HCMC – The Executive Board of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has approved the 10th country program for Vietnam worth US$26.5 million to help the country achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The program targets 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.
Through the program, UNFPA commits to supporting the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Vietnam’s Sustainable Goals for the Decade of Action and the new Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2026) under the Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2021-2030) framework, both of which make focused attention to population dynamics and population issues.
The 10th country program was developed following extensive consultations with the Vietnamese Government and other national and international stakeholders. It is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Vietnam to fulfil the transformative promise of “Leaving no one behind” by directly contributing to two areas namely inclusive social development, and governance and access to justice, thus reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities.
“Building on the successes of the previous country programs, UNFPA’s interventions and initiatives in the next five years 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,” said Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative for Vietnam.
“Rights-based, gender-sensitive, and people-centered approaches will be used, and interventions in relation to humanitarian preparedness and response in light of climate change will be mainstreamed across all programmatic intervention areas,” she added.
As prioritized by the Vietnamese Government, much attention of UNFPA country program 2022-2026 will be placed to digital transformation and data revolution by effectively using information communication technology particularly to reach those furthest behind.
The new UNFPA country program has been designed to cover adolescents and youth, population aging and social protection, equitable access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, data and evidence for policy and program making, gender-based violence and harmful practices, and multi-sectoral response to gender-based violence and harmful practices.
To achieve these results, UNFPA will partner with the Government and national institutions fully in line with the principles of national ownership and mutual accountability.
UNFPA and the Government of Vietnam, through the Ministry of Planning and Investment as the Government coordinating agency, will be jointly accountable for the management of the program, and will plan, monitor and evaluate program implementation using the results-based management approach.
UNFPA will also continue to strengthen its technical and financial base in partnership with development partners such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Norway among others, as well as non-traditional partners and the private sector entities including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Vital Strategies, and MSD.
In terms of UNFPA’s humanitarian support to Vietnam, UNFPA will focus on the provision of integrated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the prevention and response to gender-based violence, and support for the elderly population groups.
The rights and choices of women and girls, young people and older persons affected by humanitarian crises will be prioritized, leaving no one behind.
