Published in Vietnam Plus magazine on 16 June, 2010

The Delivering as One (DAO) initiative has helped the initial pilot countries to meet their socio-economic development needs much more effectively, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung when opening a senior-level international conference on the UN’s DAO initiative, in Hanoi on June 16.

The conference on “Delivering as One: Lessons from Country-led Evaluations and Way Forward” brought together 260 delegates from the eight programme pilot countries, eight programme volunteer countries, seven guest countries and 22 donor countries. It was also attended by officials from the UN and several international organisations plus the diplomatic corps in Vietnam.

 

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7 May, 2010: Below is a summary of news articles published today about the Harmonised Programme and Project Management Guidelines (HPPMG) which were recently approved for harmonizing and simplying work between the Government of Viet Nam and the United Nations in Viet Nam.

"Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam John Hendra on May 6th in Ha Noi signed the Harmonized Project and Programme Management Guidelines (HPPMG) between Viet Nam and the United Nations. According to John Hendra, the HPPMG marks an important turning point in the trusted partnership between both parties. “Never within the UN system, in Viet Nam or elsewhere in the world, has there been a joint set of programme and project management practices that embodies such a high degree of alignment and harmonisation”, he said.

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21 April, 2010 - Viet Nam News spoke to delegates to the International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza yesterday about the continuing bird flu threat. Dr. John Marc Olivé, WHO representative in Viet Nam said “It’s been seven years now that Viet Nam and other parts of the world have been fighting influenza and the disease has come to the end of a cycle in which there are now only 12 countries reported to have it and only three reporting human cases,” he said. “It's however important that people understand the risk is still there. If it's not H5N1, it can be any kind of other avian influenza virus,” he added. “I also expect political and financial commitments between major partners to achieve global partnership in the control of avian influenza,” he added. Julie Hall, Senior Technical Advisor, UN System Influenza Coordination said Viet Nam Government has made genuine efforts to tackle this virus. “They're seeing quite marked successes in reducing the number of human cases, animal outbreaks and areas in Viet Nam infected with the virus, but we know that it will take more time and effort to be able to fully control the virus,” she said. “Like many other countries in Asia, Viet Nam has a large population of poultry and people, and this provides the opportunity for the virus to thrive,” she said. “That's why we have a global conference here with representatives from different countries.”

Click here to read the full article from Radio Australia News http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201004/2877851.htm?desktop

[The Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper interviewed UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam Bruce Campbell on 17 April 2010 about an important population issue, the "demographic bonus".]

Vietnam needs careful mix of socio economic policies to address ‘demographic bonus. 

As a surge in working-age population ushers in a “golden era” for Vietnamese development, education, social security and gender equality are crucial for the development of the country, Bruce Campbell, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam, told Thanh Nien Weekly in an interview.

Thanh Nien Weekly: Vietnam is going through what analysts call its “demographic bonus” period, in which the number of working-age people nearly doubles that of those who are of dependent age. What are the opportunities it brings for the country?

Bruce Campbell: Usually, this period of demographic bonus happens only once in a nation’s lifetime and in Vietnam, it is happening from now until 2040.
This era is also known as the ‘golden era’ as it presents opportunities for the socioeconomic development of a country. The demographic dividend enables Vietnam to effectively use this abundant and young labor force for the next phase of economic growth, especially from 2011 onwards, when the country will embrace middle-income status.

The abundant labor force and low labor cost used to be considered Vietnam’s competitive advantages. However, manual laborers account for a high percentage of the force, while the country needs skilled workers to serve development.

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