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ONE STRATEGIC PLAN

2017-2021

Between

The Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

And

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

International Labour Organization (ILO)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

International Trade Centre (ITC)

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

 United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

World Health Organization (WHO)

^{_{TABLE OF CONTENTS}} 

Acronyms                                                                                                                                   6

Executive Summary                                                                                                                  10

Signature Page                                                                                                                         15

Preamble                                                                                                                                   17

Introduction                                                                                                                             19

1. Development Context and UN Comparative Advantages                                                          20
2. One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results: Focus Areas and Outcomes                                          30
3. Partnerships                                                                                                                        45
4. One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Management and Implementation                                             48
5. Common Budgetary Framework and One Plan Fund                                                                53
6. Monitoring and Evaluation                                                                                                     55
7. Commitments by All Parties                                                                                                   57
8. Legal Context                                                                                                                      60

Annexes                                                                                                                                  62

Annex I.i - Cooperation and Assistance Agreements

Annex I.ii - Common Budgetary Framework by Agency

Annex I.iii - UNDP Security Provisions

Annex I.iv - One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results and Resources Framework

^_ACRONYMS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 represents the programmatic and operational framework for delivering United Nations (UN) support to the Government over the next five years and sets out how the UN will deliver as one in support of national development priorities. The Plan is aligned with the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-2020, the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Viet Nam’s international human rights commitments. 

In preparation, the UN conducted an Independent Review of the One Plan 2012-2016, a Common Country Assessment, a Consultative Review of the Role, Position and Partnerships for the UN in a Lower Middle-Income Context, a strategic planning process and extensive consultations with the Government, development partners and other stakeholders.

Development context

Over the three decades since the launch of doi moi(renovation) reforms, Viet Nam has enjoyed significant economic growth due to sustained market-based reforms, a gradual lifting of barriers and integration in the global economy. Achievements in reducing poverty have been remarkable, with the poverty rate falling from nearly 60 percent in 1993 to just 7 percent in 2015.

With the conclusion of various free trade agreements, Viet Nam’s economy is expected to add 6.5 million additional jobs by 2030, most of them linked to export manufacturing industries. However, concerns remain about the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and small and medium-sized enterprises, and an integrated policy package will be required to promote structural transformation.

By shifting from exports of raw agricultural products and labour-intensive manufacturing to producing more diversified and sophisticated goods, Viet Nam’s increased global integration is helping to generate jobs and employment for low and semi-skilled workers. However, Viet Nam risks falling into the “middle-income trap” unless it can shift from capital-intensive growth based on extensive cheap labour to growth based on productivity, innovation and inclusion.

Viet Nam’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) performance has been exceptional, with the majority of targets met in full and ahead of time. Yet disparities persist. In spite of the overall development success, there is a need to develop a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions of poverty and the many ways vulnerability is experienced in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is experiencing strong growth in the movement of people both within and beyond its borders. Economic factors, including employment opportunities and livelihood options, are major motivating factors that underpin the decision for many Vietnamese to migrate. While migration continues to play an increasingly important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam there is an ongoing need to further promote safe migration pathways and ensure the protection of migrants’ rights, including through the prevention of human trafficking and people smuggling and the protection of victims of trafficking. Internal migration is also leading to rapid urbanization, with the urban population now accounting for nearly 35 percent of the total. Agricultural workers are moving at increasing rates to cities and industrial centres in search of higher-paid jobs in the goods manufacturing and service industries. 

While gender equality in Viet Nam has improved over time issues remain. Gender stereotypes affect not only women and girls, but also those not conforming to gender norms. Whilst the country has met MDG 3 on gender equality, the representation of women in decision-making positions in Viet Nam remains very low. Rates of gender-based violence are high and son preference contributes to a highly imbalanced sex ratio at birth. Women also face barriers accessing resources, services, assets, as well as education and training. They remain predominantly employed in informal occupations, where they earn about half of what men earn and face higher job insecurity. The earlier retirement age also limits opportunities and results in lower monthly pensions. 

As a lower middle-income country, Viet Nam is facing new challenges, including slowing economic growth, macroeconomic instability, new forms of poverty and vulnerabilities and increased inequality. Although the Party in 2012 committed to establishing a universal social protection system by 2020, Viet Nam’s social protection system remains fragmented, giving rise to a growing ‘missing middle’. 

Viet Nam’s basic health indicators are higher than those of countries with similar levels of development, yet disparities exist across regions and populations, disproportionately affecting the poor, ethnic minorities and those living in hard to reach areas. Many young people have difficulty accessing quality sexual and reproductive health services, as these services currently focus on married couples. Viet Nam also faces new challenges, with a complex burden of disease and the evolving impacts of development, climate change and globalization. Non-communicable diseases comprise nearly three quarters of the total disease burden, and this is set to increase further with the population ageing. Prevention and control of tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS remains challenging, whilst emerging and re-emerging diseases are continuing threats.  

Viet Nam is viewed as an international education success story, achieving by 2012 a net enrolment rate of 99 percent in primary school, just over 87 percent enrolled in lower secondary education and a 95% literacy rate. Significant developments have also been made in improving the quality of learning and teaching, school facilities and the overall learning environment. However, disparities persist among ethnic minority children, children with disabilities, migrant children and those in remote and hard to reach areas, especially in the early years. As in other social sector areas, socialisation reforms have resulted in an expansion of fees that have affected low and middle-income families, with households having to shoulder an increasing burden of out-of-pocket spending. 

Viet Nam faces extreme risks from climate change and natural disasters, especially along its long coastline and in mountainous regions. The poor, women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Extreme weather events due to climate change, including typhoons, drought and salt water intrusion, are becoming more frequent, intense and difficult to forecast, which risks derailing fragile development gains. 

Viet Nam’s economy is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and unless it changes course it will become a major regional greenhouse gas emitter. This will lead to environmental degradation, increase disaster risks and undermine opportunities for sustainable development. Forthcoming policy choices on infrastructure, energy, urbanization, production and consumption patterns will determine the success, or otherwise, of Viet Nam’s transition towards green, low-emission and climate-resilient development. 

Public participation is vital in policy and decision-making processes to ensure people-centred development. In spite of progress, there is an urgent need to expand grassroots participation in governance, including for women and vulnerable and marginalized groups such as children, migrants and ethnic, gender and sexual minorities. 

Since Viet Nam’s entry into membership in the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term, the National Assembly has been increasingly engaged in following up on human rights-related recommendations with the Government, with support from the UN. The 2013 Constitution also indicates enhanced commitment to respect, protect and fulfil civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.^[1]  International treaties to which Viet Nam is a party prevail over domestic law in cases where they conflict. As such, national legislations need to be harmonized with international human rights treaties and their provisions, and Vietnam is encouraged to consider the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution.

Major Constraints and Weaknesses

UN analysis has identified a number of major constraints and weaknesses that, if addressed effectively, could hold the key to accelerating the high-impact progress required to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Government coordination: Cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration should be improved to help ensure better accountability, service delivery and partnerships with other development actors. 

Government accountability mechanisms: National institutions should be strengthened to serve as a check and balance on government action, as well as to enhance transparency and regulatory systems to curtail corruption. 

Implementation challenges: National capacity should be strengthened to develop and implement policy and regulatory frameworks.

Social norms: Progressive inter-generational change in social and political norms must be a fundamental element of efforts to improve equitable and sustainable development. 

Data systems and evidence-based processes: These must be improved to advance equality and equitable development, including access to essential services.

Public expenditure: Budget allocation systems for public sector expenditure need to be more targeted and evidence-based with stronger public scrutiny, enhanced transparency and regularly published, high quality data.

People’s participation: A safe and enabling environment is needed for people to engage in public dialogue on the need for accessible service delivery and more effective, participatory governance, as well as to participate in service provision partnerships.

UN Comparative Advantages

With the new SDG agenda the UN must respond to change and ensure alignment with national development priorities, taking account of Viet Nam’s broader regional and global aspirations. This means shifting to provide more timely demand-driven advice and technical support, leveraged together with key expertise in the public and private sectors, in a client/partner rather than aid recipient relationship.

Impartial, unbiased and evidence-based advice and support are key areas where the UN has a comparative advantage, and where it should maximize efforts during the period of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Priorities will include:

• Offering objective and impartial development policy options drawing on collective global knowledge; 
• Helping to develop clear and practical approaches in support of the realization of the SDGs;
• Meeting strong demands for a more robust UN normative voice on human rights, equity and citizen-centred reforms that leave no one behind; and 
• Strengthening South-South cooperation to increase opportunities for Viet Nam to share experience in fulfilling its development commitments

One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results 

The vision of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is built on the three principles of inclusion, equity and sustainability. The interconnected and dynamic nature of the SDGs requires the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 to be implemented in a highly integrated manner, expanding partnerships between the UN, the Government, other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations, private sector actors and development partners. The UN will be guided by a nuanced understanding of vulnerability, building on lessons learned from the successes and remaining challenges of the unfinished MDG agenda. It will also be important to consider emerging forms of vulnerability related to the country as a whole, and their associated potential risks for Viet Nam’s lower middle-income status. The UN will build on its comparative advantages in providing integrated solutions to complex multidimensional development challenges, with greater focus on the provision of high quality policy advice. 

