PERMANENT MISSION OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM to the United Nations Office, the World Trade Organization and Other International Organizations at Geneva MISSION PERMANENTE DE LA REPUBLIQUE SOCIALISTE DU VIETNAM aupres de l'Office des Nations Unies, l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce et des autres Organisations Internationales a Geneve 30, Chemin des Corhillettes,.1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneve Tel: (41 22) 798 24 85 / 791 85 40 Fax: (41 22) 798 07 24 E-mail : mission.vietnam@ ties.itu.int Statement by His Excellency Dr. BE Troong Thanh, Standing Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on Ethnic -incl . Minorities Affairs of Viet Nam at the 3rd session of the United Nations Forum on Minorities Issues "Meaningful and effective participation in economic and development policy-making" 14-15 December 2010, Geneva Madam Chair, Ladies and gentlemen, The Vietnamese delegation extends its welcome and has the honor to participate in. the Third session of the United Nations Forum, on "Minorities and effective participation in the economic life". Our delegation's presentation will focus on the ethnic minorities in Viet Nam and their participation in economic development. Madam Chair, 1. Viet Nam is a multi-ethnic nation, with 54 different ethnic groups living together and jointly making the history of our national construction majority ethnic group (Kinh) accounts for 85.7%, and the rest of 53 ethnic minority groups, 14.3%. Among 53 ethnic minority groups, the population percentage is quite uneven: 5 groups have the population of over one million each, 32 groups with more than ten thousand up to less than one million population, 16 groups with less than 10 thousand population, and 5 ethnic groups with the population of less than one thousand. -Viet Nam's ethnic groups have formed a united community, and the cultural identities and traditions of each group have rendered the richness and the diversity of the Vietnamese culture. The ethnic groups in Viet Nam live together across the country. Many of the ethnic minorities reside in mountainous and remote areas where remain difficulties and challenges in terms of development conditions, infrastructure, especially transportation system. In these areas, the rate of poverty, marginal poverty, and poverty relapse is still high in comparison with the average of the country.