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 introduces the research and survey methodology. Chapter 3 gives a national overview of distributive justice and equality in practice, identifying the challenges faced by local people in getting access to the judicial system and/or public institutions in general. It also identifies shortcomings in: resolving civil disputes and administrative complaints; as well as ensuring the fundamental rights of the people. Chapter 4 presents the results of the 21 surveyed provinces of the 2012 Justice Index. The report concludes by listing some policy implications, based on 2012 Justice Index findings, in Chapter 5.
| Date added: | 08/09/2013 |
| Downloads: | 10889 |
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plays an important role in the planning process because it answers an important question about "how to know if a locality or sector is on a right track or proceeding towards a right destination". M&E is not a single activity but it is a process consisting two big activities: monitoring and evaluating the implementation of a plan. This process starts from the beginning to the end of the planning process. M&E is seen weak in the current planning process in Viet Nam. Reasons may include: (i) basis for implementing M&E – a system of legal documents, M&E indicators and targets of sectors and localities remains incomplete; (ii) M&E has been implemented as an usual procedures based mainly on administrative reporting from lower to higher levels that is lack of supervision and validation with objective and scientific evidences; (iii) the deficiency of human resources and working equipment for this work; and (iv) database is not updated in a regular, sufficient and accurate manner.
One of the main reasons for unsuccessful M&E and the biggest limitations of pilot planning projects is the lack of institutional framework from the central level, specifically the Ministry of Planning and Investment towards a results based, participatory and market driven manner even though this has been mentioned in some official documents of the Government and Party. Through adequate and scientific M&E implementation, scare resources will be effectively used and negative and unexpected impacts (both objectively and subjectively) during the planning process will be minimized, then this will facilitate the successful achievement of socio-economic targets of localities/ sectors.
| Date added: | 03/29/2013 |
| Downloads: | 13787 |
This Toolkit was produced over almost a three year period (2010-2012) under the Project on Capacity Building for Social Audits of the Socio-economic Development Plans between UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Viet Nam. The process of developing this Toolkit benefited from direct and indirect support
from many individuals.
UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment would like to thank the various consultants and staff of the Oversees Development Institute (ODI) for developing this Toolkit. In addition, this Toolkit also went through extensive consultation and review from a wide range of technical staff and advisors from UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Specifically, special thanks are due to the following individuals for their contributions and inputs to the development of this Toolkit: Overseas Development Institute: Helen Banos-Smith, Bernard Gauthier, Katie Heller, Louise Mailloux, Sue Newport, Lance Roberson, Gopakumar Thampi, Carol Watson, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Paola Pereznieto, Evie Browne, Sylvia Nwamaraihe, Thomas Trafalgar Aston.
Ministry of Planning and Investment: Nguyen Quang Thang, Nguyen Tuong Son, Ho Minh Chien, Le Quang Hung and Dang Van Nghi. UNICEF: Paul Quarles Van Ufford, Samman J. Thapa, Vu Manh Hong, Ewout Erik Stoefs, Pham Thi Lan, Nguyen Thi Thanh An, Nguyen Ngoc Trieu.
Click to download each sub-manual bellow:| Date added: | 04/12/2013 |
| Downloads: | 12649 |
This Profile was prepared to present key findings from the Primary Classroom Language Mapping in Lao Cai province, conducted by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training, Lao Cai Department of Education and Planning, and Summer Institute of Linguistics International. The mapping was to collect information on primary school students' strongest language and academic performance, and the teacher's ethnicity and second language abilities. It helped to identify monolingual school sites, where mother tongue based bilingual education (MTBBE) can be applied; the number of teachers who can potentially be the MTBBE teachers; and where students are performing well and where students are performing weakly. The instrument has proven effective and other provinces plan to apply it in future.
