Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) NewYork (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) iscommitted to enhancing regional food security through applying advancedtechnology, improving agricultural productivity, ensuring supply chains,building an early warning and quick response system to ensure sufficient foodsupply in crisis situations, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN) has said.
He made the remarks on behalf of the regional bloc at a general discussion on poverty reduction, agriculturaldevelopment and food security at the second committee (Economic and Financial)of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on October 11.
He went on to say that ASEAN will continue to cooperateclosely with the private sector, international organisations and relevantresearch agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UnitedNations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WPF), World Bank (WB), and the EconomicResearch Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) while effectively promotingachievements and existing mechanisms and frameworks such as theASEAN Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication 2021-2025 and the ASEAN Development Vision.
Ambassador Giang emphasised thatagriculture is a key economic sector in Southeast Asia, providing jobs for as much as 32% of the region’spopulation and accounting for 22% of gross domestic production, thus, contributing to povertyreduction, nutrition and sustainable development in the region.
Regarding promoting hunger eradication and poverty reduction andensuring sustainable food security, the diplomat highlighted fivemain solutions stated in the High-Level Declaration "ASEAN is the Epicentre of Growth", which are promoting global supply chains, trade andinvestment through effective implementation of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN 1 new generation free trade agreements (FTAs), and accelerating digital transformation towards the ASEAN Digital EconomicCommunity 2045, strengthening the building of a green economy, aiming forcarbon neutrality and net zero emissions and inclusive economic development, promoting the blue economy, innovation and inclusive economic development.
Minister Counsellor and deputy head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UN Nguyen Hoang Nguyen also delivered a speech on this topic, sharingsome outstanding achievements of Vietnam in ensuring food security, povertyreduction and agricultural and rural development, including efforts to reducethe multidimensional poverty rate to 4.3% and raise agricultural exports to over52 billion USD in 2022.
He emphasised the importance of investing inagricultural infrastructure, applying scientific and technological advances andmeasures to reduce food loss and waste, strengthening the food system towardsmore sustainability as well as issuing supporting policies to ensure livelihoods andwelfare for the poor, especially those residing in rural and remote areas.
Vietnam is determined to achieve UN SustainableDevelopment Goals No.1 and No. 2 on hunger eradication and poverty reduction by 2023and is ready to share relevant experiences and practices with other countries,especially through South-South cooperation and trilateral collaboration, Nguyensaid./.