The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is structured into four focus areas, shaped by the central themes of the SDGs (People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace), with nine related outcomes. The UN will also be guided by five critical cross-cutting themes, identified in the Common Country Assessment, namely human rights, gender equality, public participation, data for development and partnership and innovation.

Partnerships

The nature, relationship and inter-connectedness of the SDGs underscores the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration and this will require new and strategic partnerships involving the coordinated efforts of many different stakeholders. The Government, through active leadership and coordination, has a key role to nurture collective action. The UN has an important role to play in supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships for human rights, inclusion and equity. The UN will also continue working at sub-national level to help address the unfinished MDG agenda, emerging issues such as urbanization and climate change and to develop good practice models. 

Public-private partnerships will be critical, moving beyond corporate social responsibility to the corporate sector becoming a full partner in SDG implementation. This will harness its ability to deliver innovative solutions, commit financial resources and provide opportunities for all. Public participation is also essential, with key roles for organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations to play in the implementation, scaling up and monitoring to ensure more responsive service delivery. Other critical functions include participating in public policy dialogues and articulating the interests and concerns of citizens in a way that helps validate the relevance of policies, laws and other instruments; consolidating lessons learned to inform policies and improve dissemination; and increasing the effectiveness of public service delivery, offering more tailored and responsive services. 

The UN will also strive to coordinate with other development partners, aiming to leverage each other’s work and avoid overlaps. Opportunities for joint policy research and policy coherence will be explored, with the UN helping to expand multi-partner dialogues on jointly defined development agendas, including the SDGs and human rights. International financial institutions and development banks continue to play a very active role in Viet Nam. Through partnerships with lending institutions the UN can help enhance the development impact and net contribution of large-scale financing to boost social and sustainable development objectives, for example by ensuring inclusion of the most vulnerable populations and by strengthening the climate and disaster resilience of infrastructure investment.

Management and implementation

The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 management structure builds upon lessons learned in Viet Nam since 2008. The structure is designed to ensure national ownership and leadership, effective coordination of programme delivery and promotion of the Delivering as One Initiative. The management structure will seek to facilitate full alignment with national priorities, reduce duplication of efforts, build accountability for delivery of UN programming principles and ensure flexibility to meet emerging demands over the five-year programming cycle.  

The management mechanism will include formation of a Joint UN-Government Steering Committee for the Delivering as One Initiative, a review mechanism for implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and the establishment of internal UN Results Groups. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is implemented by national implementing partners and participating UN system agencies. The decree on the management and utilization of official development assistance and donor concessional loans, as well as the Paris Declaration and Hanoi Core Statement, will guide the design and implementation of UN-supported programmes and projects. 

The Government and UN will make efforts to jointly identify and mobilize non-core funding sources for the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Guided by the experience of implementing previous One Plans in Viet Nam, appropriate mechanisms will be designed to ensure that opportunities for co-investment and cost-sharing between the UN and Government are feasible. The overall estimated budget for the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 programmatic results is US$ 423,348,650. This includes about 23% in regular resources, either core or assessed resources (secured), and 77% in other resources (secured or to be mobilized) over the four focus areas of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. 

Monitoring and evaluation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be a joint responsibility of the UN and Government. Results will be jointly monitored and evaluated, following common UN approaches to results-based management. Alignment between participating UN system agencies’ monitoring efforts and the One Strategic Plan will be promoted to ensure greater efficiency. The UN will ensure that adequate capacity is in place in support of the monitoring, reporting and evaluation set up. Monitoring will also be aligned, to the extent possible, with national information, statistical and monitoring and evaluation systems in order to promote enhanced national ownership and mutual accountability for results.

ONE STRATEGIC PLAN

2017-2021

Between

The Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

And

The United Nations in Viet Nam

Mr. Chang-Hee Lee                                                         UNRC on behalf of  

ILO Country Director                                                         Mr. Mukhisa Kituyi 

                                                                                         UNCTAD Secretary-General 

..........................................................                                  .....................................................

Mr. David Knight                                                               Ms. Louise Chamberlain      

IOM Chief of Mission                                             UNDP Country Director ..........................................................                                       ......................................................

UNRC on behalf of                                                           Mr. Zhen Wang 

Ms. Dechen Tsering                                                           Officer-in-Charge of UNIDO Country

UNEP Regional Director for Asia-Pacific                          Office Viet Nam; Chief of Asia and Pacific 

                                                                                          Division

.........................................................                                   ......................................................

Ms. Susan Vize                                                                         Mr. Christopher Batt     UNESCO Officer in Charge                                              UNODC Officer in Charge  

.........................................................                                   ......................................................

Ms. Astrid Bant                                                                 Mr. Kamal Malhotra 

UNFPA Representative                                                     UNV Representative                        

.........................................................                                   .......................................................

Mr. Nguyễn Quang                                                           Ms. Shoko Ishikawa 

UN-Habitat                                                                        UN Women Representative 

Country Programme Manager

.........................................................                                   .........................................................

Mr. Youssouf Abdel-Jelil                                                    Dr. Lokky Wai

UNICEF Representative                                                    WHO Representative

PREAMBLE

The Government of Viet Nam (hereinafter referred to as the “Government”) and the United Nations (UN) system in Viet Nam are committed to the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, under the leadership of the Government and the UN. This new Plan brings together the comparative advantages of the participating UN system agencies within one planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation framework. 

UN agencies participating in the Plan are: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the World Health Organization (WHO); and are hereinafter referred to as “the participating UN system agencies”^[2].

Furthering their mutual agreement and cooperation for the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals resulting from UN conventions, conferences and summits to which the Government and participating UN system agencies are committed, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to which Viet Nam is a party; 

Agreeing that the participating UN system agencies support the implementation of the SocioEconomic Development Strategy 2011-2020, the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020 and related sectoral and local strategies, in line with the Hanoi Core Statement on Aid Effectiveness (June 2005) and the legal framework on Official Development Assistance (ODA) management and use in Viet Nam;

Building on the progress made and experience gained during the development and implementation of the One Plan 2012-2016 and on analytical exercises undertaken, including the Independent Review of the One Plan 2012-2016, the Common Country Assessment and the Consultative Review of the Role, Position and Partnerships for the UN in a Lower Middle-Income Context, and the experience and lessons learned through the development and implementation of the six Delivering as One pillars, which help to create the conditions for a more relevant, effective and efficient contribution of participating UN system agencies to the development of Viet Nam, namely the One Plan, One Budget, One Leader, Operating as One, Communicating as One and the Green One UN House; 

Recognizing that Viet Nam is a flagship country for the Delivering as One Initiative and anticipating that as the six pillars of UN reform are embedded in Viet Nam, the Delivering as One Initiative in Viet Nam will be a leading example for other countries to follow in a manner suitable to their specific context and in the spirit of “one size does not fit all”;

Affirming that the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 drives joint and comprehensive UN work planning and monitoring for results, integrating the full range of UN, national and international partners’ expertise and experience, and facilitating the systematic application of normative programming principles in alignment with national development priorities; 

Entering into a new period of cooperation aligned with the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020 of Viet Nam; and

Declaring that the commitments and responsibilities outlined herein will be fulfilled in a continued spirit of close cooperation and trusted partnership;

The Government and participating UN system agencies have agreed as follows:

INTRODUCTION

1. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 represents the programmatic and operational framework for delivering UN support to the Government over the next five years and sets out how the UN will deliver as one in support of national development priorities. The Plan also outlines the programme of work that the participating UN system agencies will undertake, in line with the national priorities identified in the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-2020 and the Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020, the SDGs and Viet Nam’s international human rights commitments. Furthermore, this document details how the Plan will be implemented, including partnership arrangements, implementation strategies, management arrangements, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation and the commitments of the Government, UN and donors. 

2. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 was developed based on guidance to UN Country Teams by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) for preparation of United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks. This included conducting an Independent Review of the One Plan 2012-2016, a Common Country Assessment, a Consultative Review of the Role, Position and Partnerships for the UN in a Lower Middle-Income Context, a strategic planning process and extensive consultations with the Government, development partners, and other stakeholders. The UN recognizes the importance of partnering with organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations because it advances the organization’s ideals and helps support its work. The overall programmatic framework, including outcomes, outcome indicators, targets and baselines, was designed in close partnership with the Government and in consultation with key stakeholders.

3. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 includes the following sections: 

• Section one provides an overview of Viet Nam’s development context and UN comparative advantages.
• Section two outlines the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 strategic intent, how cross-cutting issues will be integrated and the intended results, organized around four focus areas. 
• Section three describes partnerships required to implement the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.
• Section four describes the management structure and the supporting coordination architecture for implementation and resource mobilization efforts.
• Section five describes the Common Budgetary Framework for the One Strategic Plan 20172021 and the One Plan Fund.
• Section six explains how the Government and UN will monitor, report on and evaluate the performance of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and how Delivering as One contributes to effective and efficient results delivery.
• Section seven sets out the commitments of all parties involved in the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.
• Section eight includes relevant legal provisions regarding the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.
• Finally, included in the list of annexes are the list of UN agency Cooperation and Assistance Agreements, the Common Budgetary Framework by Agency, the UNDP Security Provisions, and the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results and Resources framework.

^{_{DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT}}

4. Over the three decades since the launch of Viet Nam’s doi moi (renovation) reform, the country has enjoyed significant economic growth. Sustained market-based reforms, a gradual lifting of barriers and integration in the global economy contributed to an average annual economic growth rate of 7.3 percent from 1990 to 2010. After a slowdown in recent years, the economy rebounded with a real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.21 percent in 2016. The economy has gradually shifted from agriculture towards the manufacturing and service sectors, with agriculture accounting for 17 percent of GDP in 2015, down from 31.8 percent in 1990. The achievements in reducing poverty have been remarkable, with the poverty rate falling from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 7 percent in 2015.^[3]

5. With the conclusion of free trade agreements, such as the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement, Viet Nam’s economy is expected to add 6.5 million additional jobs by 2030, most of them linked to export manufacturing industries. However, there is a concern about the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and small and medium-sized enterprises. This means there is a need for an integrated and comprehensive agricultural, industrial and labour market policy package to promote structural transformation. 

6. Viet Nam’s participation in the global economy comes with added requirements to align labour policies and practices with international standards. In line with Decision 2528/QD-TTg, it is necessary for Viet Nam to reform its legislative and institutional framework on industrial relations in full respect of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.  

7. In the context of new progress of free trade agreements, particularly the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement, the Government has affirmed its commitment to the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, with serious consideration given to ratification of ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining and Convention 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour. The period 2017-2021 will be a critical time for reform of labour market institutions.

8. Viet Nam is currently experiencing a demographic dividend, with twice as many people of working age than dependents. This provides a large supply of labour for economic development. With a gradual shift from exports of raw agricultural products (such as rice, coffee, pepper and seafood) and labour-intensive manufacturing (in clothing and footwear) to increasingly diversified and more sophisticated goods (such as mobile phones and computers), Viet Nam’s integration into global production networks has been instrumental in generating jobs and employment for low- and semi-skilled workers. However, given the prevalence of low valueadded production, there is a risk that Viet Nam may fall into what some economists refer to as the “middle-income trap”. The trap may also apply to social development outcomes, referring to the prevalence and chronic nature of inequity, inequality and disparities. Evading this trap will require moving from extensive cheap labour- and capital-intensive growth to growth based on productivity, innovation and inclusiveness, which - in turn - will be more environmentally sustainable and will generate more jobs, as well as contribute to promoting inclusiveness and disparity reduction in social development.

9. Viet Nam’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) performance was exceptional, with the majority of targets met in full and many ahead of time. Yet disparities, including in the accessibility of quality basic services, persist across several dimensions, such as regional, rural-urban, ethnicity, gender and skilled and unskilled workers. MDG progress has been uneven with some groups, such as those who live in remote areas, particularly ethnic minority populations, facing persistent poverty and inequalities in access to services compared with the majority Kinh. Poorer regions, such as the Northern Uplands, Central Highlands and Central Coastal areas, have insufficient roads, inadequate irrigation systems and a shortage of electricity, as well as endemic low quality education and inequitable health care. Support from the Government has tended to focus on the income poor but has proven to be insufficient.^[4]While income poverty has fallen dramatically, vulnerabilities today comprise of adverse economic events, social changes and risks brought about by economic restructuring and natural disasters, which are becoming more frequent.  

10. One of the most vulnerable groups in Viet Nam is people with disabilities who account for between 7.8 percent of all persons aged five and above (according to the 2009 Census) to 15.3 percent (according to the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework).^[5]Persons with disabilities often face limited availability of services, weak social protection mechanisms,^[6]and limited opportunities to contribute to economic activities as well as stigma and discrimination. Moreover, those with intersectional identities, such as women and girls from ethnic minorities or women and girls with disabilities, are further disadvantaged. Despite Viet Nam’s significant development success, the nature and extent of continuing vulnerability illuminates the importance of developing a deeper understanding of multidimensional poverty and the many different ways in which vulnerability^[7]is experienced in Viet Nam.

11. Migration is becoming increasingly important in Viet Nam given the growing volume of both internal and international migrants. These migration flows often support socio-economic development in the most vulnerable rural communities through remittances and skills development. However, there remain ongoing challenges in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling and in ensuring that migrants’ rights are fully protected.  In particular, women and children may be exposed to disproportionate levels of exploitation and abuse from human traffickers.^[8]

12. Viet Nam is also urbanizing rapidly, with the urban population at 33.12 million in June 2010, accounting for 38.6 percent of the total population.^[9]Internal migration has recently become a national phenomenon, with all of Viet Nam’s provinces recording internal movement of individuals to larger urban or industrial centres. Rural workers are moving at increasing rates to cities and industrial centres in search of higher-paid employment beyond the agricultural sector, such as in goods manufacturing and the service industry. However, it is important to ensure that internal migrants can access the full suite of social services, including education and health, that normally flow from holding household registration in their new or temporary destination. Remittances from both internal and international migrants are important for rural poverty mitigation. Internal migration to cities also contributes to economic development in those cities, which indicates that migrants of all types would benefit from enhanced efforts to protect their rights, health and well-being. 

13. Gender equality in Viet Nam has improved over time but a number of issues remain. The country has been successful in meeting MDG 3 on gender equality and has achieved the target on eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education.^[10]The representation of women in the National Assembly in the 2016-2021 term stands at 26.7 percent, above the average rate of 19 percent for Asian countries and the global average of 21 percent.^[11]Nevertheless, the overall proportion of women represented in decision-making positions in Viet Nam is still very low.^[12]Gender-based violence remains prevalent^[13]due to unequal power relations and family norms and individual and social attitudes that condone violence against women and girls within the private and public spheres,^[14]and the preference for sons combined with Viet Nam’s birth control policy and availability of sex selection technology is contributing to a highly imbalanced sex ratio at birth.¹⁵Barriers also exist in women’s access to resources, services, productive assets, technical and vocational education and training opportunities. These obstacles create unfavourable patterns in women’s occupations, quality of working conditions and earnings, and the wage gap between men and women has been increasing, contrary to the trend in other countries. Women remain predominantly employed in informal occupations, where they earn on average 50 percent less than men and face higher job insecurity. The earlier retirement age for women limits their job, promotion and training opportunities and results in lower monthly pensions compared to men.^[15]In addition, gender stereotypes strongly affect not only women and girls, but also sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals) and those who do not conform to gender norms.^[16]

14. Viet Nam’s social security or social protection system has developed over a number of decades towards a system that aims to prevent and mitigate poverty and vulnerability at all life stages. As a lower middle-income country, Viet Nam is facing new challenges, including variations in economic growth, macroeconomic instability, emerging new forms of poverty and vulnerabilities and increased inequality. All of these challenges have a direct impact on the national policies for social protection. In 2012, for the first time, the Party adopted a resolution on several major social policies for the period 2012-2020,^[17]asserting that it would establish a universal social protection system by 2020.^[18]Since adopting this resolution, and despite considerable efforts, Viet Nam’s social protection system is still fragmented and under-serves certain groups, such as vulnerable pregnant women and children who are not sufficiently protected. This gives rise to a ‘missing middle’ of workers^[19]who are outside the formal sector and therefore have difficulty accessing contributory social insurance, but who are not poor enough to be eligible for state-funded social assistance. While overall social protection spending approximates over 5 percent of GDP (just below the regional average), state resources for social assistance amount to only 1.7 percent of GDP and regular social assistance for poor people amounts to only 0.3 percent of GDP. In addition, standards and review mechanisms for outsourced service delivery through commercialization and public-private partnerships still have to be introduced to achieve a successful transition towards a system where care is also provided by third party contractors or community actors.^[20]

15. Viet Nam’s health status has in general improved over the past decade, with basic health indicators better than countries with the same level of development. Viet Nam has met and exceeded multiple health-related targets in recent years, making significant strides in the provision of health care for all. While broad access to health care is available, disparities in health outcomes exist across regions and populations, disproportionately affecting the poor, ethnic minorities and those living in hard to reach areas. The degree of access to health care remains problematic for families in remote and rural areas, for ethnic minorities and for other vulnerable groups such as migrant children, children lacking birth certificates and some women. A number of factors affect access to these populations, including among others: lack of insurance coverage, or for those who are  enrolled by the government, some have experienced substantial delays in the issuance of health insurance cards. The weak capacity of grassroots health facilities, including the lack of competent health workers as well as essential medicines and diagnostics have substantially limited access to health care for these populations.^[21]Many young people still have difficulties in accessing quality sexual and reproductive health services as the public family planning services focus mostly on married couples. At the same time, Viet Nam is facing new challenges in health, with a complex burden of disease and the increasing health impact of development, climate change and globalization. The epidemiologic shift has been marked, with non-communicable diseases now comprising 73 percent of the total disease burden of the population and expected to increase with the ageing of the population. The prevention and control of communicable diseases remains challenging, particularly for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and viral hepatitis, which disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable. Emerging and re-emerging diseases (such as avian influenza, Ebola, and MERS) and vector-borne diseases are continuing threats. Recently, Viet Nam has started to expand the breadth of service delivery provision through hospital autonomy reform, public private partnerships and private sector facilities. The regulatory framework to ensure quality of services and financial accountability is, however, undeveloped, risking inequities and inefficiencies in health service provision. Referred to as ‘socialisation reforms’, these changes have major implications for both the equity and efficiency of health service delivery, impacting access and affordability. 