| Date added: | 02/18/2013 |
| Downloads: | 14431 |
The ambit of the study included analysis of nine (9) constituent rights fundamental to the Right to counsel in international human right laws and international customs. In addition the law and practice of three (3) civil law countries, with broadly similar legal systems to that of Vietnam, including China, Japan, and Germany were also studied. In addition, a common law system, Australia, was considered to compare the theory and practice of the right to counsel in Vietnam. These comparisons were included to assist with debates in Vietnam on reforming justice and perfecting the Criminal Procedure Code (amended).
| Date added: | 10/30/2012 |
| Downloads: | 11139 |
Approved at the UNEG AGM 2010, this quality checklist for evaluation Terms of Reference and Inception Reports serves as a guideline for UNEG members in the design and conduct of evaluations. Based on the UNEG norms and standards for evaluation, this checklist includes critical indicators for a high-quality evaluation terms of reference and inception report.
| Date added: | 10/30/2012 |
| Downloads: | 11039 |
Endorsed at the UNEG AGM 2010, these Good Practice Guidelines provide guidance to UN Evaluation Offices and Senior Management on:
• Good practices in management response to evaluation;
• Development of systems for tracking and reporting on the implementation of the evaluations' recommendations, and
• Mechanisms for facilitating learning and knowledge development from evaluations.
These Guidelines are expected to contribute to better use of evaluation and to improve accountability and organizational learning.
| Date added: | 07/26/2012 |
| Downloads: | 14820 |
Article 57 of the Vietnam Criminal Procedure Code provides for the responsibilities of litigation agencies to appoint counsel to represent accused or offender in cases which accused of the crimes are subject to capital or live sentence, and juvenile delinquent or offender with physical or mental defects. This provision of “Appointed Counsel” can be seen as a legitimate mechanism, among others, to realize the right of counsel as stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR"), which Vietnam accessed and rectified since September 1982. This unprecedented study report provides invaluable insights on how well functioning legal and institutional arrangements have ensured such rights to be properly realized in practice. Its findings are drawn from thorough review of the current legislation, analysis of the data gathering from all 62 existing bar associations and interviews of multi-stakeholders and informants at 9 selected provinces across the country. The report concludes with practical suggestions on ways forwards for the enhancement of its realization in line with the current legal and judicial reform in Vietnam.
| Date added: | 07/05/2012 |
| Downloads: | 15680 |
The Viet Nam Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) was carried out in 2010-2011 by the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam. Financial and technical support was provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and financial support was provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
MICS is an international household survey programme developed by UNICEF. The Viet Nam MICS was conducted as part of the fourth global round of MICS surveys (MICS 4). MICS provides up-to-date information on the situation of children and women and measures key indicators that allow countries to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed upon commitments. Additional information on the global MICS project may be obtained from www.childinfo.org.
| Date added: | 11/22/2011 |
| Downloads: | 16366 |
A pilot involving four social audit tools was implemented in Viet Nam in 2010. Led by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), and supported by UNICEF, it aimed at building capacity for the social audit of the Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) to enhance the its social performance, as expressed in its ability to deliver continued improvement in the living standards of Viet Nam’s population in general and of vulnerable groups in particular. This focus was on achieving this through improved Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of social dimensions of the 2006-2010 SEDP, particularly focusing on poverty reduction, health services for children under six years old, and gender.
The Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), under the authority of MPI, implemented the pilots with technical support of the UK-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI). CIEM also conducted a capacity assessment of government staff in using participatory methods for planning, monitoring and evaluation. Based on this and the lessons learned from the social audit pilots, a capacity development strategy has been developed. ODI has also developed a SEDP Social Audit Toolkit with detailed information on the four tools, based on the experience gained from piloting the tools in the Vietnamese context.
