With the theme "Shaping the future: Promoting economic transformation towards fair, inclusive and sustainable development", the 16th United Nations Secretary-General Conference on Trade and Development (UNTACD16) opened on October 20, in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the opening session, Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gave a speech through a video recording, congratulating the conference and sharing 3 messages to the conference.
Firstly, the Prime Minister emphasized that the world is living in a turning point in history, requiring people to change their thinking, change their way of thinking, their way of doing things, think deeply, and do greater things.
The Prime Minister said that it is necessary to put people at the center, as the subject, as resources, motivation, and goal of development. Therefore, all policies must aim at human development.
In the current context, the Prime Minister affirmed the need to take science - technology, innovation and digital transformation as a foundation; need to take environmental protection and social security as the main driving force to focus on rapid but sustainable development.
Second, more than ever, in the current context, the Prime Minister believes that it is necessary to call for international solidarity, promote multilateralism and cooperate together to promote global development. All current issues are related to the entire people, comprehensively, globally. Therefore, the world must ensure a fair and transparent world order, based on the law, considering it a prerequisite for peace, stability, cooperation, development and common prosperity for all people.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to reform, strengthen the belief in multilateralism, strengthen international cooperation, join hands to promote strong and effective reform of the multilateral trade and financial system in the direction of openness, fairness, and inclusion, meeting the interests of all countries.
Finally, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam pursues an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy, is a good friend, a trusted partner with all countries in the world, and a responsible member of the international community.
The Prime Minister expressed Vietnam's steadfast support for the central role of the United Nations in ensuring a peaceful environment, promoting cooperation, and resolving issues of a global and everyone's nature, including trade, investment and inclusive and sustainable development.
The event is expected to take place from now until October 23. The conference, organized by Switzerland and UNCTAD, brings together heads of state and government, ministers of trade and economy, Nobel Prize laureates, leaders of international organizations and prestigious experts to participate in a high-level dialogue on global trends and policy approaches in trade, investment, development and the digital economy.
As the United Nations' largest trade conference in the past 4 years, UNCTAD16 took place at an important time for global trade as well as multilateralism as the world is witnessing a breakthrough shift.
During the conference days, delegates will discuss the most important challenges for the global economy and the current context of economic politics.
