UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, Astrid Bant, speaks at the World Population Day Celebration held in Hanoi on July 10
UNFPA wants to accelerate the progress of the implementation of the Programme of Action, which was agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), in Cairo in 1994.
Since the Cairo event, the world has gained remarkable achievements including the halving of the death rate during pregnancy or childbirth of women in the least-developed countries to 400 out of 100,000.
Despite this success, UNFPA reports showed that more than 800 women died from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. Untold millions of women affected by war or disaster are cut off from services to prevent pregnancy or deliver safely.
Since 2016, Vietnam, along with the rest of the world, has embarked on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, underpinned by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Addressing the World Population Day Celebration held in Hanoi on Wednesday, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, Astrid Bant said: “As we mark 25 years since the ICPD, we at UNFPA are also celebrating our 50th anniversary. These milestones offer a collective opportunity to recommit to ensuring that everyone everywhere reaps the benefits of this transformative agenda, whose implementation is essential for accelerating progress across the sustainable development goals”.
Speaking at the event, Vice Minister of Health, Nguyen Viet Tien said that the sustainable development goals and targets would not be fully achieved without holistic and comprehensive responses to universal human rights and equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth development, gender equality, empowerment of women, education, security, employment opportunities, economic growth and of course, the dignity of all people”.
The Vice Minister of Health confirmed Vietnam’s commitment to accelerating the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and SDGs.
This November, governments, advocates, health organisations, women’s and youth activists and others will gather in Kenya for the Nairobi Summit. There, they are expected to seek clear commitments that will advance the goals of the ICPD and secure the rights and dignity of all.
