The mountainous Dien Bien province in the north-western region of Vietnam is home to many people from the Thai ethnic group, including Lo Van Huy (not his real name). Huy is his family's only son and his extended family's firstborn son. Huy’s family started doubting his sexual orientation during high school. His family openly pressured him to get married and even sent him for “treatment of homosexuality”. Throughout high school, he was ill-spoken by the surrounding community and felt unaccepted by his loved ones. Shame and devastation almost pushed him to the edge of committing suicide. Subsequently, Huy spent much time on social media at home to avoid social pressure in his neighbourhood.  On an online platform, he met his lover, a young man from another district of Dien Bien province. He also got contacted by a community-based organisation (CBO) of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Dien Bien province through social media. The organisation provided Huy counselling and HIV screening test and distributed condoms and lubricants to him for HIV prevention afterwards.  Upon graduating from high school, Huy moved to Hanoi for work to avoid the stigma and family pressure related to his sexual orientation while his boyfriend was still studying in Dien Bien province. They remained lovers but haven’t come out. Fearing information disclosure and not having sex partners, Huy did not actively reach out to any MSM CBO in Hanoi and stayed connected with the peer educator he is familiar with from the MSM CBO in Dien Bien province. As a result, not until he returned to visit his hometown in September this year did Huy have a second HIV screening test and continue to receive condoms and lubricants. He was introduced to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)[1] services but was not willing to be referred to PrEP service in Hanoi while PrEP is still unavailable in his hilly home province. “We reached out to MSM in Dien Bien province mostly through mobile apps, and social media closed groups before getting connected in person. Many are young MSM living in districts, hiding their sexual orientation out of fear of stigma and lacking understanding of safe sex and HIV. I wish we will soon have PrEP service in Dien Bien so HIV prevention will be easier and more effective for my community.” Said Lo Van Thinh, head of Hoa Ban Trang MSM CBO in Dien Bien province. The HIV epidemic is surging among MSM, especially young MSM in Viet Nam. 47% of newly diagnosed HIV infections in 2020 were among MSM. HIV prevalence among young MSM (15 – 24 years) quadrupled, from 3% in 2011 to 13% in 2020. The lack of PrEP services across the country will negate the gains in preventing HIV infections among MSM. Evidence shows PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%[2].  “Further scaling up and sustaining high impact HIV interventions such as PrEP is key for Viet Nam to achieve HIV targets by 2025 and stay on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” said Dr Maria Elena Filio Borromeo, Country Director of UNAIDS in Viet Nam. Reducing the geographical differences in HIV services availability enables the hard-to-reach populations to timely access highly effective HIV prevention and other essential HIV services in any setting that they find safe and trustful. Increasing the availability, quality and suitability of HIV-related services across the country is instrumental to an equitable and sustainable HIV response in Viet Nam.   [1] Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective preventive treatment to prevent sexual transmission of HIV among men who have sex with men. [2] US CDC. (2022). Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/prep/index.html#:~:text=PrEP%20reduces%20the%20risk%20of,use%20by%20at%20least%2074%25.

Ms. Pauline Tamesis, the recently appointed Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, brings to her new role four years of valuable experience leading the UN Country Team in Cambodia (2018-2022) and advancing tri-sector engagement between the UN, national authorities and the private sector. During her position as the Resident Coordinator of Cambodia, Ms. Tamesis led the UN Country Team in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Royal School of Administration in launching “Cambodia Future’s Lab’: a six month learning initiative which brought stakeholders from Government, private sector and civil society together to foster collaborative leadership and discuss new ways of addressing cross-sectoral issues from climate change, social protection and digital transformation. By regularly convening these stakeholders together on an equal footing, the Resident Coordinator established a creative space to engage, build trust and reshape pathways towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Resident Coordinator served as the single-entry point in providing UN-wide support to the Government of Cambodia in its emergency response and long-term recovery efforts. By mobilizing support from the UN’s Joint SDG Fund, the Resident Coordinator’s enabled the UN Country Team to launch the Social Protection Joint Programme in 2020.The joint programme contributed to the COVID-19 Cash Transfer Programme with host authorities, which provided a direct cash transfer to at least 560,000 households covering approximately 2.4 million people. The Resident Coordinator also mobilized the analytical capacities in the UN Country Team, anchored in the UN economists’ network leveraged by the economist in the Resident Coordinator’s office, to inform the Government in its policy-and decisionmaking processes to improve growth and reduce poverty. Economic modelling and evidence-based analysis capabilities were embedded in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to inform the Government’s stimulus planning. A UN-backed study demonstrated how social protection programming was the most effective way to protect vulnerable groups from the impact of the pandemic, helping to reduce poverty by an estimated 3.4%. Arriving in Viet Nam in June 2022, the Resident Coordinator applied lessons learnt from Cambodia, nurturing shared platforms to boost dialogue between the 20 agencies that comprise the UN Country Team, national partners and civil society, to her new position. Under her leadership, the UN team in Viet Nam is now using foresight and system mapping to better plan and prepare for contingencies, with strengthened partnerships with the Government, civil society and the private sector. 

On October 13th, the Award Ceremony of the Circular Living Design Challenge within the framework of “Hanoi ReThink” - a joint project by UNESCO, UNIDO, and UN-Habitat - celebrated creative and sustainable design ideas of young people to build Hanoi as a creative city. As a part of the “Hanoi Rethink” project - Component on Fostering creative industries and digital fabrication in Hanoi by UNIDO, Fab City Foundation hosted a series of creative activities such as the Distributed Design Course, the Circular Living Design Challenge and the Make-a-thon event from July to September 2022. Among them, the Circular Living Design Challenge seeks new ideas that can motivate and develop the values and heritage of Hanoi in the cultural and creative economy. The contest attracted many new ideas with rich materials and techniques, from applying traditional crafts to digital fabrication technology and extended design. The ideas showed innovative approaches and solutions in the following topics: waste-to-value solutions; heritage, crafts, and new technologies; new educational models; distributed design principles, etc. The teams/individuals got help from the facilitators to develop their concepts and create prototypes at the Make-a-thon event organized by Fablab USTH and Maker Viet. The highest awards were given to 3 projects with the most sustainable, innovative, and scalable design across Hanoi and Vietnam, including “Mi Tom Xanh” by the author group of Nguyen Cong Duy Anh, Le Ngoc Linh, and Vu Thi Thao; “The Sound of Recycled Wood” by Nguyen Thi Hao, and “Coloring Air Quality” by Nguyen Tran Nam Phuong. In addition, the Promising Ideas Awards were awarded to 3 contestants who have an innovative approach and high potential for future development, including: “Moss Air Purifier” by Le Vu Cuong, Hoang Thi Minh Ngoc, and Vu Ngoc Phuong Anh; “Hanoi Cultural Heritage Postcards using AR application” by Huynh Ngoc Thai Anh; and “Hanoi Connect” by Nguyen Khac Toi, Nguyen Trung Kien and Nguyen Ngoc Linh. Ms. Vu Thi Thao – the teacher at Vinschool High School and her students brought the " Mi Tom Xanh" products to the contest, which recycles the instant noodles packaging material into useful and aesthetic products. She shared: “My students and I have learned a lot through the contest's training program and expert advice on project development as well as equipment such as instant noodle wrap processing machines. My young students learned a lot through this project, they knew how to share with others through charity, to recycle waste, and call for community participation in donating instant noodles wraps.” “What we will see here today is a different kind of empowerment, namely creative minds developing their brilliant ideas into concrete projects. Through Hanoi Rethink, UNIDO together with Fab Lab Foundation, work closely with existing maker spaces in Hanoi, and through the Circular Living Design Contest we have sought to further engage the creative people of Hanoi and connect them to the creative hubs in Hanoi.” - Mr. Kjell Sundin, project manager of the UNIDO component in Hanoi Rethink project said at the award ceremony. From October 14th to 21st, the top three winning project owners were sponsored to attend Bali Fab Fest 2022 in Indonesia. This is an international event gathering the global network of Fab Labs to promote digital fabrication, green technologies, and digital innovation. The Vietnamese delegation had the chance to introduce their products and participate in diverse workshops, ranging from craft to digital fabrication, green materials, as well as sustainable approaches using advanced technologies. Through these activities, they had the opportunity to exchange and connect with friends from around the world. They were truly inspired to develop their projects in a more sustainable direction. And they will continue to inspire other creators in Hanoi and Vietnam upon coming back.

Written by Tran Phuong Anh HANOI –  A blue beret Viet Nam’s UN peacekeeper building trust in the community she is protecting, a young WHO professional working at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Climate Change youth activist mobilizing networks and strength of knowledge to advocate for climate solutions, an ethnic young girl defying barriers to advance and give back – all gathered at an unprecedented dialogue with the visiting United Nations Secretary General (SG), Antonio Guterres where they proved ‘there is no greater power than the power of youth.’ ‘Captivating, inspiring and defining’ can somewhat illustrate the spirited conversation taking place on 22 October in a symposium packed with Vietnamese youths and adorned with the color blue coming from a large group of Vietnamese UN peacekeepers. The event gave a glimpse into the indispensable roles that the Vietnamese youth of our time are playing across the frontlines, their advanced way of thinking, and their hard work as a testament to the SG’s affirmation on this occasion: “young people are not only owners of the future but also owners of the present.” “The youth of Viet Nam is capable of moving the country forward even more successfully,” said Antonio Guterres who was very emotional when greeted with a Portuguese dance by a group of Vietnamese youth. The SG was impressed with the young people of Viet Nam for “their dynamics, their will to give back and dedication.” Opening the event, Viet Nam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son said, “We are honored to be joined today by a world leader who needs no introduction. His leadership, experience and vision will inspire you all.” “Make the best of your activism, innovation and determination to set your future, the nation’s future.” According to him, the world today is home to more young people than ever in human history. Yet, young generations are growing up at a time marked by profound challenges, from climate change, inadequate education, youth unemployment to the COVID-19 pandemic. But young people are not passive accepting this world. They are taking the lead in preparing the world forward. Sa Minh Ngoc, a former UN peacekeeper in South Sudan shared as she opened the dialogue for the youth, “Viet Nam is a peace-loving nation. The more we cherish and are proud of our history, the more we hope that people around the world live in peace, prosperity and happiness.” Ngoc is among more than 500 officers from Viet Nam having been called on duty. Almost 60 per cent of the deployed staff are young officers, who are members of the Viet Nam military youth union. “As young people, we have been spearheading most of the assigned tasks. We’ve witnessed the tough lives of the people in the nations we are deployed to, the chaos, the misery, the poverty. We often see children who are not able to go to school,” said Ngoc. “We cherish more than ever the value of peace. We often try our best to overcome the obstacles to successfully complete our duties as staff officers of the contingent.” She added that the Viet Nam youth movement in the UN missions also had pioneered in the civic activities – which helped build trust and connections with the local community. These were simple, practical and effective projects such as road building, repairing schools, making school supplies and children toys from recycled items or helping the locals with cultivation techniques. In the SG’s words, this was ‘crucial.’ “The crucial aspect in the peacekeeping operation is the establishment of the relationship of trust between the peacekeepers and the local communities,” said he. “What we’ve heard is the best description of this principle.” He added since Viet Nam has a long history fighting for independence and unity that was deeply rooted in the people, it helps today's Vietnamese peacekeepers understand the importance of immersing in the local populations where they work like ‘fish in water.’ Phung Kim Quang from WHO, meanwhile, shared an experience of fighting the enemy at the gates – the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience evolved around what he called “firefighting” and “housebuilding” – or being at the frontline finding solutions for emergency situations and putting all systems needed in place for the long run. “In emergency situations like COVID-19, young people have proven to be the force to be reckoned with as we came in the scene with a fresh mind and a ready-to-act attitude,” said Quang. “For young Vietnamese, we are humble but ambitious. We are bold and not afraid to take the lead.” According to the SG, across the world as learnt from the pandemic, there should be a perfect link between reformed health systems and the people’s needs. “My impression is that thanks to a very impressive vaccination campaign, Viet Nam was able to protect the population and open the economy. That’s a very difficult balance that many countries have not yet found,” said he. Pham Ngoc Anh, a Youth for Climate Change activist, joined the conversation with her take on Climate Change as the “defining issue of our time” – quoting the SG. “I just came from India where together with the Prime Minister we launched a program called Lifestyle for the Environment,” said Guterres. He added that like Ngoc Anh – who is working on the second Youth for Climate Change action report and a statement contributing to the global youth statement for COP 27, young people play an important part in mobilizing people in behaving in the way that are environmentally responsible. “The truth is that young people have been driving global public opinions in a fantastic way. Young people on the social media, through their educational systems and on the streets as well as in so many places in the world have been pushing hard and driving the society to understand that Climate Change is the defining issue of our time and if we fail now our future will be comprised,” said he. Adding an important note into the dialogue was the story of Le Thu Trang – an ethnic youth from the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang. She’s currently working on biodiversity preservation of the Cao Bang UNESCO-recognized geopark. A student of the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, she defied challenges to follow her educational path and at the same time, giving back to the community. Trang said: “My case is not the case for many people in Cao Bang. Not many people there can pursue education. My parents know the value of education even when they didn’t have the opportunity to go further with theirs.” “We need to be aware that those who have access to education in the world are still the minority,” commented Guterres, “That means those of us who have access to education have a duty to use what we gain from education for the service of those who don’t.” As the curtains were coming down on the event, the SG joined the four youths in sharing a “word of the day” in which he re-iterated the importance of ‘solidarity.’ “In our world today, we are facing enormous challenges. We’ve faced the pandemic. We are facing Climate Change and inequality. There’s only one way for us to not be defeated by these challenges – that is if we join efforts and we come together through solidarity.”