Vietnam and UNFPA fully committed to SDGs by 2030

The workshop saw the participation of many stakeholders

On March 10, the UNFPA representative for Vietnam, Naomi Kitahara, and deputy director general of Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI) Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources, and Environment Nguyen Thi Dieu Trinh chaired a meeting in Hanoi to review the achievements of the past five years within the ninth UNFPA Country Programme for Vietnam.

The meeting also discussed key interventions for the following programme in 2022-2026, which was approved by the UNFPA Executive Board on February 3, as well as the next steps to deliver the new programme, including the signing of annual work plans between UNFPA and the partner ministries.

Also present at the meeting were representatives from the relevant ministries and state agencies, national institutions, social organisations, and private entities. They included the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, the General Statistics Office, the Vietnam Farmer’s Union, and the Vietnam Youth Union, among others.

The MPI confirmed that UNFPA substantially contributed to participatory and evidence-based policy and decision-making for rights-based national laws, policies, and programmes for women, young people, and other groups.

UNFPA’s interventions also brought international best practices and innovation to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and other harmful practices – essential to enable the delivery of multisectoral services and coordination.

Telehealth in sexual and reproductive health was piloted for the first time in Vietnam, particularly for ethnic minority regions, and the very first mobile app for older people was introduced.

Comprehensive sex education for young people was provided for the first time online, and innovative and digital technology was extensively used for the prevention and response to gender-based violence and gender-biased sex selection.

UNFPA’s humanitarian support focuses on the provision of integrated sexual and reproductive health services, prevention and response to gender-based violence, and support for older people.

In Central Vietnam, UNFPA supported mobile outreach missions to protect the lives of pregnant women and couples who are planning to get children. UNFPA made sure that vulnerable population groups were well aware of gender-based violence risks, through digital technologies.

The new country programme for Vietnam will be funded with $26.5 million to achieve the SDGs by 2030

Building on the successes of the ninth country programme, UNFPA commits to supporting the implementation of Vietnam’s national action plan to achieve the SGDs and its new Socioeconomic Development Plan for 2021-2026, both of which place attention on population dynamics and issues.

UNFPA on February 3 approved the new 10^th country programme for Vietnam with a total of $26.5 million to achieve the SDGs by 2030, targeting those at risk of being left behind, including women and girls, adolescents and youth, older persons, ethnic minorities, migrant workers, people with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence.

UNFPA's Kitahara expressed her appreciation for the government’s partnership and collaboration with UNFPA since 1977 and particularly in the past five years. She highlighted some of the breakthroughs, including the strategic partnerships with both UNFPA traditional donors, such as Australian DFAT, KOICA, Norway, and Japan, and non-traditional partners like private sector entities such as MSD, Bloomberg, and Vital Strategies.

“The 10^th Country Programme will aim at achieving the transformative results of the UNFPA’s Corporate Strategic Plan, towards a Vietnam with zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices against women and girls," Kitahara stressed.

The programme is in alignment with the UN SDGs for Vietnam to fulfil the transformative promise of "Leaving no one behind” by directly contributing to two areas: inclusive social development and governance and access to justice, thus reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities.”