UN Development Programme (UNDP) leader Helen Clark made the praise at a high-level meeting on commitment to accelerating the implementation of MDGs, held in New York on Sept. 21 on the sidelines of the 66 th session of the UN General Assembly. The event was jointly organised by the UNDP, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank (WB) and the Japanese Government.

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Bui The Giang, Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN, reported that Viet Nam has recorded remarkable achievements in implementing the MDGs adopted by the UN Summit in 2000 thanks to its high economic growth rate and successful implementation of socio-economic policies.

The UN and international community have recognised Viet Nam as one of the Asia-Pacific countries successfully implementing MDGs, he noted.

“Viet Nam is now able to say that it has fulfilled five out of eight MDGs ahead of schedule and is speeding up the implementation of the remaining goals in order to fulfil them on schedule in 2015,” Giang stressed.

According to the Vietnamese diplomat, Viet Nam has faced numerous challenges during its MDGs implementation as it has to ensure the all-nation implementation of the goals, bringing benefits to all people strata, overcome difficulties derived from the global economic and financial crisis and deal with climate change consequences and protectionism.

To surmount these challenges, Viet Nam will make stronger efforts to better integrate MDGs into the country’s socio-economic development plans, programmes and strategies in all aspects, he said.

Therefore, the country wishes to receive continued support and assistance from the UN, international organisations and donors to successfully implement MDGs, he added.

Ambassador Giang also affirmed that in the context of difficulties in realising MDGs in many regions throughout the world, Viet Nam fully supports the UN’s view to continue considering the MDGs implementation one of its highest priorities./.