Kick-off Workshop on the Development of Vietnam ’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2023

On October 19th, 2022, the Ministry of Planning and Investment held a kick-off workshop onthe development of Vietnam’s voluntary national review (VNR) 2023. The workshop was attended by a large number of audience from central ministries/sectors, national and international agencies, embassies, United Nations organizations in Vietnam, some provinces, press agencies and a number of experts.

In her opening speech, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment H.E. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc affirmed that sustainable development goals (SDGs) have become cross-cutting ones in national and sectoral strategies and policies, with the "Leave no one behind" principle always emphasized in Vietnam's policies. Vietnam has obtained many notable achievements in sustainable poverty reduction, coverage of essential health services, universal education, access to clean water and sanitation, information technology infrastructure, guarantee of stable forest coverage and increasedrenewable energy consumption outof the total final energy consumption.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc emphasized that through the development of the VNR 2023, Vietnam wished to share achievements and progress made in the implementation of the SDGs, especiallyover the last5 yearssince the 1st VNR; at the same time she shared difficulties, challenges, lessons learned in the SDG implementation, and presented orientations and key activitiesfor the remaining half way.

The Deputy Minister wished that central ministries/sectors, provinces, national and international organizations would accompany Vietnam and contribute to the VNR process so that Vietnam’s VNR fully expresses the voice and roles of all stakeholders towardspromoting and achieving the SDGs.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Dennis Quennet, Director of the GIZ Macroeconomic Reforms/Green Growth Program in Vietnamand Ms. Pauline Fatima Tamesis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam affirmed to accompany and support Vietnam in the VNR 2023 process.

At the workshop, the participants listened to a presentation on Vietnam’sDraftVNR 2023 Outline,roles and collaboration of stakeholders in the VNR process, experience and practices from the German VNR processand Vietnam's VNR 2023 tentativetimeline.

Participants from central ministries/sectors, national and international agencies affirmed that they would accompany the Ministry of Planning and Investment during the VNR implementation, and highly appreciated the Ministry’s efforts in creating opportunities for all stakeholders to make contributions and raise their voices in the VNR process and considered that Vietnam's VNR 2023 is an important basis for the parties to navigatesand accelerate their actions towards the accomplishment of the SDGs by 2030.