Opening Remarks

OPENING REMARKS

By H.E. Mr Nguyen Van Duc,
Permanent Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment

At First Meeting of US-Vietnam Working Group on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Your Excellency Mr Michael Michalak, US Ambassador to Vietnam,

Distinguished scientists from US and Vietnam,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It’s my great pleasure to attend and deliver opening remarks at the First Meeting of the US-Vietnam Working Group on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. On behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the host of the meeting, I would like to warmly welcome all distinguished scientists, guests and participants from the US, wishing you fruitful working sessions with Vietnamese colleagues.

Mr Ambassador,

Distinguished scientists from US and Vietnam,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Climate change has now become one of the most serious challenges in the 21st century with more and more people in the world having suffered. Climate change will affect everyone; some have calculated that the costs associated with overcoming climate impacts could even exceed global economic output within a few generations. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, therefore, stated that climate change poses at least as big a threat to the world as war, and it is not just an environmental issue, but an issue of sustainable development.

Vietnam is said to be one of vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly sea level rise caused by climate change. The Government of Vietnam, with a clear vision on climate change impacts, took early actions, ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 and Kyoto Protocol in 2002. In late 2008, the Prime Minister of Vietnam signed a decision to approve the National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change. In July 2009, Vietnam developed and launched the Scenarios of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise to serve as basis for ministries, sectors and localities to assess climate change impacts and to develop their respective action plans. Vietnam also implemented many programmes and projects on climate change at the national and local levels with support and assistance from the international community.

Mr Ambassador,

Distinguished scientists from US and Vietnam,

Ladies and gentlemen,

In 2008, US President George Bush and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung signed a joint statement, in which the two leaders agreed on the promotion of Vietnam’s climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, including the establishment of the US-Vietnam Working Group on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. Today the Working Group convenes in its first two-day Meeting with an aim of learning Vietnam’s needs in its efforts to respond to climate change and discussing the structure and upcoming activities of the Working Group. It, therefore, will be an important landmark for the Working Group’s future activities.

I would like to express my great hope that after two fruitful working days in Hanoi, the Working Group will operate effectively, thus contributing further to Vietnam’s efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change and to boosting co-operation between the US and Vietnam in this field.  

Let me take this opportunity to wish Mr Ambassador, scientists from the US and Vietnam, and guests good health and happiness. Let the Meeting be in a great success.