Speaking at the meeting in Hanoi on July 2, the Belgian Minister of Development and Cooperation, Charles Michel, highlighted the success of the joint project between Vietnam and Belgium in resolving environmental sanitation issues and urban upgrading along the Tan Hoa Lo Gom canal.

Minister Charles Michel said that Vietnam is rapidly becoming urbanized, putting pressure on the environment. Hence, he said that environmental sanitation and urban upgrading are of central importance to ensuring sustainable development. For this reason, the Belgian government decided to choose HCM City, which has a population of more than 6 million, high level of pollution, a large gap between the rich and the poor and not enough experience in urban management, to carry out the project, he added.

Le Dieu Anh, former director of the Tan Hoa Lo Gom canal project, reported that the project was implemented over the 1998-2006 period with a total investment of US$25 million. It focused on collecting rubbish, treating waste, improving the sewage system and upgrading the roads along the canal. It has successfully dealt with problems emerging from the urban modernisation process. That’s why the Belgian government selected the project to present at the ECOSOC meeting, she noted.

The meeting attracted more than 500 delegations from around the world, including many ministers and leaders of civil and financial organizations.

During the event, held from June 30 to July 3, the participants concentrated on sustainable development and the impacts of climate change. They also highlighted the major changes in the global economy and their impact on the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).