16. HIV and AIDS remain a serious public health problem in Viet Nam^[22],[23]. An estimated 250,000 people were living with HIV in Viet Nam at the end of 2015.^[24]The epidemic in Viet Nam remains concentrated among high-risk populations, such as people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men. While significant gains have been made in recent years to reduce new infections and AIDS related deaths, continuous and focused attention to HIV will be required to assure sustained progress, and to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV as well as those populations that are most vulnerable to infection.^[25]

17. Viet Nam is viewed as an international education success story and government support for education throughout the country has increased consistently over the past 25 years. Viet Nam achieved universal primary education in 2000 and universal lower secondary education in 2010. The country’s impressive progress in education is also evident in recent statistics. In 2012 the net enrolment rate in primary school reached, for the first time, 99 percent, the literacy rate of persons aged 15 and older was 94.7 percent and the net enrolment rate in lower secondary education reached 87.2 percent.^[26]There have also been significant developments in terms of the quality of learning and teaching, as well as improvements in school facilities and the overall learning environment.^[27]Despite these significant achievements, disparities in educational attainment persist among several ethnic and socioeconomic groups, namely ethnic minority children, children with disabilities, migrant children and those in remote and hard to reach areas,^[28]especially in the early years of life. As with other social services, socialisation reforms have resulted in an expansion of fees that have affected low- and middleincome families, as households need to finance an increasing share of out-of-pocket school spending.^[29]Furthermore, while considerable public and private resources are devoted to schooling, questions remain regarding the quality of learning, teaching and participation. For example, comprehensive sexuality education is not effectively implemented in most schools, leaving young people unequipped with important life skills.

18. Viet Nam is among the countries at extreme risk for the impact of climate change and natural disasters, especially along its coast and in mountainous regions, and women and girls are among the most vulnerable groups affected.³¹Disasters and extreme climate events such as drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta, Central Highlands and Southern Central provinces risk derailing development gains. Hazardous weather events in Viet Nam are becoming more frequent and intense and are difficult to forecast due to climate change. Since the 1970s, natural disasters have caused more than 500 deaths annually in Viet Nam and amount to more than 1.5 percent of GDP in economic losses.^[30]Viet Nam’s report on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, which was launched in October 2015, indicates that these costs could rise to 3-5 percent of GDP by 2030.^[31]

19. Viet Nam is at a critical juncture where policy choices on infrastructure, energy, urbanization, production and consumption patterns will shape the success of its transition towards green, low-emission and climate-resilient development. The economy is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Without changes to its carbon-intensive growth trajectory, Viet Nam will become a major regional greenhouse gas emitter, with a projected fourfold increase in net emissions between 2010 and 2030.^[32]Insufficient access to climate finance and cleaner technology, coupled with weak integration of climate resilience and green growth into development planning, also threaten to undermine Viet Nam’s socioeconomic progress. Over-exploitation and unsustainable use of natural capital contributes to the continued depletion of natural resources, including forestry and biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural capital, high levels of pollution and climate change all present major risks to Viet Nam’s continuing and sustainable development. 

20. In recent years, the Government has created various platforms for people actors to participate in discussions on Viet Nam’s compliance with international commitments and national development goals. Improvements in the consistency and quality of policymaking processes (planning, implementing and monitoring) are critical to ensuring stronger and more equitable development outcomes. Strongly linked to this is the need to enhance people’s participation in policy and decision-making processes, in order to assure that people are at the centre of development efforts. In the 2014 Universal Periodic Review, the international community acknowledged a number of positive steps made by Viet Nam with regard to its acceptance of recommendations related to granting legal status to organizations and groups that are in line with the Government’s rules and regulations. Public consultations and participation in law-making have improved. Viet Nam will be embarking on development of an improved legal framework. Despite progress, the urgent need to expand grassroots participation in governance remains, including for women and vulnerable and marginalized groups such as children, migrants and ethnic, gender and sexual minorities. Current legislation and policies should be improved to facilitate the creative and effective operation of such legally approved organizations and groups, and hence remove constraints on contributions to national development. Both practical mechanisms at the local level and enabling legislation for registration and operations need to be improved in Viet Nam’s national policies and laws. 

21. The human rights agenda in Viet Nam continues to evolve towards a greater openness, on behalf of the State, to engage on specific rights issues and instruments. Human rights are of central importance to the achievement of sustainable development efforts. The 2011-2012 Convention on the Rights of the Child reporting process, the 2015 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women reporting process and the 2013-2015 Universal Periodic Review reporting and action planning processes saw more participation by non-state actors, which bodes well for the subsequent implementation of rights commitments by the State in a more open and inclusive setting. Since Viet Nam’s entry into membership in the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term, the National Assembly has been increasingly engaged in following up on human rights-related recommendations with the Government, with support from the UN. The 2013 Constitution also indicates enhanced commitment to respect, protect and fulfil civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. International treaties to which Viet Nam is a party prevail over domestic law in cases where they conflict. As such, national legislations need to be harmonized with international human rights treaties and their provisions and Vietnam is encouraged to consider the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution. Recognizing that the legislative reforms underway in this area represent a lengthy and ongoing process, human rights treaty bodies have expressed concern over unaddressed gaps in recent law amendments. 

Major Constraints and Weaknesses

22. The Common Country Assessment identified a number of major constraints and weaknesses that emerged repeatedly across the analysis of individual SDGs in Viet Nam. If effectively addressed across sectors, these bottlenecks can become “game changers”, and could hold the key to accelerating the kind of high-impact progress required to successfully meet the ambitious 2030 deadline of the Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Government coordination: As all SDGs are inter-related, cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration is critical for achieving the SDGs. The Common Country Assessment analysis emphasizes the importance of a fundamental review of existing mechanisms and scope to improve cross-sectoral coordination across government agencies in order to improve accountability, service delivery and partnerships with other development actors. 

Government accountability mechanisms: The Government, as the nation’s primary duty bearer, is accountable for protecting all rights of all citizens, including through delivering effective and equitable health, education and social protection services, decent jobs, safety and justice. Bottlenecks in this area include the lack of capacity of actors, independent from the Government, to monitor service delivery. There is also a need for national institutions to be strengthened to provide the judiciary with a guarantor’s role and to serve as a check and balance on government action, as well as to enhance transparency and regulatory systems to curtail corruption. In addition, a rigorous system for quality standard setting and enforcement across sectors is lacking in capacity.

Implementation challenges: Despite Viet Nam’s significant advances in the legal field, gaps remain with regard to the formulation and implementation of national legislation, which create opportunities and incentives for mismanagement and corruption and undermine the capacity of the State to fully protect the well-being of all its people, including those who are most vulnerable. There is a need to strengthen national capacity to develop and implement policy and regulatory frameworks that are founded on evidence-based policy analysis and credible consultative processes and respond to the need for independent and well coordinated policy, regulatory and judicial institutions.

Social norms: The Common Country Assessment revealed a number of cultural and social norms that have a negative impact on a broad range of areas – from children’s nutritional status and continuation of their education, to access of HIV-affected individuals to health services, women’s occupational choice, earnings and access to productive resources, and the ability of women and girls to seek support and justice when faced with gender-based violence. Support to progressive inter-generational change in social and political norms must be a fundamental element of efforts to improve equitable and sustainable development progress.

Data systems and evidence-based processes: These kinds of systems and processes need to be improved, in particular the collection and analysis of data to advance equality and equitable development, including access to essential services. Limited availability of reliable disaggregated data and quality analysis is a problem across all sectors that were analysed. 

Public expenditure: Budget allocation systems for public sector expenditure need to be more targeted and evidence-based. Public scrutiny needs to be stronger in regard to public expenditure practices, at all stages. Enhanced transparency and regularly published, high quality data will be particularly important in this regard. Despite recent changes in public investment and public procurement legislation, there is a continuing need to further strengthen accountability in this area.

People’s participation: People’s active participation in socioeconomic development and monitoring is weak. There is a need to create a safe and enabling environment to optimally engage in public dialogue and debates on the need for high quality and accessible basic service delivery and more effective, participatory governance, as well as to actively participate in service provision partnerships with Government.

