While receiving UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Hanoi on October 21, the Party leader hailed the UN chief's visit which takes place at a time when Vietnam is celebrating the 45th anniversary of its accession to the organization, adding that the trip was of significance to the Vietnam-UN growing relations.

He spoke highly of the UN’s important role in international affairs, as it is the biggest global organization operating in different fields such as protecting peace, security, development cooperation, promoting cooperation in ensuring human rights and, and is the center of international cooperation activities.

In recent years, despite many natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government still doubled investment resources for poverty reduction compared to previous periods.

Vietnam has consistently pursued a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization of external relations, being an active and responsible member of the international community, he said,

The Party leader highlighted Vietnam’s achievements over the past 35 years of renewal, including its successes in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, earning high economic growth in recent years and ensuring social security.

On this occasion, the Party General Secretary thanked the UN organs and the Secretary-General for their support and assistance to Vietnam.

Guterres, for his part, lauded Vietnam for its commitments to and support for multilateralism and the UN Charter. Vietnam has always shown its principled stance on issues related to peace protection, sustainable development, upholding the UN Charter and international law, especially the most basic principles, he said, adding that Vietnam has also actively worked with the UN and international partners to deal with increasingly severe non-traditional security issues.

The UN chief expected that with its experience, Vietnam will continue playing an active role not only in reconstruction and development but also in implementing the international community’s common goals.

On the back of its successes in inclusive development, he also expressed his hope that Vietnam will issue policies and measures to take the lead in climate change response. The UN will continue actively and closely cooperate with Vietnam, Guterres said.

Party General Secretary Trong wished that Vietnam, together with the UN, countries worldwide and the UN Secretary-General, would strive for a better world where people live in peace and happiness, and all nations prosper.- (VNA/VLLF)

Many people benefit from Government's poverty reduction programmes

In recent years, despite many natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government still doubled investment resources for poverty reduction compared to previous periods.

HÀ NỘI — Hunger eradication and poverty alleviation programmes have helped residents escape from poverty in many localities nationwide.

Hồ Khưa, chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thanh Commune, Hướng Hóa District in the central province of Quảng Trị, cares for 500 banana trees in his garden.

Khưa, a Pa Cô-Vân Kiều ethnic minority man, said the banana tree is a key crop in an effective model of hunger eradication and poverty alleviation that 800 households applied in the commune.

Although COVID-19 meant some exports were suspended over the past two years, his family still earned hundreds of millions of đồng each year from bananas, he said.

Khưa also said his family was the first household in the commune to plant rubber trees according to the district's policy.

He has harvested latex from his 2ha rubber tree garden and earned money.

He also grew another 2,500sq.m of solanum procumbens lour recently, a medicinal plant that could bring better income for his family.

Khưa's farm is becoming a good example for ethnic minorities in the region to learn experiences.

In the northern mountainous province of Sơn La, thanks to the implementation of poverty reduction programmes, Phiêng Khoài Commune has become the "kingdom of plum" instead of poor and sparse forests like before.

Tráng Lao Khai, head of Lao Khô 1 Village, Phiêng Khoài Commune, Yên Châu District, said the lives of farmers have become much better after shifting to growing plum trees.

The commune already has millionaires and billionaires, he said.

Government's efforts

In recent years, despite many natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government still doubled investment resources for poverty reduction compared to previous periods.

The investment resources for poverty reduction account for 21 per cent of the State budget, the highest rate in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Việt Nam has early completed the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations on hunger eradication and poverty reduction and is considered by the international community as a bright spot for poverty reduction in the world.

Statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that the national poverty rate has fallen from 58.1 per cent in 1993 to 2.75 per cent in 2020 and 2.23 per cent in 2021.

When the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected labour, employment and social security issues, posing a risk of falling into poverty for many people, the Government has issued many measures to ensure social security, including a policy to directly support 13 million people affected by the pandemic, focusing on the poor and unemployed.

On October 10, 2021, the Government issued Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP on safe and flexible adaption to and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution is believed to contribute to stopping the risk of labour supply chain disruption.

Localities have spent a total budget of VNĐ83.7 trillion (US$3.4 billion) to support 50.8 million labourers and other people affected by the pandemic in the country.

In a related movement, at the beginning of this year, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính approved the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in the 2021-25 period.

The programme is designed to focus on improving the capacity of the poor; identify the causes of poverty to radically and thoroughly solve the problems.

The total capital for the programme's implementation in the period is estimated to be at least VNĐ75 trillion ($3 billion), including VNĐ48 trillion ($1.95 billion) from the central budget and VNĐ12.6 trillion ($514 million) from the local budget.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung said that the programme's overall goal was to achieve sustainable poverty reduction, limit re-poverty and support poor households to access basic social services and improve their life quality.

The programme sets annual targets that the rate of poor households will decrease by 1-1.5 per cent, ethnic minority poor households by 3 per cent, and households in poor districts by 4-5 per cent. In the whole period, 30 per cent of poor districts and 30 per cent of communes with special difficulties will get out of poverty.

The Secretariat of the Communist Party of Việt Nam has issued a directive on strengthening the leadership of the Party for sustainable poverty reduction by 2030, so that by 2030 there will be no poor districts or communes in the country, as well as successfully achieving the goal of reducing the multidimensional poverty rate of 1-1.5 per cent each year following the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress.