The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has approved a new project worth US$3.1 million to promote the comprehensive development of Vietnamese young people, especially vulnerable youth.

Vietnam's young people in an election campaign. Photo: VNA

The project, which is within the framework of UNFPA’s 10th Country Program 2022-2026 (VNM10P01), aims to support Vietnam in implementing and monitoring laws and policies for comprehensive youth development and youth participation, including in natural disasters and pandemics.

The UN body will provide technical and financial support to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and other relevant agencies to effectively implement and monitor the implementation of the Youth Law and related policies, and carry out programs for comprehensive youth development.

The project will be in line with Vietnam's socio-economic development plan, as well as plans and strategies of MoHA and other youth-related organizations.

"This project reaffirms UNFPA’s commitment to assisting the Ministry of Home Affairs and implementing partners in ensuring that young people's rights to comprehensive development, particularly in the areas of access to Life Skills and Comprehensive Sexuality Education, are satisfied,” said UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara.

Through the project, UNFPA, in collaboration with MOHA and other key partners, aims to empower and support young people, particularly those from vulnerable populations, to meaningfully participate in policy development and implementation, thereby contributing to Vietnam's efforts to achieve SDGs by 2030, she noted.

Scope of the project includes implementing the Youth Law, the Vietnamese Youth Development Strategy and other policies and programs related to youth; strengthening the monitoring of the implementation of the Youth Law, youth development policies and programs, including in humanitarian crises such as natural disasters and pandemics; developing platforms/mechanisms and policies to enhance the active participation of young people, especially vulnerable youth, in the development and monitoring of laws, programs and policies related to youth; and developing Life Skills and Comprehensive Sexuality Education for adolescents and youth in schools, vocational institutions and out-of-school young people.

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said: "The project activities are consistent with UNFPA’s priorities as well as the country’s socio-economic development and the current situation and the needs of Vietnamese youth in the coming years."

One of the objectives of the project is to create a favorable environment to support youth development, which focuses on life skills education, and sexuality education; at the same time to build a mechanism promoting youth participation in policies and programs responding to emergencies, natural disasters and epidemics, she highlighted.

UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara (L) and Vietnam's Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra at the launch of the project held on April 29. Photo: UNFPA

The UNFPA 10th Country Program, with a total cost of $26.5 million, will aim at achieving the transformative results of its corporate Strategic Plan, for Vietnam with Zero preventable maternal deaths, Zero unmet need for family planning, and Zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices against women and girls.

The Program in the coming 5 years is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Vietnam to fulfill the transformative promise of “Leaving no one behind.”

The Program focuses on Adolescents and Youth; Population Ageing and Social Protection; Equitable Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; Data and Evidence for Policy and Program Making; Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices; and Multi-sectoral Response to Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices.

Vietnam is in the phase of demographic transition in which adolescents and youth aged 10-24 account for 21% of the total population, according to the 2019 Population and Housing Census.

According to the Vietnam Youth Development Strategy 2021-2025, Comprehensive Youth Development includes education, vocational training and employment, culture, health and life skills to create young, high quality human resources to meet the needs of accelerated industrialization, modernization, and international integration.

The investment in comprehensive youth development in the coming years will open opportunities for Vietnam to utilize the golden population period for its socio-economic development.