Linking international resources with Vietnam's new development priorities

Delegates take a commemorative photo at the Conference. (Photo: Trung Anh)

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations Ngo Le Van and Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong co-chaired the conference.

The conference was attended by over 250 delegates representing various committees, ministries, and central agencies; leaders and representatives from 22 provinces and cities, and nearly 100 foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Vietnam.

Cooperation orientation aligned with strategic development goals

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations Ngo Le Van delivers the opening speech at the Conference. (Photo: Trung Anh)

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations Ngo Le Van emphasised that 2026 marks the first year Vietnam implements the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party and the 2026-2030 Socio-Economic Development Plan.

Vietnam enters a new era with the goal of becoming a modern industrialised nation with high middle-income status by 2030 and a developed, high-income country by 2045.

In this journey, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation are identified as strategic breakthroughs, serving as the core driving force for the economy.

The Deputy Minister acknowledged and highly appreciated the effective and practical contributions of NGOs in development support and humanitarian aid in Vietnam.

Besides financial resources supporting areas with many difficulties, NGOs also bring valuable knowledge and technology resources, helping to enhance governance experience and creative community development models for Vietnam.

To deepen and synchronise cooperation with Vietnam's new priorities, Deputy Minister Ngo Le Van proposed three strategic orientations for the upcoming period.

First, link cooperation activities with Vietnam's development priorities and the practical needs of each locality, focusing on new areas such as digital transformation, green economy, climate change response, and sustainable development alongside traditional social welfare sectors.

Second, further enhance the quality, effectiveness, and sustainability of cooperation, focusing on increasing knowledge sharing, technology transfer, training, and capacity building for Vietnamese partners; while exploring new cooperation models that can mobilise the participation of governments, businesses, and citizens.

Third, strengthen dialogue, coordination, and information sharing to create a favourable environment for NGOs' activities in Vietnam to meet the increasing demands for governance and transparency.

Policy updates and creating a multi-dimensional dialogue space

Delegates actively exchange, share experiences, and seek cooperation opportunities at the Conference. (Photo: Trung Anh)

Besides updating policies, regulations, and legal frameworks, the Conference dedicated time to direct exchanges, dialogues, and connections between ministries, sectors, localities, and NGOs.

In two thematic discussion sessions, representatives from ministries, sectors, localities, and NGOs delved into two main topics: “Science - Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation” and “Sustainable Economic - Environmental and Cultural - Social Development”.

The discussions were candid and lively, clarifying the practical needs of localities as well as the knowledge and technology strengths of NGOs in the new phase.

The discussion results not only helped unify the direction of shifting from traditional humanitarian support to sustainable development cooperation but also suggested many effective “pairing” models between funding capabilities and socio-economic development priorities of each locality.

Hai Phong - A positive and effective local connection model

Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong speaks at the Conference. (Photo: Trung Anh)

Notably, for the first time, the 2026 Conference on Meeting with Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations was held in a locality, demonstrating the determination to bring development partners closer to grassroots realities, thereby enhancing the connection between local development needs and the resources, experiences, and initiatives from NGOs.

Hai Phong is one of the localities with high economic growth rates. In the first six months of 2026, the city's GRDP increased by 11.33% compared to the same period, ranking first among the seven centrally governed cities and third nationwide. The work with NGOs is given attention by the City Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city, identified as part of people's external relations and a supplementary resource for socio-economic development.

With 68 NGOs operating, in the first eight months of 2026, the total committed aid value from NGOs in the city reached 3,583,498 USD.

The aid is focused on practical areas such as social welfare, education, healthcare, support for disadvantaged individuals, social protection, community development, and capacity building for vulnerable groups. In the 2026–2030 orientation, Hai Phong also prioritizes mobilizing and directing resources from NGOs into areas such as digital transformation, green growth, and social welfare, linking international cooperation resources with the city's development goals.

On behalf of the local government, City Party Committee Member and Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Hoang Minh Cuong affirmed that the city will continue to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, creating favourable conditions for NGOs to implement programs and projects that align with the local development needs, ensuring effectiveness, practicality, and alignment with the city's development orientations in the new phase.

Specific cooperation outcomes

Within the framework of the Conference, NGOs signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Vietnamese localities, expanding cooperation to implement development support programs and projects. (Photo: Trung Anh)

Within the framework of the Conference, several cooperation agreements (MoU) were signed between localities and NGOs.

According to the plan, later that day, delegates will participate in a field survey program at two exemplary projects funded by NGOs in Hai Phong.

Building on the positive outcomes of the first Meeting with NGOs in August 2025, the second Meeting with NGOs in 2026 concluded successfully, achieving many substantive results and continuing to pave the way for deeper and more sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and the NGO community in the new development phase.

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