UK finances UN reform in VN
VGP – An agreement on a US $4.5-million addition for the realization of the “One UN Initiative” in Việt Nam was inked today in Hà Nội by the UK’s Minister of State for Business, Enterprise, Regulatory Reform and International Development Gareth Thomas and United Nations Resident Coordinator for Việt Nam John Hendra.
According to the UK Embassy in Hà Nội, the agreement will concretize the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) commitment of funding the UN reform in Việt Nam until 2010.
Since late 2005, the One UN Initiative was piloted in Việt Nam, together with Albania, Cape Verde, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uruguay.
In October 2007, DFID offered a package of £4 million for Việt Nam to put the Initiative in reality during an 18-month period.
As assessed by DFID, some achievements have been gained during the past one year and a half in realizing the One UN Initiative.
DFID also praised effective trilateral cooperation among the Vietnamese Government, the United Nations and donors.
It put Việt Nam at the top rank in piloting the UN reform program.
Last week, the Swedish Embassy in Việt Nam also announced an aid of over US $1.2 million for the realization of the One UN Initiative.
Minister of State Gareth Thomas is on a two-day working visit to Việt Nam to survey the UN’s commercial and investment activities as well as Việt Nam’s international development issues.
By Hoàng Nguyên
