Ha Noi (VNA) - The world will watch with baited breath to see how Viet Nam copes with new UN reforms that are being piloted inside the country.
UN resident coordinator John Hendra made the remarks after the world’s largest development body selected the Southeast Asian country as a vanguard for efficiency reforms.
The duo last August signed a plan of action for the period till 2010 with an aim of continuing to streamline UN operations in the country, the first reform plan the body had signed with a member country.
The deal has been considered a milestone in the implementation of the “One UN” initiative that kicked off a year ago to unify all of its agencies operational in a country into one body with a common plan, a common budget, a single leadership, a single management mechanism and a common office.
Demal Dervis, President of the UN Development Groups and General Director of the UNDP, told the press in Ha Noi late last year that in choosing Viet Nam as a pilot in its reforms schemes, the UN has counted on Viet Nam ’s achievements in improving its foreign aid management, huge steps forwards to a One UN as well as the country’s long-time cooperation with the UN.
However, the “One UN” initiative is only part of Viet Nam ’s efforts to promote reforms of the UN on a global scale.
Viet Nam has been at the forefront of the movement since State President Tran Duc Luong in 2000 joined leaders from 188 other countries in signing commitments for the millennium goals that also called for UN reforms..
Shortly after the bill on UN reforms was passed in September 2005, Viet Nam ’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson issued a statement which said the 60-year-old organisation was in dire need of reforms to meet the demands of a changing world.
In pursuit of the policy, Viet Nam has joined other member countries in working out a number of measures to strengthen the central role of the UN General Assembly. The country more than once reaffirmed its stand on the need to revoke the veto right from the UN Security Council’s permanent members so as to ensure democracy and representative rights of all members at the agency.
“We have reached a consensus with many other member countries to increase the number of Security Council seats as well as to give more permanent seats to developing nations or those countries which have made great contributions to UN goals,” Le Cong Phung told the Viet Nam News Agency in New York when he attended a General Assembly session in the capacity of Deputy Foreign Minister.
State President Nguyen Minh Triet reiterated Viet Nam’s strong support and active response to the UN reforms scheme in his meeting with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in June.
“ Viet Nam will coordinate with the UN to fulfil its goals of revamping UN agencies’ operations in the country,” the State leader said.
Opportunities are open for Viet Nam to contribute more to UN reforms after the country was chosen as the only candidate to represent the Asian-Pacific region to apply for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term.
“ Viet Nam will do its utmost to fulfil its tasks if the country is elected to the seat,” emphasised President Triet.--Enditem
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