If we are to make sure that the MDGs are achieved in every village, city and province in Viet Nam, we still need to promote more sustainable, inclusive and equitable growth - growth that even the most vulnerable and marginalized in society can actively participate in, and benefit from.An op-ed by Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam as published in Viet Nam Net on 5 April 2013.

I’m sure you can visualize the agony of a runner who enters the last lap of a race in the lead, but in sight of the finishing line relaxes the pace, only to see another runner pass him by.

As the Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon has reminded us this week, today marks 1,000 days to the deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. 13 years ago President of Viet Nam, Mr Tran Duc Luong was one of 189 World Leaders who gathered at the United Nations in New York to sign the Millennium Declaration, the springboard for setting eight aspirational but concrete goals. Together they pledged to cut global poverty and hunger by half, fight climate change and disease, tackle unsafe water and sanitation, expand education and open doors of opportunity for girls and women.  

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As published in TrustLaw on 20 December 2012

Farmers harvest rice on a 70 hectare disputed plot of land in Vietnam's northern Hung Yen province Oct 21, 2012. Photo REUTERS/Mua XuanBANGKOK (TrustLaw) - Fish farmer Doan Van Vuon became something of a folk hero earlier this year when he used homemade landmines and guns to stop local officials, police and soldiers from forcibly taking his land in northern Vietnam.

In April, near the capital Hanoi, thousands of police overwhelmed villagers who were trying to protect a 70 hectare (170 acre) plot of land slated for use in a satellite city development.

These are just two examples of conflicts over land that are a major source of friction between the public and officials in Vietnam, where rising land prices have led officials to move farmers off their land for more lucrative projects, often with little compensation. All land in Vietnam belongs to the state and usage rights are not always clear or protected.

Government statistics show there were 700,000 land-related complaints in the last three years, 70 percent of them about land appropriation and compensation decisions that experts say are not only opaque and prone to corruption, but are also inequitable and discriminate against farmers, a crucial sector of Vietnam’s economy and an important base for the ruling Communist Party.

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An op-ed by Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam as published in Viet Week on 7 December 2012.

By combating corruption we help to further economic growth, build better public services, foster equality and provide more equal opportunities for all of Viet Nam’s citizens.On 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day is marked around the world and commitments to crack down on corruption are renewed. The Day is also an important reminder of the tremendous human cost of corruption, which affects everyone, with the poor suffering the most.  

When families have to pay bribes to get medical care, or when parents have to bribe to get their children enrolled in school, it is the poorest who can least afford to pay and suffer the most. When people have to pay to get a job in the public sector, it is not the best and brightest who get the job. When bribes become common practice and part of daily interactions, trust and confidence in the public sector gets eroded.

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Pratibha Mehta: "local action and focused interventions needed"As published in Viet Week on 30 November 2012.

World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988 to mobilize the world against a rapidly spreading virus without effective treatment or cure. Twenty-four yearslater, the largest-ever global disease response has achieved significant results.

According to a new report from UNAIDS, more than eight million people living with HIV are being treated with antiretroviral therapy, there were more than 500,000 fewer AIDS-related deaths in 2011 than in 2005, and 25 countries have seen a 50% or greater drop in new HIV infections since 2001.

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