The UNFPA Representative for Vietnam, Ms. Naomi Kitahara together with the Deputy Director General of the Foreign Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ms, Nguyen Thi Dieu Trinh chaired a meeting in Hanoi on 10 March 2022 to review the achievements recorded in the past 5 years under the framework of the 9^th UNFPA Country Programme for Vietnam.

The meeting also discussed the key intervention areas under the 10^th Country Programme for Vietnam for the period 2022 – 2026, which was approved by the UNFPA Executive Board on 3 February as well as next steps to deliver the new Programme, including the signing of 2022 annual work plans between UNFPA and the partner Ministries.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment as the Government coordinating agency 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 the elderly.

UNFPA’s interventions also brought in to Vietnam international best practice and innovation to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and other harmful practices, which was essenatial to enable the delivery of multisectoral services and coordination.

Under the framework of the 9^th Country Programme and particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, UNFPA has driven to innovate and try different ways of reaching out to vulnerable groups.

UNFPA’s humanitarian support to Vietnam in the past few years was also UNFPA priorities, which focuses on the provision of integrated sexual and reproductive health services, prevention and response to gender-based violence, and support to the elders.

Building on the successes of the 9^th Country Programme, UNFPA commits to supporting the implementation of Vietnam’s National Plan of Action for the Vietnam’s Sustainable Goals for the Decade of Action and its new Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2026) under the Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2021-2030), both of which place focused attention to population dynamics and population issues.  

The Executive Board of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recently approved the new 10^th country programme for Vietnam in the amount of US$26.5 million to achieve the sustainable development goals (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.

The UNFPA Representative for Vietnam Ms. Naomi Kitahara stressed: “The 10^th Country Programme will aim at achieving the transformative results of the UNFPA’s corporate Strategic Plan, towards Vietnam with Zero preventable maternal death, Zero unmet need for family planning, and Zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices against women and girls”./.