^{_{UN COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES}}

23. The relationship between the UN and Government is transforming and is being shaped by new development challenges that are considerably different from those Viet Nam faced as a low-income country. The new SDG agenda, which highlights the need for multidimensional solutions to complex challenges, will also influence the way the UN supports the Government in the next five years. To remain relevant, UN agencies must be fully responsive to the country changes and ensure alignment with national development priorities, and at the same time take account of Viet Nam’s broader regional and global aspirations. This means development cooperation changing towards more demand-driven advisory assistance and more technically integrated support, delivered with a short lead time and leveraged together with a variety of Vietnamese actors, in the public and private sectors, as clients and partners rather than aid recipients. 

24. The changing nature of the relationship is also triggered by changes in the global ODA environment. In the past, the UN has been a major provider of ODA grant funds and Viet Nam has also been a beneficiary of knowledge transfer from the UN. In the context of sharply reducing grant-funded ODA, which Viet Nam is now experiencing, the Government will need to increase its mobilization of domestic and other resources, while strategically managing loans and associated debt to meet the growing needs for technical assistance, capacity development and policy advisory support. 

25. Defining the role of the UN in this development context should be guided by the comparative advantages of the UN and UN agencies. The Common Country Assessment and other global and regional analyses point to three key areas (impartial, unbiased and evidence-based advice, assistance to achieve the SDGs and normative support) where the UN has a comparative advantage and where it should maximize its efforts during the period of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

The UN offers objective and impartial development policy options drawing on collective global knowledge

26. The fundamental commitment to the interest of the people of Viet Nam, as well as the focus on evidence-based advice, has earned the UN a high level of trust and recognition among country partners. The Government and its partners will benefit from the UN’s unique resources which, if properly leveraged, will allow Viet Nam to respond more proactively to the changing country context. 

27. The UN is not neutral in relation to values but is accepted as an impartial partner that works to serve member states “without fear or favour”. Its engagement, support, advice and advocacy have a normative base built upon the international human rights framework and global goals and treaties. The UN will build on its long and trusted relationship with the Government, which allows for joint engagement in improving Viet Nam’s institutional capacity and governance, addressing important and sensitive issues and forging innovation and partnerships.

28. The UN also offers objective and evidence-based policy research and cutting-edge technical assistance that, combined with its impartiality, enhances its effectiveness as an advisor. In addition, the UN’s convening power allows it to harness multi-stakeholder partnerships to support the achievement of the SDGs and national development goals. The UN brings together voices of people that are often unheard and whose inputs are essential for a full and complete understanding of development challenges and solutions.

The UN helps develop clear and practical approaches in support of the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals

29. One of the strengths of the SDGs is the comprehensiveness of the framework, which requires concerted efforts by government agencies at all levels to reduce fragmentation and demand comprehensive responses that draw on the strengths of multiple stakeholders. The UN can help Viet Nam establish clear and practical approaches to realize the SDGs by promoting greater coherence in development cooperation across sectors and stakeholders, and supporting the Government’s efforts to engage in effective dialogues that contribute to consensus building on the national SDG agenda and foster shared commitments. 

30. The UN can also support the emergence of inclusive governance processes, enforced by strong data management and monitoring mechanisms, which assist Viet Nam to effectively monitor national progress on achievement of the goals.

31. In Viet Nam, the UN is benefitting from the co-location of most UN agencies in the Green One UN House in Hanoi. This offers a unique platform to provide multidisciplinary technical assistance and advice to national partners and a ‘one-stop shop’ for partnership connections, knowledge networks, global experience and access to the expertise of both resident and nonresident UN agencies.

Strong demand for a robust UN normative voice on human rights, equity and citizen-centred reforms that leave no one behind

32. The UN’s normative framework puts human rights up front, especially through its formal grounding in international and intergovernmental conventions, treaties and agreements. This means that the UN advocates for results-oriented approaches to reducing inequalities and disparities of income and wealth, of access to opportunities and services and between different geographic regions and ethnicities, gender, sexual orientations and generations. A people centered, gender-sensitive approach, respecting human rights in line with principles and standards of the relevant international human rights instruments ensures that priority is given to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. The UN’s integrated programming actively promotes equity via non-discrimination, the empowerment of women and minorities, and a cultural, gender and child rights responsive approach. 

33. The UN has a unique responsibility in advocating for and advising the Government on critical issues on human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights including the right to development. The UN also facilitates the engagement of multiple stakeholders in dialogue, which helps to convey the view of the population. It is the UN’s essential role to promote and encourage respect, protection and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms to ensure more equitable development. In Viet Nam, this support will include a focus on the realization of human rights commitments and of the human rights chapter of the 2013 Constitution. The UN will also continue to support the Government in reporting on the implementation of conventions, norms and other international obligations to which Viet Nam has committed.

^{_{South-South cooperation strengthens Viet Nam’s global network and offers opportunities for Viet Nam to share its experience in fulfilling its development commitments}} 

34. The UN’s global presence in close to 180 countries, its knowledge networks of expertise at the global and regional level among all UN agencies operating in Viet Nam and its dynamic support to other multilateral organizations, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), offer a unique capacity to help Viet Nam take advantage of South-South and triangular cooperation. Such cooperation will help Viet Nam to share, adapt and create better development solutions to meet new challenges. 

35. The UN’s global linkages with partner institutes and governments on a wide range of topics offer opportunities for Viet Nam to learn from and share experiences with other countries. This includes enabling other countries in the global South to learn from Viet Nam’s development successes, as well as supporting Viet Nam to strengthen international integration and to learn from other countries making (or having made) similar transitions. These research/ learning activities will focus on areas affected by Viet Nam’s accession to a number of new free trade agreements, the Government’s future role in development assistance, Viet Nam’s engagement on global issues and reinforcing bilateral or regional partnerships that help advance development and security.

II. ONE STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2021 RESULTS: FOCUS AREAS AND OUTCOMES

36. Set within the longer-term objective of supporting the Government in the implementation of the transformational 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, the vision of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is built on the three principles of inclusion, equity and sustainability.

37. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is aligned to Viet Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020, supporting strong national ownership of UN assistance. Based on the unique role of the UN in promoting and supporting the implementation of international normative standards and agreements, including those related to human rights, the participating UN system agencies will assist the Government to reduce inequalities and vulnerabilities amongst different groups. This will help ensure inclusive, equitable and sustainable development for all people in Viet Nam. 

38. The global SDG framework adopted by Viet Nam and all UN Member States is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With 17 goals and 169 targets, the SDG framework balances the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The interconnected and dynamic nature of the SDGs requires the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 to be implemented in a highly integrated manner, expanding partnerships between the UN, the Government, other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations, private sector actors and development partners to deliver the ambitious vision of the SDGs. In implementing the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, the UN will be guided by a nuanced understanding of vulnerability, building on lessons learned from the successes and remaining challenges of the unfinished MDG agenda. This includes addressing the needs of people who have not fully benefited from Viet Nam’s significant economic progress and of certain groups of women and children still experiencing vulnerabilities across multiple goals. It will also be important to consider emerging forms of vulnerability related to the country as a whole, such as those arising from changes to the environment and urbanization, and their associated potential risks for Viet Nam’s lower middle-income status. The UN will build on its comparative advantages in providing integrated solutions to complex multidimensional development challenges, with greater focus on the provision of high quality policy advice. 

39. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is structured into four focus areas, shaped by the central themes of the SDGs (People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace), with nine related outcomes. In each of the focus areas the UN will pay attention to the issues listed below, identified as key to addressing gaps and barriers to realizing rights and promoting more inclusive and sustainable development across all sectors.

• Enhancing the accountability of state actors in planning, implementation, revenue collection and investment for development;
• Strengthening national and subnational capacities to rigorously monitor and evaluate development efforts, including basic service delivery;
• Strengthening coordination mechanisms, platforms and practices for government action; 
• Encouraging more progressive social norms to address continuing inequalities and inequities;
• Supporting the development of an independent system of checks and balances;
• Improving data systems and evidence-based processes to advance equity and equality in development and access to essential services;
• Improving the budget allocation systems to be targeted and evidence-based;
• Enhancing public sector governance capacity at national and subnational level for provision of high quality basic services; 
• Supporting the engagement and capacity enhancement of organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations to engage in dialogue and debate, as well as in service provision partnerships with the Government;
• Strengthening public demand for high quality, accessible services with more effective governance; 
• Enhancing public trust in state institutions and service delivery; 
• Establishing a rigorous system of quality standard setting and enforcement across sectors; and
• Increasing responsiveness and ‘people-centeredness’ in all areas of government action, from planning to delivery to evaluation.

40. In the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 the UN will also be guided by five critical cross-cutting themes, identified in the Common Country Assessment.

