Minister Nguyen Dinh Khang met with Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, in Hanoi on July 30 to discuss priorities for future cooperation and review progress under their existing partnership.

Expanding cooperation for inclusive development
 

Minister Nguyen Dinh Khang praised the long-standing and effective partnership between UNDP and Vietnam's former Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, now the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 4, 2025, covering the 2025-2030 period with a vision to 2045. The agreement focuses on implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), promoting sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship, advancing the green and circular economy, accelerating digital transformation, protecting the environment and strengthening climate resilience.

Since the MoU was signed, the ministry and UNDP have worked closely to implement its commitments through policy dialogue, knowledge sharing, capacity building and the development of ethnic affairs databases.

Narrowing the development gap

Minister Nguyen Dinh Khang reaffirmed that Vietnam's Party and Government place ethnic affairs at the center of national development policies, ensuring that ethnic minority communities benefit from economic growth while enjoying equal rights and opportunities.

He said the country's long-term objective is to ensure equality, solidarity, mutual respect and shared development among all ethnic groups.

Despite significant government investment, however, natural conditions, mountainous terrain and dispersed populations continue to pose major development challenges.

Digital access also remains uneven. Some ethnic minority communities still face limited access to digital infrastructure, devices and digital skills, while several remote villages continue to experience unstable electricity supplies or lack reliable telecommunications coverage.

The Vietnamese government plans to address these gaps by 2027 to improve access to public services, education, healthcare, information and economic opportunities through digital platforms.

The minister called on UNDP to share international experience and support Vietnam's efforts to expand digital transformation in ethnic minority regions, strengthen sector-specific databases, improve digital literacy and develop practical digital livelihood models.

He also encouraged UNDP to provide the international community with objective information about Vietnam's efforts to improve living conditions for ethnic minority communities and promote equality among all ethnic groups.

In addition, Nguyen Dinh Khang expressed hope that UNDP would continue providing policy recommendations to help Vietnam refine socio-economic development strategies aimed at achieving more inclusive and sustainable growth.

UNDP reaffirms long-term commitment

For her part, Ramla Khalidi commended Vietnam's development achievements, particularly the progress made in ethnic minority areas.

She said Vietnam has demonstrated a strong commitment to poverty reduction, expanding access to essential services and creating greater development opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

Khalidi also highlighted the positive results of cooperation under the MoU, including implementation of CERD, economic development initiatives, entrepreneurship support, environmental protection, climate change adaptation and greater public participation in policymaking.

She noted that UNDP's long-standing partnership with Vietnam has been built on mutual trust, respect and a shared commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.

The UNDP Resident Representative reaffirmed the organization's readiness to continue supporting the ministry's priorities and welcomed new proposals and initiatives from the Vietnamese side.

Both sides agreed to build on existing achievements, strengthen exchanges between technical agencies and develop a roadmap for future cooperation.

Hoang Quy