UNFPA Chief Representative in Vietnam Arthur Erken made the commitment at a reception in Hanoi on May 20 hosted by Nguyen Thien Nhan, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

Erken highly appreciated Vietnam’s efforts in tackling the matter, noting it is a vital threat to the country’s future economic development and social welfare.

Gender imbalance is a matter of growing concern in society because millions of young men will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to marry a wife in the near future, he said.

In turn, Nhan echoed Erken’s view, adding population aging will also lead to the lack of human resources for the growing national economy. Devising a suitable policy is crucially important to creating a happy family and society, he said.  

Nhan called on the UNFPA to support Vietnam in tackling the problem and expressed his hope that the two sides will cooperate with each other to carry out practical activities such as identifying themes related to population issues, organizing conferences, and disseminating information to people in the future.