Participants at the event
The UNFPA Representative for Viet Nam 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 Thursday to review the achievements recorded in the past 5 years under the framework of the 9th UNFPA Country Programme for Viet Nam. The meeting also discussed the key intervention areas under the 10th Country Programme for Viet Nam 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.
Building on the successes of the 9th Country Programme, UNFPA commits to supporting the implementation of Viet Nam’s National Plan of Action for the Viet Nam’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 10th country programme for Viet Nam 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 expressed her appreciation for the Government’s partnership and collaboration with UNFPA since 1977 and particularly in the past 5 years. Ms. Naomi Kitahara highlighted some of the key breakthroughs that UNFPA ensured from the implementation of the outgoing programmes/projects. They included the strategic partnerships with both UNFPA traditional donors such as Australian DFAT, KOICA, Norway and Japan, and non-traditional partners including private sector entities such as MSD, Bloomberg and Vital Strategies. UNFPA Viet Nam now operates for the implementation of various projects with annual budgets which have increased almost by 3 times by the end of 2021.
UNFPA Representative for Vietnam Ms. Naomi Kitahara
Ms. Naomi Kitahara stressed: “The 10th Country Programme will aim at achieving the transformative results of the UNFPA’s corporate Strategic Plan, towards Viet Nam with Zero preventable maternal death, Zero unmet need for family planning, and Zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices against women and girls. The Programme in the coming 5 years is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Viet Nam 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.”
While implementing the 10th country programme, UNFPA will continue to partner with the Government, other national institutions in accordance with UNFPA’s comparative advantages and technical competencies, and fully in line with the principles of national ownership and mutual accountability. Under the United Nations Development System (UNDS) reform agenda, UNFPA will contribute to joint initiatives with different United Nations agencies.