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INTERNATIONAL

On the sidewalk of Ha Noi in Autumn - Credit Dan Viet Newspaper

tion campaign in the nation’s history against Covid-19. el for five years. Viet Nam’s GDP is expected to grow at
Thus far, A large part of the population have got the third about 8% this year, the second highest GDP growth rate
dose of Covid-19 vaccine, making Viet Nam one of the in the Asia-Pacific region, only after India.
countries with the highest vaccination coverage rate in
the world as noted by the World Health Organization Q: You also cover the WTO, and you have been very ac-
(WHO). This has enabled Viet Nam to enter the stage of tive in the discussion of fishing subsidies. Why is this sub-
“new normal” domestically and re-open the country for ject so important for your country?
foreign tourists since March this year with no require- Fisheries is important to Viet Nam, with many villages
ments and restrictions measures. and towns along the country’s coastal line of about 3.200
km. According to Food and Agriculture Organization
At the moment, the Government of Viet Nam is imple- (FAO), Viet Nam fisheries rank eighth in the world in
menting the Socio-Economic Development and Recov- term of share of the global volume of marine capture pro-
ery Program to help revitalize the economy after the duction (In 2019, its capture production was 3,284,969
disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic, so as to create MT accounting for 4.03% of global volume). At the same
momentum for achieving the goals set forth in the 10- time, Viet Nam›s fisheries is tropical, multispecies and
year Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2021- small scale where numerous poor communities earn
2030 period adopted at the 13th Party Congress in Janu- their daily income.
ary 2021. The aim is to turn Viet Nam into a developing
country with modern industry and high middle income Viet Nam is fully committed to Sustainable Development
by 2030. To facilitate inclusive and sustainable growth, Goals (SDGs), including SDG14: Conserve and sustain-
the Government is developing national development ably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sus-
strategies on a wide range of issues such as green growth, tainable development, including promoting sustainable
digital economy, digital society, e-government, and pro- fisheries management, combating Illegal, unreported and
motion of gender equality etc., and at the same time plac- unregulated (IUU) fishing.
ing the people at the center of all development policies
and strategies, making sure that no one is left behind in As a developing country, Viet Nam is fully committed
difficult times. to implement the WTO Buenos Aires Ministerial Deci-
sion of 13 December 2017 and SDG14.6 targets to “by
Thanks to timely and responsive policy adjustment, Viet 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which
Nam’s socio-economic situation in 2021 and the first half contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminate
of 2022 remain stable, macro-economic balances are en- subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing, and refrain from
sured, and inflation is under control. According to the introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appro-
General Statistics Office of Viet Nam, the FDI disbursed priate and effective special and differential treatment for
during the first half of 2022 reached USD 10.1 billion, an developing and least developed countries should be in-
increase of 8.9% compared to 2021 and the highest lev- tegral part of the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiation”.

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