Hanoi (VNA) – The Forum onWomen’s Empowerment in the Foreign Service in the Digital Age, co-organised inHanoi on October 3 by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Australia’sDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, adopted a joint statement.

Following is the full text of the joint statement:

1. On June 12, 2019, Pham Binh Minh, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and the Hon MarisePayne, Senator of Australia, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister forWomen, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) onthe empowerment of women in the foreign service for comprehensive and extensiveinternational integration in the digital age, thus strengthening cooperationbetween the two ministries and contributing to deepen the Strategic Partnershipbetween Vietnam and Australia.

2. As a first step towards implementing thisMoU, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (here in after referred to as “MOFA”) andAustralia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (hereinafter referred to asDFAT), co-hosted the Forum on Women’s Empowerment in the Foreign Service in theDigital Age on October 3, 2019 in Hanoi. The event gathered around 80 participants,including H.E Amb.Bui Thanh Son, First Deputy Minister, MOFA of Vietnam, H.E Ms. JulieHeckscher, First Assistant Secretary, DFAT of Australia, various Australian andVietnamese Ambassadors, Ambassadorsof the Informal Gender Coordination Group and high-level diplomats and otherhigh-level officials of MOFA and DFAT.

3. The Forum took place amid an era ofaccelerated realisation of gender equality and women’s empowerment, as part ofthe on-going global efforts to fight inequalities and not leave anyone behind.2020 marks the 75th year of the Charter of the United Nations, thefirst international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between womenand men and the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the BeijingDeclaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls.

4. Aspart of this global movement, the Forum provided a platform for both sides andpartners to share experiences in achieving gender equality, tackle prevailinggender bias, identify the policies needed and set priorities for actions topromote women’s empowerment in the foreign service in the digital age. Participants agreed that expanding women’s empowermentand embedding gender equality were critical to the success of, and economicgrowth in, both countries. They assessed the impacts of digital economyon the foreign service as well as the new requirements of digital diplomacy. Inthis regard, the Forum commended the two sides for their efforts andachievements in bridging the gender gap and promoting women’s empowerment overthe years.

5. During the Forum, participants examinedstrategies to assist women develop leadership skills set in diplomacy, andpromote women’s meaningful participation and voice in all decision-making andmanagement as a means of achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth.They looked at the issues facing women diplomats in both countries and reviewedwhere efforts to empower women have worked and the challenges that lie ahead.Participants also exchanged views on how to harness the opportunities andrespond to the challenges associated with digitalisation for women in the foreignservice, sharing experiences on how to provide women with the skills setsneeded to thrive in the digital era in the 21st century.

6. To take this cooperation forward, MOFAand DFAT are committed to further strengthening cooperation in enhancing theunderstanding of gender norms and behaviors for male and female officers inforeign services. This cooperation will be delivered through training andcapacity building for male and female officers on gender norms and behaviors,gender equality, women’s empowerment, conscious and unconscious bias and otherissues.

7. MOFA and DFAT committed to continue buildingstronger networks and strengthening ties between female diplomats. Both sideslook forward to further promoting women’s empowerment in the foreign service,deepening bilateral ties and to closer cooperation in multilateral fora ongender equality and other issues of common concern, especially when Vietnam takeson the role of ASEAN Chairmanship 2020./.