• Human rights: Given the central importance of human rights to the achievement of sustainable development, the UN will continue to provide policy and technical support to help realize the fundamental human rights of people in Viet Nam. This will require a renewed emphasis on strengthening the capacities and human rights awareness of both duty bearers and rights holders and creating and maintaining a safe and enabling environment for multi-stakeholder dialogue. It will also require enhancing access to justice with equity and adherence to rule of law that abides by international standards of due process and transparency, and promoting more responsive and accountable institutions and a system of public oversight. Aligning policies and legal enforcement at all levels with international human rights standards and expanding access to essential public services will also help mitigate existing and new forms of vulnerability.
• Gender equality:Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are essential to the achievement of the SDGs overall, as both a stand-alone objective and as part of a broader solution, and as cross-cutting to secure sustainable development in Viet Nam. Women’s and girls’ potential will be promoted by the UN across the One Strategic Plan 20172021 through supporting systematic efforts to remove gender biases and discrimination in existing laws, policies and practices; enhancing women’s voice and agency through participation in decision-making at all levels; promoting the safety and dignity of women and girls by addressing gender-based violence; and challenging discriminatory social norms, including through the engagement of men and boys in partnership and coordination with the Government and key stakeholders. To inform such improvements, evidencebased analysis supported by better sex-disaggregated data collection is needed, paying due attention to gender-differentiated needs and inadequate access to resources and opportunities experienced by women, particularly those from marginalized groups. Stronger multi-sectoral coordination and an institutional mechanism for gender equality will also help achieve these objectives. 
• Public participation:Putting people at the centre of development efforts is at the heart of the SDGs, necessitating the need to enhance public participation in policy and decisionmaking processes. Empowering Viet Nam’s citizenry, in all its diversity, to be informed and have a say in decisions affecting them will not only strengthen policies and programmes but will accelerate overall development progress. Creating opportunities for such participation requires an enabling policy space for public engagement, with stronger implementation mechanisms at all levels, addressing the legal and institutional challenges to association and expression and establishing mechanisms to support public advocacy and the participation of organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations. 
• Data for development: Quality decision-making relies on access to reliable information and data is critical to achieving development with due accountability. Effective implementation of policies requires the ability to measure progress and to monitor and evaluate performance. Disaggregated data is needed in all sectors to ensure policies and programmes effectively reach the targeted groups, leaving no one behind. The UN will support the development of national capacities to generate, manage and apply disaggregated data, contribute to improved information management systems and support the institutionalization of a resultsbased culture at national and sub-national levels. Organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations will also be engaged to play a meaningful role in an evidence-based policy cycle, from supporting data generation to providing oversight. Opportunities will be sought to make use of new technologies and innovations to improve access to and use of quality data. 
• Partnership and innovation: With the aim of driving the SDG agenda forward, the UN will support the Government to harness a variety of new and strategic partnerships for systemwide and sector-level development progress in Viet Nam. This means establishing common issues and approaches of interest, as well as expanding and diversifying the range of partners to meet demands and respond to opportunities. The UN will continue to embrace and promote innovation that helps identify new ways, new technologies and innovative solutions to programme implementation, programme arrangement, financial management and monitoring, with the ultimate goal to reduce costs, improve the effectiveness of development assistance and remain adaptable, agile and responsive in a rapidly changing world.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

 FOCUS AREA 1: INVESTING IN PEOPLE

Strategic Intent 

41. Inclusive and equitable quality social services and social protection systems are in place for people living in Viet Nam to be healthy, educated and free of poverty and to be empowered to reach their full potential.

Focus Area Rationale

42. Viet Nam has made remarkable progress on poverty reduction, largely as a result of rapid and broad-based economic growth and policies directly supporting the poor. However, although Viet Nam’s economic reforms and international integration have helped raise millions out of poverty, there remains unfinished MDG business, which is often linked to particular vulnerable groups, such as remote and ethnic minority communities and people at risk of, or living with, HIV. There is also increased migration from rural to urban areas and a large informal labour market, with growing evidence of multidimensional poverty and complex socioeconomic vulnerabilities affecting the so-called ‘missing middle’, that is a lower middle-income group comprised mostly of informal sector workers. Migrants and women are also overrepresented within this highly vulnerable group. The Government has initiated a comprehensive reform of the social protection system, aiming for a more inclusive, effective and coherent system, and is finalizing the Master Plan on Social Assistance Reform that promotes a life-cycle approach. The implementation of the Master Plan vision will be critical in maintaining the trajectory of accelerated social and economic development. 

43. In the area of health, Viet Nam continues to face a range of challenges as the country develops and its population structure changes. While the health status of the population has improved in general, disparities in health outcomes persist across populations and regions. The epidemiologic shift to non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions challenges the capacity of the health sector to deliver quality and equitable health services, especially to the poor and vulnerable population groups. Emerging infections, including pandemic influenza and the continuing threat of vector-borne diseases, continue to exert pressure on the health system. New forms of health challenges come with development. Urbanization, for instance, is creating new pockets of poverty and diseases because of poor housing and sanitary conditions, complicated by undefined mechanisms for access to health and financial protection for migrants. Continuing threats of emerging infectious diseases and public health emergencies, compounded by an increasing international travel and trade, require Viet Nam to further strengthen its national capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to the events, in compliance with the International Health Regulations (2005). Food safety also continues to pose many problems, from food-borne diseases to contamination, and will need more dedicated attention and regulations in the next five years. 

As Viet Nam is increasingly part of a globalized world and becomes more engaged in trade relations and agreements, the health sector will be impacted in many way as the mobility of population groups and cross-border trade bring the risk of new and emerging diseases. At the same time, trade agreements, particularly provisions that overcome the flexibilities under the trade related aspects of intellectual property rights, have a serious impact on access to public health goods, such as essential medicines. A growing reliance on private health service providers and further socialisation and management devolution is posing a new set of challenges related to regulation of the health-care sector and unequal access to health care, including sexual and reproductive health services. This is affecting a large portion of the population, especially the vulnerable – such as those with low incomes, migrants, elderly persons, people living in hard to reach areas and women. 

New patterns of HIV infection are emerging and access to HIV prevention, treatment and other HIV-related services is inconsistent. Persistent stigma and discrimination in the health sector towards people living with HIV, people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men hampers progress in both prevention and treatment. The persistence of stigma and discrimination, together with rapidly shrinking international donor contributions, threaten the gains made in the HIV response following years of continuous and focused effort. Strategic programmes, such as coverage for HIV testing and treatment under social health insurance and greater involvement of community-based groups in providing HIV services, offer a sustainable and effective response towards completing the unfinished MDG agenda on HIV and putting Viet Nam on the fast-track to achieving the SDGs. 

44. Chronic poverty and chronic malnutrition are still a reality in some provinces. However, eradicating all forms of hunger is within reach, if interventions are evidence-based and welldesigned, supported by sufficient budget allocation and political commitment. The proportion of the population able to access clean water is also increasing gradually, although there is still an issue with lack of access, which reflects broader disparities. In addition, ongoing privatization in the health and water sectors is creating a number of challenges in terms of monitoring the services to ensure quality and equity in access and the enforcement of quality standards. Over 17 percent of the population, around 15 million people, either defecate in the open or use unsanitary latrines, with a large proportion of this population residing in rural areas. 

45. In spite of considerable success in the education sector certain groups still lag behind, such as ethnic minorities and children with disabilities who face multiple financial, social and cultural barriers to accessing learning. Increased internal and international migration often involves the separation of families whereby one, or both, parents travel and work away from their family for extended periods of time. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of this phenomenon, including in the areas of physical and mental health, and education. Education quality is an increasing concern, with a mismatch between what is taught and what is needed to make students attractive in the job market. In order to address this, it is important that institutions and curricula embrace a focus on young people and their employability. It is also important to focus on improving age-appropriate access to early childhood education, which helps to create optimal learning achievement later on but is currently only available to the most affluent. In addition, Viet Nam needs to transition from securing basic education to providing opportunities for life-long learning for all citizens.

46. In terms of gender equality, significant disparities between men and women in the economic, social and political sphere need to be addressed systematically if the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to eliminate gender inequality is to be achieved. Despite a sharp drop in maternal and child mortality rates at the national level, pockets of high mortality still exist. Women’s needs for sexual and reproductive health services remain unmet and the sex ratio at birth imbalance and gender-based violence remain serious concerns. In spite of progress in increasing girls’ access to education the majority of women remain employed in informal occupations due to gender bias in education and training, labour market practices and the unequal burden of care and domestic work on women. Affordable quality child care and family care, along with other social investments that would reduce and redistribute care and domestic work, need to be promoted.^[33]

Proposed Outcomes and Strategic Interventions

47. Outcome 1.1: Poverty and Vulnerability Reduction 

By 2021, all people benefit from inclusive and equitable social protection systems and poverty reduction services, which will reduce multidimensional poverty and vulnerabilities.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Strengthen institutional mechanisms and policy frameworks, focusing on those promoting cultural and gender sensitivity, local community and women’s empowerment and expanding partnerships with individual organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations and the private sector, for the implementation of the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction and the New Rural Development Programme for the period 2016-2020. Strengthen implementation capacity at different levels for the eradication of entrenched poverty, addressing emerging vulnerabilities and decent work/public employment creation needs among ethnic minority groups.
• Provide technical assistance and policy advice to support a shift in national policies towards building a more inclusive, gender responsive, life-cycle and rights-based national social protection system (including social health insurance, social insurance, social assistance and social care) that will enhance the resilience of vulnerable groups. These groups include ethnic minorities, the elderly, people with disabilities, people living with HIV, migrants and informal sector workers, victims of gender-based violence/domestic violence, sex workers, LGBTI people, women and young children.
• Strengthen national and sub-national institutional capacity for evidence-based, participatory policy formulation and implementation to effectively monitor and tackle multidimensional poverty, exclusion and inequality in both urban and rural areas, particularly among ethnic minorities, migrants, women and children, young and older people, people with disabilities and people living with HIV.

