Opening Ceremony - 17 Faces of Action for Sustainable Development Goals Exhibition

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mdm. Le Thi Thu Hang;

Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva, Mrs. Tatiana Valoyava;

Vice President of Viet Nam Women’s Union, Mrs. Tran Lan Phuong

Founder & President of Association of Swiss Women and Empowerment, Mrs. Victoria Dzodziev

Distinguished Guests, Colleagues and Partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am privileged to join you today to celebrate the invaluable contributions of Vietnamese women to the SDGs. The exceptional women featured in this “17 Faces of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals” Exhibition serve as an inspiration to us all.  Recognizing their achievements on National Vietnam Women’s Day is both timely and meaningful.

This year is a critical time for the SDGs. “Leave no one behind” is the defining principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a shared promise by every country to work together to secure the rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet. But halfway to 2030, that promise is in peril. The SDGs are disappearing in the rear-view mirror, as are the hopes and rights of current and future generations.

As a global community, we are failing to translate this promise into action. When the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, visited Viet Nam last year, he did not speak about accelerating the SDGs. He spoke about saving them.

We all know how the COVID-19 pandemic reversed gains made towards sustainable development globally. To illustrate:

• 47 million women and girls are estimated to have been pushed into extreme poverty since the outbreak of the pandemic.
• Research suggests that increase in intimate partner violence skyrocketed globally by up to 33%.
• If we continue business as usual, we need 300 more years to achieve gender equality. That is four more generations of women and girls born with unequal opportunities compared with their brothers and fathers. That is four generations too many.

At the same time, there is also reason to remain hopeful. Hope in times of difficulty is sometimes called ‘radical hope’. Radical hope allows us to envision a better world for ourselves and our children – a world that is possible, not promised and not guaranteed. As such, hope calls for action. Humankind, together and against all odds, will rise to the occasion. For me, this exhibition showcases just that – hope.

To remain hopeful, we also need to feel inspired. The celebration of 17 remarkable women who have dedicated their lives to a better future is a source of inspiration. This exhibition shows women as entrepreneurs, professors, innovators, and community leaders. As scientists, advocates, environmental protectors, peacekeepers, and diplomats. These women are drivers of sustainable development – in their communities, in Viet Nam and beyond. It shows the great diversity of action needed to realize the SDGs. It also provides a compelling argument for the importance of an enabling environment in which everyone can actively participate and contribute.

One way of creating this enabling environment is to expand investments in gender equality and women’s empowerment. Investing in gender equality is one of the most powerful accelerators of sustainable development. Gains in gender equality improve all other sectors of society. IMF estimates that closing the gender gap can increase a country’s GDP by an average of 35%. The inclusion of women is therefore key to unlocking Viet Nam’s sustained economic growth, achieve high-income status by 2045, while accelerating SDG progress.

To the 17 remarkable women featured in this exhibition – I say thank you. May your actions continue to serve as inspiration. Thank you!