UN sees Vietnam as a key player in digital transformation and AI

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (L) and Under-Secretary-General and the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill

Under-Secretary-General and the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill made the statement during a meeting with Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN on February 5, at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill expressed his sincere gratitude to the Vietnamese Mission and relevant agencies for their support, which contributed to the success of his working trip to Hanoi in January 2024.

He said he was honored to have had in-depth and productive discussions with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, leaders of various ministries and agencies, as well as top technology experts in Vietnam.

Praising Vietnam’s vision and groundbreaking policies, the UN official hailed the country’s efforts in dealing with challenges and seizing opportunities to achieve significant advancements in innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity. He also applauded the positive contributions of the private sector, particularly major technology companies such as Viettel, FPT, and VinAI.

Noting that Vietnam’s AI research and application centers rank among the top 20 globally outside of China and are backed by a strong team of talented and dedicated technology experts, Amandeep Singh Gill affirmed that Vietnam is not only a model for technological development but also has the potential to become a key hub for enhancing AI capabilities in developing nations.

He expressed hope that Vietnam would continue playing an active role in the UN’s Scientific Advisory Group and the Global AI Governance Dialogues.

Echoing the UN official’s views, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang emphasized that Vietnam regards science, technology, and innovation as strategic priorities for achieving high economic growth, targeting double-digit growth in the coming years towards becoming a modern industrialized country by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2045.

The Vietnamese diplomat highlighted the recently issued Resolution No. 57 on the development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as a breakthrough policy to drive this ambition. He noted that the resolution establishes the the Central Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation , chaired by General Secretary To Lam, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh serving as Vice Chairman.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to sharing its experience and welcoming opinions from the UN and Under-Secretary-General Gill. He voiced support for the idea of positioning Vietnam as a key hub for digital transformation and AI cooperation and called on the UN to help bring this vision to life. Vietnam, he stated, stays ready to take on a more active role and contribute further to UN discussions and key initiatives on digital transformation and AI governance.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese representative reiterated the invitation for the UN Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention on Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), which will take place in the capital in 2025./.