He said efforts to protect the Mekong Delta were not only important for Viet Nam but could be shared with other nations around the world.UN Photo/Minh Hoang
Protection against tragedy
Later that day, the Secretary-General also posted a message on Twitter to all young people worldwide, urging them not to give up hope. On Saturday, the UN chief spoke at Viet Nam’s Meteorological and Hydrological Administration in the capital, Hanoi, where he highlighted the critical role of disaster preparedness for all governments. The goal is to have early warning systems in all countries within five years, “to end the tragedy of people dying, livelihoods being destroyed, because people did not know that tragedy was unfolding,” he said. Prior to Viet Nam, he visited India, where he participated in a ceremony to mark the country’s 75th anniversary of independence, among other events. The Secretary-General also saluted Viet Nam’s full commitment to achieving sustainable development. He held meetings with the President, Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, and other senior officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son, and Environment Minister, Tran Hong Ha. “When we have an early warning system, and we know that something terrible is coming, we have time to relocate people, we have time to protect property,” he added.
The country’s agricultural and industrial heartland is among the most vulnerable places in the world, as it is exposed to rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, flooding and changing rainfall intensity.
Dialogue with youth
Mr. Guterres was in the region for five days. He praised the country’s strong partnership with the UN, and its “remarkable journey” during this period, which he described as a story of transformation and hope, written by the Vietnamese people. With the world in peril due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of the war in Ukraine, Mr. Guterres also addressed the need for justice, as well as greater solidarity and cooperation. Mr. Guterres was in the country to take part in a ceremony to commemorate the 45th anniversary of its membership in the UN. “And nowhere do we need it more – and more urgently – than in our fight against the climate crisis,” he said. Secretary-General António Guterres (second from right) and Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right), State President of Viet Nam meets with Vietnamese Peacekeepers during a ceremony commemorating the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam’s membership in the United Nations.
UN-Viet Nam partnership
“Little more than a generation ago, United Nations staff were in Viet Nam delivering food aid to a country ravaged by war, isolated, and on the brink of famine,” he recalled. Mr. Guterres will launch an action plan at the COP27 UN climate conference in Egypt next month to make the five-year deadline a reality. “You can count on me to amplify your ideas (and) support your efforts to build a better, fairer, more sustainable world for all,” he wrote. The country also provides double the global average of women peacekeepers serving under the UN flag.
“Today, it is Vietnamese peacekeepers coming to the aid of people in some of the most desperate parts of the world.”
Service and sacrifice
In dialogue with the youth in Viet Nam, Secretary-General António Guterres tells them they are not only the owners of the future but are now also the owners of the present, driving the world in the fight against climate change. “We face the risk of new pandemics. We face climate change and inequality in the world. There is only one way to be able not to be defeated by these challenges, and that is if we join efforts, if we come together. And for that we need to feel true solidarity.” He stressed that solidarity is the only way to overcome the climate crisis and other current or emerging global challenges.
Solidarity and cooperation
While at the Academy, Mr. Guterres also planted trees alongside Viet Nam’s Foreign Minister, Bui Thanh Son. Vietnamese “blue helmets” are serving in countries such as the Central African Republic, he said, risking their lives to bring peace and hope to people there, as well as the chance for a better life. He also travelled to the country’s first solar-powered village and saw how green energy is changing the lives of residents. The UN chief emphasized that action on loss and damage is a moral imperative that must be front and centre at COP27. The Secretary-General arrived in Viet Nam on Friday and participated in the ceremony celebrating its 45 years as a UN Member State. The Secretary-General also participated in a dialogue with Vietnamese youth representatives and UN peacekeepers from the country, held at the Academy of Diplomacy under the theme of ‘Innovation and Participation for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future.’
