Hanoi (VNA) - Sustainable development is anurgent need for countries around the world and Vietnam has made great effortsin this regard, heard a workshop in Hanoi on September 27.

The policy of sustainable development had beenconsistent and integrated throughout all socio-economic development strategyprogrammes of Vietnam, Hoang Quang Phong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamberof Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said at the workshop.

The seminar aimed at providing Vietnamesebusinesses with solutions to reduce the demand for wildlife products, therebyraising the social responsibility of the business community in preservingnature.

This was also an opportunity to shareexperiences among domestic and foreign management consultants with businessesin search of new initiatives for business strategy planning and new corporategovernance tools in finance, marketing, as well as human resource management.

According to the World Bank, in 2018, Vietnamranked 69th out of 190 countries and territories in its business environmentand ranked 77th out of 140 countries in competitiveness.

In the same year, Vietnam ranked 54th out of 160countries in sustainable development, showing that the Southeast Asian countryis trying to surpass other countries of the same regional development level.

Vietnamese enterprises are benefiting from theimpressive economic development results achieved in previous years, meanwhile,taking advantage of the signed free trade agreements to achieve higher growthrates, with better competitiveness and greater sustainability.

The Government has launched many programmes tosupport businesses, encourage creative production models, build a healthy andtransparent business environment, promote the development of quality humanresources and energy projects, as well as building collaborative andinteractive economic mechanisms. Thus, businesses and management agencies canparticipate in activities and jobs that contribute to preserving theenvironment.

Sarah Ferguson, head of TRAFFIC’s Viet Namoffice, said that in the context of deep integration and constant competition,businesses needed to create advantages and develop business capabilities.Entrepreneurs would succeed when building a business model that brings lastingvalue to the community, building a creative vision and business strategy, runby a team of dedicated, confident employees.

She suggested that businesses become members ofenvironmental and socially responsible associations. Business leaders andemployees should sign a commitment not to buy, sell or participate in the tradeof endangered, precious and rare wildlife, at the same time sharing informationon animal and plant protection activities and encouraging friends, colleaguesand family to join hands in this activity, she added./.