VN, UN sign strategic $423m plan for 2017-21

The Government of Việt Nam and the United Nations signed a new strategic plan for the 2017-21 period in Hà Nội yesterday. - Photo kinhtevadubao.vn

The new Government of Việt Nam-United Nations Joint One Strategic Plan (OSP) has been signed between the Government of Việt Nam and 18 UN Agencies: FAO, ILO, IOM, ITC, IAEA, UNAIDS, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNV, UN Women and WHO.

The signing of the OSP 2017-21, the new key programmatic and strategic framework for delivering UN support to the Government, coincides with the 40-year commemoration of the UN-Việt Nam partnership.

It highlights the strong commitment of the UN and the Government of Việt Nam to the National Action Plan for implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (SDGs), according to a press release.

The OSP 2017-21 is built on the three principles of inclusion, equity and sustainability, and is aligned with Việt Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-20, its Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-20, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as Việt Nam’s international human rights commitments.

With an estimated budget of US$423 million, the OSP 2017-21 prioritises four focus areas, shaped by the central themes of the SDGs (People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace), emphasising nine related outcomes.

The OSP 2017-21 advances common ground for the expansion of partnerships between the UN, the Government, private sector actors, development partners and legally established non-State organisations and groups. While recognising Việt Nam’s significant economic growth and remarkable poverty reduction, the Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyễn Chí Dũng, stated that “The OSP has been signed as Việt Nam starts the National Action Plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.”

“Việt Nam will apply synchronous measures for curbing inflation, stabilising the macro economy and ensuring social security. At the same time, the Government will implement drastic and effective solutions to restructure the economy in a comprehensive and inclusive manner,” Dũng said.

“The Government has been doing its best to improve the institutional and policy framework in order to mobilise the resources from all economic sectors for the country’s growth. Together with other development partners, the United Nations has played an important role in supporting Việt Nam’s development, integration and active participation in the global development context, through the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Việt Nam, sharing Việt Nam’s experiences with other developing countries, and the introduction of professional experiences that help ensure a sustainable and green growth economy with a balance between social and economic development”.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, UN Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam, Kamal Malhotra, affirmed that “Through the new OSP 2017-2021, the UN will continue to build on its comparative advantages in providing Việt Nam with integrated solutions to complex multidimensional development challenges by drawing on collective regional and global knowledge; supporting a normative voice on human rights, prioritising equity and citizen-centered reforms; and strengthening South-South cooperation.”