Talk seeks ways to improve NGOs’ aid activities
Opportunities and challenges stemming from the country’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the ASEAN Community, and the aid activities of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Vietnam were discussed at a talk in Hanoi on May 26.
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Speaking at the event, Phan Anh Son, head of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, said that Vietnam has set up relations with around 1,000 NGOs, of which over 500 have carried out programmes and projects supporting Vietnam in numerous fields; including health, education, environmental protection, rural development and settlement of war consequences.
According to Son, Vietnam’s participation in the TPP agreement and the ASEAN Community affects not only its Government, people and businesses, but also NGOs operating in the country.
He suggested the organisations base their planning on the information they receive, the actual situation in Vietnam and their resources, to make long-term and sustainable programmes and projects to facilitate Vietnam’s participation in the agreement and the community.
Tran Viet Thai, deputy head of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, emphasised the role of NGOs in assisting Vietnam’s integration process.
He said that the organisations should help popularise information related to the agreement and the community to localities and businesses, and help them effectively implement measures related to human resource training, address commercial disputes and increase competitiveness.
Meanwhile, head of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Kim Dung, stated that improving the implementation of issues related to employment and sustainable poverty reduction requires the involvement of many parties, including foreign organisations, in boosting legal and mechanism reforms, and improving the investment and business environment.
At the event, participants from NGOs and foreign diplomatic representative offices in Vietnam, and Vietnamese ministries, also discussed opportunities and challenges in agriculture, and cooperation potential between NGOs and businesses during Vietnam’s integration process.
