Opening Remarks by Deputy Chief of Mission Susan Sutton at the Workshop Implementing the Environmental Commitments of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement

Theo nguồn tin trên trang mạng của U.S. Embassy @ Hanoi City

(as prepared)

8:30 a.m., Friday, April 8, 2016
Pullman Hotel, 40 Cat Linh, Hanoi
Good morning,

Vice Minister Tran Hong Ha, thank you for those insightful remarks. Your leadership will be important to Vietnam’s success in using its international environmental commitments to improve the environment and well-being. I would also like to recognize some key speakers joining us from Washington: …

Many hope that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will transform Vietnam’s business and regulatory environment and yield new opportunities that will help Vietnam further industrialize, modernize and globalize its economy in ways that serve its people.

We certainly believe that TPP is a foundation for engagement and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific Region. Implemented well, it can further strengthen and integrate U.S.-Vietnamese relationships across government and the private sector. All TPP parties look forward to its impact on shared goals such as: good governance to promote fair trade; protecting human rights; streamlining customs; ensuring food security and environmental protection, which what we emphasize today.

TPP includes the highest environmental standards of any trade agreement in history. We have an unprecedented opportunity to advance conservation and environmental protection across the twelve countries and have impact throughout the Asia-Pacific by wholeheartedly implementing commitments relevant to environmental challenges such as wildlife trafficking; illegal logging and fishing; marine pollution and biodiversity.

The Environment Chapter creates enforceable commitments on the challenges. It supports implementation of multilateral environmental agreements and national environmental laws. It will help eliminate tariffs and environmentally-destructive subsidies as well as other barriers to trade in environmentally-beneficial products and technologies.

The Environment Chapter also establishes a mechanism to for closer cooperation among the TPP party governments on transnational threats and environmental crimes. Countries will be in a better position to administer environmental laws and conservation programs.

TPP environment provisions require countries to play by fair environmental rules. From an environmental perspective these are the right things to do. But these provisions also promote economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable, and support the rule of law.

Today’s workshop is an opportunity for the U.S. Government to support the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and its partners across the Government of Vietnam to deepen understanding on the TPP agreement and develop plans to implement policy and regulatory change in Vietnam. The quality of that roadmap is important to Vietnam’s ability to comply with the TPP agreement.

Thank you very much for your partnership and I wish you a successful workshop.

http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/dcm040816_tpp_environmental_commitments.html