This report should be of interest to national and sub-national government officials in Viet Nam who are in charge of designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating public policies, programs and services. It should also be of interest to UNICEF and other multilateral and donor agencies that assist the government of Viet Nam in meeting its development objectives, and interested in methods/tools that allow for greater participation of citizens in assessing public policies and programs.
| Date added: | 07/30/2010 |
| Downloads: | 16755 |
Background
Viet Nam is an ethnically diverse society made up of 54 different ethnic groups, many of which have their own distinct language and live in remote and economically disadvantaged parts of the country. The ethnic minority population totals approximately 11 million; 13 percent of the total population of 85.8 million. The official language of instruction at school is Vietnamese and all children are taught through it. This has created a “language barrier” for many ethnic minority children who have a limited understanding and proficiency in Vietnamese or in some cases do not understand the language at all.
| Date added: | 08/09/2009 |
| Downloads: | 16070 |
INTRODUCTION
This 2008 Stocktaking Synthesis Report compiles the major accomplishments reported by the Governments and the United Nations system in the Delivering as One pilot countries. The report clearly marks innovations in resolving key challenges in 2008, identifies major challenges that remain, and highlights the key lessons learned emerging from the second year of Delivering as One. It also provides key elements for moving forward with the greater UN coherence and effectiveness agenda both at the country and corporate levels.
| Date added: | 04/09/2009 |
| Downloads: | 3320 |
Through the One Plan, the 14 resident UN organizations in Viet Nam have agreed on a joint planning framework with the Government, with a focus on achieving more coherence, better results and greater impact for the benefit of all people in Viet Nam. In monitoring the One Plan, and the One UN Initiative more broadly, the UN has to consider both development results (results related to the interventions spelled out in the One Plan) and process results (progress in relation to UN reform).
| Date added: | 06/02/2009 |
| Downloads: | 16313 |
The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Viet Nam is pleased to share this report that takes stock of progress in the implementation of the One UN Initiative. The report was shared and discussed with the Government and the donor community involved in UN reform at country level in Viet Nam. The report highlights the key events, achievements and challenges in 2008, providing lessons learned for the reform process, both for Viet Nam and other countries. At the end of the report an assessment of the UN reform programme and process is provided in light of current change anagement theories, leading to interesting and valuable lessons learned about the change process that the 16 resident UN Organizations are going through in Viet Nam.
| Date added: | 01/08/2010 |
| Downloads: | 17834 |
Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention - A report based on qualitative research conducted in Vietnam
The research team would like to thank the Reproductive Health Department at the Ministry of Health for their overall guidance and support for this study. In particular, Dr. Phuong Hoa provided leadership and oversight of the study right from its conception, and allocated precious time and energy of herself and her colleagues in the department to ensure that it was successfully completed. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Hoang Tuan of the RHD for his support and oversight of all the logistical issues, including liaising with provincial offi ces, overseeing translation, and organizing meetings.
UNICEF Vietnam provided funding for this study under the national PMTCT project supported by them. Special thanks are due to Luisa Brumana, HIV/AIDS Specialist for her intellectual guidance of this piece of work, to Mai Thu Hien, UNICEF Programme Offi cer, for oversight, support and management of the study, and to Nguyen Ngoc Trieu for administrative support.
The researchers would also like to thank the Provincial RHD in An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh for their time and support in organizing interviews and providing information. In addition, we would like to thank the many health staff who were interviewed at commune, district and provincial levels. Finally, this study owes a debt of gratitude to the all the men, women and family members who volunteered their time to respond to our questions with openness and honesty.
Lastly, all errors and omissions are solely the responsibility of the lead consultant.
| Date added: | 01/29/2012 |
| Downloads: | 14318 |
This set of five comparative studies gives an insightful and comprehensive assessment of the justice system in five countries -- China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea and Russian Federation -- which have been selected on the basis of their interest for Viet Nam having regard to their socio-economic development, political system, history and culture. While giving prominence to the court system as a core part of the inquiry, the reports examine other related institutions in the justice system and provide a broad base for comparing judicial reforms in the respective countries and Viet Nam. It is expected that this volume will facilitate the work of policy makers in advancing the domestic judicial reform agenda.
