At a reception given by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Mr Niwa said the UN will choose Vietnam to implement its pilot projects because the country is known as a good user of official development assistance (ODA) and international organisations have seen effective operations here.

He revealed that the UN plans to combine its three organisations, namely UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in order to raise the effectiveness of its programmes.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem expressed his thanks for UNICEF's practical and effective support over the past, helping Vietnam gain great achievements in activities relating to children.

At present, Vietnam is carrying out the 2006-2010 development programme, of which, special attention is paid to children in remote and underprivileged areas, said Mr Khiem, adding that the Vietnamese government pledges to implement the UN's projects and hopes to continue receiving UNICEF support in an effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals.