The United Nations in Viet Nam

Photo: © UN in Viet Nam/Shutterstock

Viet Nam joined the United Nations on 20 September 1977. The UN’s support to Viet Nam began with focus on war reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. Recognizing the rapid changes in the economic and development context of Viet Nam, the UN has been expanded towards strengthening institutions, policies, social protection, health, education, agriculture, and more. With the aim to build sustainable and inclusive state, the UN in Viet Nam is working together with Viet Nam in accelerating SDG achievement and other national development priorities in four strategic areas: Investing in People; Ensuring climate resilience and environmental sustainability; Fostering prosperity and partnership; and Promoting justice, peace and inclusive governance.

Milestones

1

UN in Viet Nam adopted the Delivering as One initiative since 2006 with One UN approach for greater harmonization and impacts of the UN operation in Viet Nam. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, is the 3rd generation of UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) focusing on SDG implementation and representing the programmatic and operational framework for delivering UN support in Viet Nam.

2

With the UN’s substantial support, Viet Nam issued the National Action Plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2017, the first SDG Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2018, and the list of 158 nationalized SDG indicators (VSDG indicators) in January 2019. The UN is working with the Government to enhance SDG mainstreaming into the next national 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2021-2025) and 10-year Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2021-2030). 

3

Viet Nam applied multidimensional poverty approach in 2015 in identifying the national poverty standard in order to capture the multifaceted nature of poverty in the context of a fast urbanization and lower middle-income country like Viet Nam, marking a turning point in tackling poverty and vulnerability in the country. The income poverty is halved from 1993 to 2002, and the multidimensional poverty rate was estimated at 6.8% in 2018.

4

Viet Nam elevated to lower middle-income status in 2010, resulting in a notable decline in grant official development assistance (ODA) and less concessional loans. Viet Nam is challenged to take urgent actions for improving domestic private investment and FDI efficiency, enhancing government revenue, as well as towards integrated national financing framework for achieving SDGs.

5

Viet Nam has ratified the Paris Agreement, committed to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, and is implementing the country’s National Determined Contribution with the target of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 8% by 2030, or 25 per cent with international support.

6

In June 2019, Viet Nam was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as for 2020-2021. Viet Nam also made impressive efforts to support the UN’s Peacekeeping Operations with 29 missions to South Sudan and the Central African Republic since 2014. Also, in 2018, Viet Nam deployed its first level-two field hospital contingent to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan with 63 members.

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The Sustainable Development Goals in Viet Nam

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth's environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Viet Nam.