Click here to download the Russia, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and China reports
| Date added: | 03/29/2012 |
| Downloads: | 14676 |
Findings and recommendations from a three province pilot
This paper outlines an experimental research study aiming to measure justice in Viet Nam from citizen’s experience and perception. It illustrates the survey methodology and instrument used in ascertaining respondents’ reaction to justice through case study on environmental and land disputes. As an outcome, the study sheds light on the reality of huge gap between law and practice, the existence of a legal pluralism system where formal, informal and customary institutions are found synergy.
| Date added: | 06/20/2011 |
| Downloads: | 13936 |
This profile of key sex-disaggregated indicators from the 2009 Viet Nam Population and Housing Census is an initial effort to extract fundamental information on gender differences based on census indicators, and thereby to identify areas (both sectoral and geographic) where gender gaps still remain. It is thus an attempt to supplement existing information and evidence on gender equality in Viet Nam and is intended to demonstrate the importance of a systematic sex disaggregation in data analysis for evidence-based and effective policy development and planning. This booklet represents the seventh in a series of booklets published by UNFPA in recent years. It is based solely on the Population and Housing Census data, particularly the 15% sample of 2009 and the 3% sample data of 1999, and draws from the Major Findings1 and a series of census monographs developed by the GSO and UNFPA.
| Date added: | 10/06/2011 |
| Downloads: | 15516 |
The sex ratio at birth (SRB) ranges from 104 to 106 male births per 100 female births in most countries of the world, but its level has gradually increased over the last 25 years in several Asian countries, particularly in China and India.
This skewed population sex ratio reflects a preference for sons, in combination with increasing access to new sex-selection technology. The result is millions of “missing” women – a growing crisis for women and for their societies.
The deliberate elimination of girls and women through neglect and discrimination has long been documented in India, China, and other parts of Asia and other regions.
Michel Sidibé
Executive Director of UNAIDS
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
This World AIDS Day, we are highlighting the importance of the right to health and the challenges that people living with and affected by HIV face in fulfilling that right.
Community spaces design contest for an exciting hanoi
Ha Noi, October 17/10/2017 - Aiming at improving the living environment and bringing culture and art to the community towards a better urban future, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) successfully developed the project “Promote participatory, community-based and youth-led approach in safe, greening public spaces in Hoan Kiem district toward a pro-poor, inclusive and sustainable urban development” (hereinafter called Public Spaces project) under the Block by Block program with Mojang, the makers of the videogame Minecraft.
Deadline for round 1: From 17/10/2017 to 04/11/2017 Extended to 9 November 2017
Harsh punishment for child offenders doesn’t prevent further criminality
The age at which a child, can be held criminally liable is a controversial issue around the world. Within Viet Nam, this issue is currently being grappled with in the Penal Code amendments. Some argue that a "get tough on crime" approach is necessary to punish children to prevent further criminality.
However, international research shows that because of their developmental stages, labelling and treating children as criminals at an early age can have serious negative impacts on their development and successful rehabilitation.
New Year Greetings from the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i. in Viet Nam
On the occasion of New Year 2017, on behalf of the United Nations family in Viet Nam I wish to reiterate our appreciation and express our warmest wishes to our partners and friends throughout the country. We wish our partners and their families in Viet Nam peace, prosperity, good health and happiness in the coming year.
As we enter the second year of the Sustainable Development Goals era, we look forward to continuing our close cooperation for the sake of Viet Nam’s future development; one which is inclusive, equitable and sustainable, with no one left behind.
Youssouf Abdel-Jelil
United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i. in Viet Nam
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December
Thirty-five years since the emergence of AIDS, the international community can look back with some pride. But we must also look ahead with resolve and commitment to reach our goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
There has been real progress in tackling the disease. More people than ever are on treatment. Since 2010, the number of children infected through mother to child transmission has dropped by half. Fewer people die of AIDS related causes each year. And people living with HIV are living longer lives.
The number of people with access to life-saving medicines has doubled over the past five years, now topping 18 million. With the right investments, the world can get on the fast-track to achieve our target of 30 million people on treatment by 2030. Access to HIV medicines to prevent mother to child transmission is now available to more than 75 per cent of those in need.
