Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong speaks at the meeting. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The meeting focused on developing the Vietnam – United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the 2027-2031 period. The meeting was attended by numerous representatives from various ministries, sectors, and the United Nations agencies in Vietnam.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong emphasized the need to continue strengthening cooperation with the United Nations as the country accelerates institutional reforms and aims to become a high-income nation by 2045. He urged United Nations agencies to continue providing support in resources, international experience, policy advice, and institutional capacity building to facilitate rapid, sustainable, and inclusive development.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang affirmed that the United Nations is a key partner, expressing gratitude for its consistent support in helping Vietnam achieve significant development milestones. He emphasized that future Vietnam – United Nations cooperation should align with the country's priority areas and development orientations, such as science and technology development, innovation promotion, digital transformation, green transition, energy security, and building a high-quality workforce. Additionally, cooperation projects and programs should be elevated to be more substantive, effective, and reciprocal.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang speaks at the meeting. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Deputy Minister Giang noted that Vietnam is not only a recipient of one-way support from the United Nations but also actively contributes to the United Nations' joint efforts for peace, cooperation, and development. Notable contributions include deploying peacekeeping forces, hosting the signing ceremony of the Hanoi Convention, promoting international cooperation in cybercrime prevention, and supporting African countries in agricultural development through trilateral and South-South cooperation.

During the discussions, representatives from ministries, sectors, and the United Nations commended the significant achievements in implementing the Vietnam – United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the 2022-2026 period. They agreed that this serves as a foundation for building the next cooperation framework. Both sides concurred that the new framework must be innovative and groundbreaking to align with Vietnam's development, role, position, and new priorities and orientations.

Overview of the meeting. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment suggested that cooperation programs should enhance added value. The Ministry of Health called for increased cooperation and support in digital transformation and human resource quality. The Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized that cooperation programs should ensure coordination among relevant agencies to avoid overlap and duplication.

Acting United Nations Coordinator Silvia Danailov affirmed the importance of the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the United Nations, viewing it as a model for enhancing the United Nations' role with developing countries with middle-income levels. She expressed gratitude for Vietnam's contributions to the United Nations in recent times.

Acting United Nations Coordinator Silvia Danailov affirms the importance of the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the United Nations. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

United Nations agencies highly appreciated the constructive contributions from ministries and sectors, affirming their commitment to refining the Cooperation Framework in line with the agreed-upon direction. Ms. Danailov and heads of United Nations agencies in Vietnam also confirmed ongoing cooperation in specific areas, ensuring that each agency's national cooperation documents will align with the overarching Cooperation Framework.