Vietnam secures 221 million in UN development programmes for 2027 2031

Vietnam's Minister of Finance, Ngo Van Tuan, recently received three Country Programme Documents from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in New York. The ceremony, held on September 22 at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, was attended by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, as well as UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

The three programmes, approved by the respective organizations' executive boards in September 2026, are expected to receive a combined funding of approximately $221.2 million. This includes $115.5 million for the UNDP programme, $85 million for UNICEF, and $20.7 million for UNFPA. The documents were handed over by Alexander De Croo (UNDP administrator), Catherine Russell (executive director of UNICEF), and Diene Keita (executive director of UNFPA).

The handover process, which began in late 2025, involved Vietnam's Ministry of Finance collaborating with its UN partners to identify development priorities and areas requiring support from the UN organizations over the next five years. The Vietnamese prime minister endorsed the main contents of the three documents in May 2026, enabling the UN organizations to submit their programmes to their respective executive boards during the September 2026 sessions.

The three country programme documents encompass various development priorities, such as inclusive human development, economic and digital transformation, climate change response, child protection, governance for children, population issues, ageing, gender equality, reproductive health, and the prevention and response to gender-based violence.

By establishing a framework for cooperation between Vietnam and the United Nations, the receipt of these documents is anticipated to facilitate international resource mobilization, support the implementation of Vietnam's development priorities and Sustainable Development Goals, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and sustainable development efforts.