48. Outcome 1.2: Equity in Health 

By 2021, all people, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from inclusive and equitable health systems, services and the promotion of healthy environments.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Generate evidence to monitor health trends, including the surveillance of diseases and emerging health issues, to aid the development of national health strategies, policies and plans, and monitor progress and accountability to achieving human rights and equity-based health goals, with a focus on the health-related targets of the SDGs and the unfinished MDGs, and the right to health in accordance with the obligations of international conventions and treaties.
• Promote and advocate for the development of equitable nutrition, health, water and sanitation, food security and food safety policies and innovative strategies and facilitate multi-sectoral policy dialogue to promote health-in-all policies. Address the social determinants of health and tackle the health impact of development, with particular attention to the poor and other vulnerable populations, and focusing on women and girls, starting from birth, to develop their full capacity to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development.
• Provide technical support to establish a resilient, responsive and transformative health system that will enable Viet Nam to ensure universal health coverage, including sexual and reproductive health, and deliver equitable health services, including through the adoption of effective health technologies. Such a health system will also help Viet Nam to prevent and control diseases in humans, animals and plants, promote healthy environments and respond to public health emergencies and development issues that impact on health, such as climate change, urbanization, industrialization, global integration and population migration. 
• Provide technical and policy advice to support health authorities to prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases, develop novel and innovative programmes to meet new demands, including aged care and environmental health, and address inequities and gaps in existing health programmes, including early essential newborn care. 
• Provide technical assistance in further building sustainable national capacities and partnerships to ensure public health security through preparedness planning, prevention, early detection and rapid response to emerging diseases and public health emergencies, and to strengthen implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005).          
• Convene, provide leadership and strengthen collaboration and partnerships across sectors to ensure a coordinated response in critical health matters, including public health security, health and nutrition emergencies, and the rights and needs of vulnerable populations. 
• Ensure the quality of health services by strengthening governance and regulations in the health sector and facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and adoption of international norms and standards.

49. Outcome 1.3: Equity in Quality Education, Training and Learning

By 2021, all people, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from inclusive and equitable quality education systems, services and expanded life-long learning opportunities.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Support education reform, focusing particularly on strengthening government systems and accountability to institute equity-focused financing for pre-primary to secondary levels, encouraging flexible learning strategies, vocational training and life-long learning opportunities, improving education sector policies and strengthening evidence-based planning, monitoring and legal frameworks and use of quality disaggregated data.  
• Strengthen government capacity to provide inclusive education, focusing on girls, children with disabilities and children of migrants, as well as high quality and affordable care and early learning and school readiness support for children under four years of age, with special attention to vulnerable groups, including through strengthening community-based integrated early childhood care and development in remote areas.
• Advocate for effective school governance and the participation of all learners and families in school governance processes and increase demand for an inclusive, equitable and culturally sensitive learning environment for all girls, boys, women and men.
• Encourage shifting to a competency-based general education curriculum, which integrates topics on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, gender equality, comprehensive sexuality education, global citizenship, life skills and employment orientation, and culture and heritage.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

Strategic Intent

50. Viet Nam effectively responds to climate change and natural disasters and sustainably manages its natural resources and environment.

Focus Area Rationale

51. While Viet Nam has committed itself to address climate change and ensure environmental sustainability, its socioeconomic model contributes to high greenhouse gas emissions, natural capital depletion and environmental degradation, while increasing climate and disaster risks and undermining opportunities for sustainable development.

52. Without robust mitigation measures, Viet Nam will become a major regional greenhouse gas emitter, with a projected fourfold increase in net emissions between 2010 and 2030.^[34]This will jeopardize its achievement of SDG 13 and the climate change targets in the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Viet Nam is also becoming more reliant on fossil fuels, despite opportunities to expand energy efficiency in key industrial sectors, such as energy generation, transportation and construction, as well as an untapped potential in renewable energy such as solar, wind and biomass. In the absence of clean technology, emissions from coal power plants will continue to raise environmental and health risks. 

53. Cities are major drivers of Viet Nam’s economic development. However, urban growth has not been matched by sufficient growth in basic infrastructure, decent housing, low-emission transportation and equitable service delivery. Growing pressure on infrastructure and services particularly affects those identified to be most at risk, including migrants, informal sector workers, the disabled and the women among these groups.

54. Viet Nam is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. Disasters have caused losses of about 1.5% of GDP annually over the last three decades.^[35]Climate change threatens livelihoods as well as the physical and social health of local communities and risks unravelling Viet Nam’s development progress. In urban settings, vulnerabilities are exacerbated by poor investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and insufficiently riskinformed spatial planning. Some regions are chronically and acutely susceptible to climate extremes, including floods, typhoons, drought and salt-water intrusion, putting at severe risk millions of people, critical infrastructure and Viet Nam’s agricultural production. The country depends on maritime activities and marine resources to sustain its economic growth, leaving it highly affected by climate change impacts such as sea level rise, ocean acidification and increased storm intensity.

55. Viet Nam is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. However, its economy is very reliant on the exploitation of natural resources and biodiversity loss continues unabated, exacerbated by habitat destruction and conversion, pollution, overexploitation and the illegal capture and trafficking of endangered species. Environmental degradation, pollution and decline in the quality and quantity of natural resources continue to impact livelihood opportunities, food security and people’s health, and undermine the country’s socioeconomic progress.

Proposed Outcomes and Strategic Interventions

56. Outcome 2.1: Low-carbon, climate and disaster resilient development

By 2021, Viet Nam has accelerated its transition to sustainable development and green growth towards a low-carbon economy and enhanced its adaptation and resilience to climate change and natural disasters, with a focus on empowering the poor and vulnerable groups.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Support the localization of international agreements, standards, guidelines and Viet Nam’s obligations under relevant international conventions,^[36]through formulation and revision of legal frameworks, policies, strategies and planning and budgeting processes for effective implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation. 
• Enhance capacity and facilitate Viet Nam’s active participation and constructive engagement in regional and international forums relating to climate change and disaster risk reduction, including promotion of South-South and North-South partnerships and knowledge exchange.
• Strengthen institutional capacity, provincial cooperation and coordination between ministries and between national and local authorities to scale up solutions on climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and response, and to promote regional development through innovative planning, budgeting and governance.
• Promote technology transfer, good practices and innovations to scale up resource efficiency and renewable energy, support the development of renewable power infrastructure, particularly solar energy, for electricity generation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resilience to climate change and disasters.
• Improve provision of technology, data and information for weather forecasting and early warning to citizens and local communities to support appropriate actions to effectively cope with disasters and climate extreme events.
• Empower communities, women and vulnerable people to become agents of change who can lead action at the local level, including sharing of knowledge and skills, to mitigate negative climate change impacts, gender-based/domestic violence,and can participate effectively in planning and decision-making processes.
• Enhance capacity and support fiscal reform to increase access to and mobilization of domestic and international climate finance, both public and private sources.^[37]

57. Outcome 2.2: Sustainable management of natural resources and the environment 

By 2021, Viet Nam has enhanced sustainable management of natural capital, biodiversity and ecosystem services and improved the quality of the environment, while contributing to the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Support the integration of Viet Nam’s obligations under relevant international conventions^[38]into national legal frameworks, policies, strategies and planning and budgeting processes, and build the capacity of responsible ministries and authorities for policy implementation and enforcement.
• Support to the planning and control of economic and industrial sectors that generate large amounts of waste, pollution and environmental degradation and promote the development of new green industries.
• Promote international norms, standards, good practices, tools and methods to enhance valuation and conservation of natural capital and biodiversity, effectively prevent environmental pollution and sustainably manage and dispose hazardous chemicals and waste.
• Enhance general public awareness that “everyone has the right to live in a clean environment and has a duty to protect the environment”^[39]and enable people to exercise their rights related to clean air, food, water and land and other associated rights.
• Strengthen institutional capacity, coordination between ministries and agencies and between national and provincial authorities and facilitate partnerships and dialogue between the Government, businesses, other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations to identify and scale up solutions on biodiversity conservation and natural resources and environmental protection in order to strengthen community livelihoods and benefits.
• Introduce new monitoring tools (such as an environmental performance monitoring index), innovative data management and reporting to support oversight by the National Assembly and people to address public concerns relating to environmental quality and ecosystem services.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

Strategic Intent

58. Viet Nam shifts to an inclusive, sustainable and productivity-led growth model and a fairer, more efficient and inclusive labour market that ensures decent work and opportunities for all. 

