VN’s contribution to sustainable development goals in Mekong River
VGP – PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s attendance in the 3rd Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit is aimed at launching the diplomatic guideline of the 12th Party Congress and enhancing the relationship with neighboring countries and partners in the region.
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PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Photo: VGP |
Over the recent years, the nation has actively participated in cooperative activities pertaining to water resources with international and regional organizations as well as strengthened Mekong cooperation with other partners such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Viet Nam hosted the second MRC Summit, themed “Water, Energy and Food Security in the context of climate change for the Mekong River Basin” in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2014.
The nation organized a discussion on water resource security at the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU-132)in Ha Noi in 2015.
Within the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, Viet Nam actively proposed contents on water resources as one of priority in this cooperative mechanism, accelerated the activity of the working group on water resource and the establishment of the Lancang-Mekong Environmental Cooperation Center in China.
As a country in the Lower Mekong, Viet Nam has asked nations in the Upper Mekong to adhere to regulations of Mekong Agreement and related documents.
Within the framework of the MRC, the nation has joined hands with other member countries to accelerate the MRC to release Statement on Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) for the Pak Beng hydropower project in Laos.
The Statement calls on the Lao Government to address trans-border issues of the hydropower project and agree to set up a joint action plan.
Viet Nam is the first nation in the MRC participating in the UN Convention on Non-Navigable Use of International Watercourses (1997) and encouraging other ASEAN countries to join the Convention, thus enhancing legal mechanisms and facilitating management and development of sustainable water resources in the Mekong River.
Viet Nam’s participation in the third MRC Summit affirms the country’s commitments to cooperative framework within the MRC and strengthens solidarity and cooperation between country members for joint benefits.
By Thuy Dung
