UK Announces 4 million for One UN Initiative in Vietnam

Shahid Malik, the UK Minister for International Development, on August 30 concluded his three-day visit to Vietnam and announced a financial support package of £4 million (USUS$8 million) for the first 18 months of One UN Initiative in Vietnam. 

 

The UK strongly supports the Government’s leadership in making the United Nations better able to help the people across Vietnam.

 

Vietnam is the first Asian country Mr. Malik has visited since becoming a UK Minister. He was extremely impressed with the progress so far to reduced poverty but recognised that there were still lots of challenges especially since Vietnam has become a member of the World Trade Organisation.

 

He said: “Vietnam needs to address inequalities and make sure that marginalised and vulnerable groups are not excluded from the benefits of economic growth. To help these efforts the UK will provide at least US$500 million to Vietnam over the next five years. Our new Country Assistance Plan will be the framework for this support”.

 

At a meeting on the morning of August 30 with Pham Gia Khiem, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Malik discussed the good progress made to implement the UK/Vietnam Development Partnership Arrangement over the last year.

 

The UK in particular welcomes the Government’s strong commitment to tackling corruption and is pleased to be able to respond to Government’s request for international support to the new National Anti-Corruption Committee. However Mr. Malik also highlighted some of the remaining challenges such as making further progress on human rights, HIV and AIDs and preparing for the efforts of climate change. He saw some of these challenges first hand through visits to Doc Lap commune (Ky Son district, Hoa Binh province) and HIV prevention activities funded by DFID in Gia Lam.