Vietnam, at the country level, supports the implementation of the "One UN" approach" on a voluntary basis taking into account of national conditions and priorities.

Ambassador Le Luong Minh, permanent representative of Vietnam at the UN, made the affirmation at a plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly on a report on UN coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment, in New York, on April 17.

He highlighted the need for a system-wide reform aimed at achieving coherence, thus enhancing the effectiveness of UN operational activities.

According to Minh, the UN's effectiveness in assisting the socio-economic development of member states is limited, in spite of its advantages in knowledge, skills, experiences and human resources due to the lack of coherence in policies, the overlapping of programmes and the shortage of needed funds.

Minh said therefore, the purpose of implementing the “One UN” concept in a number of pilot countries as proposed by the high-level panel on this issue is to allow the UN system to develop approaches that will enhance the coherence of the UN at country level and increase efficiency as well as reduce the transaction costs for the host countries.

Vietnam shares the assessment that for the successful implementation of the “One UN” approach in a programme country, the availability of sufficient funds for all country programmes must be ensured; and administrative procedures for implementing programs must be simplified, he said.

Regarding Vietnam's involvement in UN agencies' activities, the ambassador affirmed that the country has built a special relationship of co-operation, trust and understanding with the UN agencies operating in Vietnam, thus allowing Vietnam to hope for a successful implementation of the “One UN Initiative” in the country.

As it is a pilot, Vietnam hopes experiences in implementing the "One UN" approach will be a valuable lesson not only for Vietnam but also for other countries, Minh concluded. (VNA)