Mr. Duong Chi Dzung, Ambassador of the Social Republic of Viet Nam, paid a courtesy call on IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong today.
They discussed the upcoming conference for parliaments of the Asia-Pacific region on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which has been organized by the IPU and the National Assembly of Viet Nam. The focus will be on climate change, an issue that Viet Nam is very active on. Mr. Duong said that he was happy that the conference would be bringing together parliaments from the region so that they could strategize and inspire country-level work on the issue.
The conference is part of the continuing cooperation between the National Assembly and the IPU. In 2015, the IPU Assembly held in Hanoi adopted the Hanoi Declaration on Sustainable Development Goals: Turning Words into Action.
The regional conference will be held in Ho Chi Min City on 11-13 May. It will focus on the role of different stakeholders in the responses to climate change and how national parliaments can contribute, through legislation, budget allocation and oversight, to national efforts to fulfil international commitments. It will also address gender equality, health and resource mobilization.