HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Many Vietnamese enterprises lackunderstanding about sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are not applyingthem to their business, Tran Thi Lan Anh, deputy general secretary of the VietnamChamber of Commerce and Industry, said at a forum held in Ho Chi Minh City onNovember 25.

Associations that represent enterprises also lack understanding and do not knowhow to guide their members to carry out SDG goals, Anh said.

Pham Anh Tuan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, said theGovernment should provide detailed information about goals in each industry sothat enterprises know what to do.

“They also need to know the benefits that SDGs bring, and how they will beaffected if they don't carry out the goals,” Tuan said.

Tran Thi Lan Anh said that her organisation and relevant agencies were carryingout many projects related to SDGs with the assistance of international organisations.

However, these projects are small scale and cannot be expanded because oflimited funds, she said.

A programme on preventing discrimination and sexual harassment at workplaces,for instance, is necessary, but has not been carried out well at manyenterprises.

According to other delegates, the promotion of gender equality, including LGBTrights and women’s economic empowerment in global supply chains, is rapidlygrowing among companies, governments, civil society and internationalorganisations.

Empirical evidence shows that eliminating discrimination against female workerscould lead to gains in productivity and competitiveness.

To Quang Phuong, head of the training division at Nha Trang University in KhanhHoa province, said that students also need to know about SDGs since they willbe future employees.

Educational institutes, especially universities, should integrate them intotheir training programmes, Phuong said.

Other delegates said that NGOs could help enterprises carry out programmes thatprotect the health of workers at factories, which would contribute to theimplementation of the SDGs among enterprises.

The two-day "Responsible Business Forum - Vietnam" is being held bythe European Union, EuroCham, International Labour Organisation, Organisationfor Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerceand Industry.

The forum also discussed the challenges and opportunities for businessespresented by Vietnam’s new commitments to the EVFTA and CPTPP and the ratificationof ILO Convention 98, and specifically what policies and practices should beemployed to ensure the country’s fulfilment of international labour standards.

It also provided deeper understanding of international buyer demands anddiscussed mechanisms to support suppliers in meeting those demands. Greatercollaboration between buyers and suppliers, including support in the form oftechnological tools, platforms and compliance measures, can support suppliersto strengthen labour and ensure their role in aiding sustainable development./.