Vietnam works with UNDP to accelerate socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas

The Project on Accelerating Multi-dimensional Poverty Reduction and Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority Areas 2020-2025 (SEDEMA) was signed in Hanoi on December 21.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister-Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Do Van Chien briefed on the process of building the national target programme (NTP) for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the 2021 – 2030 period.

This is the first time Vietnam has had a national target programme dedicated to ethnic minority and mountainous areas, he noted, adding that estimated budget for its first phase (2021 - 2025) approved by the National Assembly is over 137 trillion VND (5.86 billion USD).

However, the implementation of the programme is facing numerous difficulties, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chien said.
He expressed his wish that through this project, the research, evaluation and implementation of policies for ethnic minority development from the central to local levels will be improved.

UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen believed that the ethnic minorities, with their creativeness, will turn the national target programme into an effective tool to promote local socio-economic development.

UNDP is willing to cooperate with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities, ministries, agencies and provinces to support the Vietnamese Government in this important effort, said she.

The project aims to provide policy consultancy and technical support for the development of guiding documents for the NTP and SEDEMA implementation, including an assessment of implementation results mechanisms adopted in the New Rural Development and the NTP on Sustainable Poverty Reduction so as to inform and recommend the appropriate, innovative mechanisms for adoption in the NTP and SEDEMA.

It will also deliver technical support to the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs in development and introduction of innovative solutions under the NTP-SEDEMA and launching event, as well as technical support for digital transformation in implementation and management of the NTP- SEDEMA./.