The conference, themed “Sustainable Development and Ethnic Minority Poverty Reduction in Mountainous Regions”, was jointly organised by Thai Nguyen University and the World Bank (WB).

It aims to create opportunities for sustainable poverty reduction in the region, drawing lessons from successful experiences in Vietnam and elsewhere.

Almost 300 students across Vietnam shared their solutions on tackling poverty in the country

Participants reported that Vietnam’s record on economic growth and poverty reduction over the last two decades has been remarkable, with the poverty headcount falling from 58% in the early 1990s to 14.5% by 2008, and to an estimated 10% in 2010.

Ethnic minorities constitute the bulk of the absolute poor in Vietnam. Hence while ethnic minority poverty was only emerging as a concern in the late 1990s, it is becoming a central focus in poverty discussions today, they said.

The northern mountainous region, with high levels of poverty and low social development indicators, particularly in its ethnic minority communities are therefore at the center of these talks.

“While Ethnic Minorities represent less than 15% of Vietnam’s population, they make up almost 50% of Vietnam’s poor,” says Victoria Kwakwa, WB Country Director for Vietnam. “Achieving sustainable poverty reduction in these communities will require a holistic approach, with action across several challenges such as livelihoods and market linkages; natural resource management; and education and health in a more synergistic way.”

Delegates at the conference will give opinions on current policy and programs to target ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region and explore alternative approaches that can better tailor these programs to achieve greater impact in fighting poverty.

A key focus is experience sharing from Vietnam and different parts of the world. The conference also includes site visits to poverty reduction projects to see results on the ground.