On 9th November 2018, the opening ceremony of the Hanoi Forum 2018: Towards Sustainable Development – Climate Change Response for Sustainability and Security, co-organized by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS) was held at Nguyen Van Dao Auditorium, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
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Hanoi Forum is an initiative of VNU to get governments and communities more involved, and aggressively pursue our ambitious Sustainable Development Goals to 2030. For the inaugural event, the Goal 13 of Climate Action was chosen. Hanoi Forum 2018 encourages interdisciplinary, intersectoral research, and the combination of science and technology to enhance efficiency of climate change response.The forum honoredly welcomed Mr Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr Pham Cong Tac, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Mr Chey Tae–won, Chairman of SK Group to attend and deliver welcome speeches. Mr Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee and Mr Pham Ngoc Minh, Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) were also present at the opening ceremony.
The plenary session cordially welcomed five distinguished keynote speakers: Rt Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of UNDP, Mr. Stephen P. Groff, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB); Dr. Youba Sokona, Special Advisor of the South Center, Vice Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Professor Diana Ürge-Vorsatz of Central European University, and Professor Mai Trong Nhuan of Vietnam Panel on Climate Change.
In his opening address, VNU President Nguyen Kim Son asserted that “Sustainable development goals can only be achieved by resonating the strength of all stakeholders: government, international organizations, universities, businesses, and individuals. The participation, contribution and resonance of stakeholders will help bridge the gap to sustainable development goals and will not leave anyone behind”. Being a leading university in Vietnam, VNU is devoted to working with the Government of Vietnam and international partners to address emerging global issues including climate change. It is highly expected that this forum raises important issues before the United Nations Conference on Climate Change 2018 (COP24) in Poland early December.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology – Le Cong Thanh congratulated Hanoi Forum 2018 on its initiative to contribute to achieve the goal of sustainable development and responding to climate change at different levels.
Pham Cong Tac - Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment believed that the Forum of Hanoi 2018 will achieve its goals of developing mechanisms and policies, solutions to promote cooperation and partners to respond to climate change effectively. He wished that the first forum of great success.
Rt Hon Clark shared the humanitarian and harmonious solution in climate change response between international and local solutions.
Dr. Sokona presented the report on global connectivity and unification on Mitigation and Adaptation Climate change, the important role of climate change response to sustainable development.
With regard to Southeast Asia, Mr. Groff presented a report on environmental hotspots as well as smart urban development, low-carbon, sustainable infrastructure, climate change response, etc.
Professor Ürge-Vorsatz shared at the forum the core messages of the IPCC report with a 1.5 degree C scenario, emphasized the role of extreme emission reduction.
Professor Mai exchanged on the key issues including climate change adaptation and related solutions in Vietnam, localized solutions to achieve sustainable development goals.
On the following day, November 10, Hanoi Forum 2018 will continue with five panel discussions, namely Climate change and security; Human impacts on climate change; Climate change response; Policy and Governance of Climate Change response and Sustainability; and Science, technology and education for climate change response and sustainability, and two sessions of policy dialogues about the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta River.
Hanoi Forum Secretariat