Vietnam has witnessed a significant reductionof 8 percent in the number of deaths or missing and 17 percent ininjuries caused by natural calamities over the past five years thanks toimprovements to the legal framework and the national steering committeefor natural disaster prevention, she said.
Sheexpressed her sympathies over huge losses of hit-countries such as theearthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan and the super typhoon Haiyan inthe Philippines.
She underlined the need to build a system oflegal documents clearly stipulating the missions and responsibilitiesbefore, during and after natural disasters; set up a competentmanagement and direction apparatus; and mobilise financial sources fromthe State and the community.
She suggested buildingconcrete plans in the community in coping with natural disasters as wellas increasing the application of science and technology in catastropheevaluation and forecast.
The State official calledupon the UN and the international community to further supportvulnerable developing countries to improve their capacity of warning,forecasting, and evaluating the risk of natural disasters.
She advocated the conference to reach a global new framework in the field after 2015.
On the margin of the event, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan met withthe Japanese Emperor Akihito and his spouse who thanked Vietnam forsupporting Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
She later talked with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who pledgedto continuously assist Vietnam in socio-economic development,preventing and addressing the consequences of natural disasters, andcoping with climate change.
The Vice President alsomet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Administrator of the UNDevelopment Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark, during which she sincerelythanked the UN for its support for Vietnam to realise the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs), especially in poverty alleviation, genderequality, and climate change adaptation.
Ban Ki-moonand Helen Clark lauded Vietnam’s participation in the conference,saying the country has good experience in natural disaster mitigation.
They congratulated Vietnam on fulfilling most ofthe MDGs; leading in the initiative “One United Nations”; and joiningthe UN peace-keeping mission in South Sudan.-VNA