Focus Area Rationale

59. Viet Nam’s progress has been hailed as an economic success story globally. A sustained inflow of foreign investment, associated with growth in trade and investment liberalization, has boosted industrial and agricultural production and overall economic growth. 

60. However, the economic momentum has slowed over the past decade, structural and institutional weaknesses have become more apparent, productivity has declined and growth has become less inclusive. Geographic and ethnic community disparities are sizeable and growing. As such, Viet Nam is developing a multi-speed economy and internal convergence has ground to a halt. Viet Nam’s prosperity is also influenced by its increasing regional and global integration through trade liberalization, greater capital flows, increased mobility of migrant labour and the potential impact of the fourth industrial revolution. While offering huge opportunities, this process may exacerbate inequalities and vulnerabilities.  

61. Equally, the participation of Viet Nam in free trade agreements brings with it a degree of risk as the country faces increasingly stronger international competition. Given the prevalence of low value-added production and limited international standards, Viet Nam could face an economic downturn. 

62. A key pathway for Viet Nam to increase economic prosperity involves moving from extensive growth based on cheap labour, raw materials and the mobilization of capital, to one based on productivity, innovation and inclusiveness. This growth will, in turn, be more environmentally sustainable and will generate more decent jobs.

63. Equitable access to decent jobs, particularly in high-productivity sectors and rural areas, remains a major challenge. The labour market is predominantly informal and the formalization 

that was taking place has ground to a halt in recent years. Furthermore, investment in basic social protection (especially social assistance) has been inadequate and imbalanced, and as a result the working poor lack effective coverage at key life cycle stages (such as birth, childhood, disability, ill-health and pensions in old age).  

64. Since doi moireforms, Vietnamese citizens have had increasing opportunities to work, study, visit or reside abroad. Current labour migration is mainly dominated by low and medium-skilled workers in manufacturing, construction, fishing and domestic work. Migration categories are becoming increasingly diversified and difficult to profile and quantify as the scale of migration increases. Some migrant workers are also vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

65. Viet Nam has committed to strengthen the global partnership for development and is well placed to support regional and international efforts to enhance South-South cooperation. At the same time, it urgently needs to diversify its development financing options, strengthen its domestic resource mobilization capacities and mobilize resources in partnership with the private sector.

Proposed Outcomes and Strategic Interventions

66. Outcome 3.1: New economic growth model 

By 2021, Viet Nam’s growth policies and institutions support a new economic model, which is inclusive, sustainable and more productivity-led, reaping gains from trade liberalization, international integration and migration.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Provide capacity building and research inputs to support a new economic growth model that emphasizes inclusion and sustainability. Research topics include productive and decent employment, particularly for youth and women, social and green entrepreneurship, international and domestic finance, inclusive and sustainable industrial development, a new urban agenda, governance and management of migration, new rural development and safeguarding of local and national heritage.
• Facilitate the transition to formalise and strengthen the supply capacity of value chains, trade competitiveness and productivity-led agriculture by promoting innovation, new technologies, international standards testing, branding, market monitoring and information sharing, and applying geographical indications of origin and securing intellectual property rights, with a specific focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Support a favourable, transparent and fair business environment for enterprises and household businesses by strengthening regulatory frameworks, reducing the time and costs of e-business registration and providing e-regulation tools through an e-Viet Nam portal.
• Involve both state and non-state actors in strengthening agricultural extension services to disadvantaged farming communities.
• Expand science, technology and innovation systems and policies nationally through enhanced international scientific cooperation on critical challenges related to sustainable development.
• Support implementation of international economic commitments and agreements, especially from the ASEAN community, World Trade Organization compliance and new-generation free trade agreements, and support national and local authorities and businesses in international economic integration.

67. Outcome 3.2: Inclusive labour market and expansion of opportunities for all 

By 2021, a fairer, inclusive labour market ensures decent work and opportunities for all, particularly for excluded groups and disadvantaged geographic areas.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Strengthen private sector partnerships through the promotion of workers’ rights and effective labour relations in the workplace in the manufacturing and services sectors, enhancing social responsibility and responsible business conduct under the Viet Nam SDG Business Platform, including responsibility and accountability for women’s empowerment and gender equality in the workplace.
• Support policy research and build the capacity of policymakers, service providers and women’s entrepreneur networks, and pilot models and strategies for promoting female entrepreneur start-ups and ensuring these benefit from regional integration and economic growth.
• Improve labour administration and labour law compliance through effective implementation and monitoring of labour legislation, and in turn support greater labour market formalization.
• Strengthen local capacity and the competitiveness of service delivery and productivity of disadvantaged groups, particularly poor people, farmers and ethnic minorities, including through the introduction of a value-chain approach.
• Strengthen institutional mechanisms in the labour market, ensure the fair sharing of economic growth through law reforms and effective social dialogue and sound industrial relations.
• Strengthen an evidence-based policy framework and national and sub-national capacity in policy development, implementation and monitoring of policies and programmes that support the inclusion of, and equitable opportunities for, disadvantaged groups, such as migrants, domestic workers, older people and women, in employment, protection and access to decent work, taking into account population changes.
• Strengthen human resources through improving the vocational training system and supporting human resource management, research and development, and learning-by-doing.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

Strategic Intent

68. Viet Nam has strengthened governance and adherence to the rule of law, ensuring respect for and protection of human rights and freedom from discrimination, moving towards a more just and inclusive society.

Focus Area Rationale

69. The changes Viet Nam is experiencing as a middle-income country need to be accompanied by dynamic and inclusive grassroots decision-making processes. Efforts are being made to strengthen the effectiveness and responsiveness of state institutions. However, more work is needed to improve their efficiency and accountability so they can address the inequalities particularly affecting vulnerable groups, women, youth and children. This will be key to fully meeting the rising expectations for high quality and accessible public services by an increasingly informed and prosperous population. 

70. Viet Nam’s recent development gains create opportunities for moving beyond traditional means of ensuring people’s input and involvement in policy dialogues and decision-making at all levels. Use of modern technology, especially the high prevalence of social media and mobile applications, allows governance institutions to capitalize on new forms of citizen participation. 

71. The Government has increased its commitment to further adhere to international human rights related mechanisms. Progressive changes to domestic legislation indicate a growing willingness to embrace principles of good governance, promote gender equality, address all forms of discrimination and violence in public and private arenas, and respect and protect fundamental rights. Demonstrable efforts are needed to ensure that the justice sector consistently upholds the rule of law at all levels and abides by international standards of due process and transparency. A more independent judiciary is needed to support the country’s development and ensure the protection of human rights, especially as a neutral and effective arbiter to ensure that other branches of government adhere to Viet Nam’s constitution, laws and international legal commitments.

Proposed Outcomes and Strategic Interventions

72. Outcome 4.1: Participatory decision-making and responsive institutions

By 2021, participatory and transparent decision-making processes and accountable institutions are strengthened, with policies and implementation mechanisms that are responsive to all people, particularly vulnerable groups, women, youth and children. 

UN Strategic Interventions

• Support to national strategies combating corruption and money laundering through strengthening the national legal framework, increasing public awareness and monitoring, and promoting business transparency, including through the use of innovation and technology. 
• Address exclusionary and harmful social norms, practices (such as child marriage and gender-biased sex selection) and stereotypes that are at the root of discrimination, including those related to gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, health status and occupation, by promoting diversity in leadership and decision-making, awareness of rights and alternative expressions of social and gender norms.
• Support strengthened national systems of data collection, measurement, reporting and analysis that are aligned with the SDG framework, ensuring the ability to disaggregate by vulnerabilities, including those based on gender, socioeconomic status, age, ethnicity and health status. 
• Facilitate the empowerment and meaningful engagement of multiple stakeholders in policy development, monitoring and implementation through supporting an enabling legal framework and providing targeted support to organizations and groups in line with the Government’s rules and regulations to promote participation, gender equality and the rights of children, young people and other vulnerable groups.
• Support the development, monitoring and implementation of national platforms for active youth participation in civil, political and community life, including through capacity building and the promotion of volunteering. 
• Support national and sub-national institutionsto become more effective, transparent and accountable, with a priority on strengthening planning, budgeting and implementation through means that are more participatory, gender-responsive and rights-based. 

73. Outcome 4.2: Human rights protection, rule of law and strengthened access to justice

By 2021, the protection of human rights is strengthened with improvements to the justice system, greater adherence to the rule of law, more equitable access to justice, increased gender equality and effective prevention of all forms of discrimination and violence.

UN Strategic Interventions

• Provide technical assistance for institutional and legislative reform and implementation,furtherpromoting gender equality, integrity and accountability in the public and private sectors and alignment with Viet Nam’s international human rights commitments. 
• Support the functions and capacity of rule of law institutions, at national and sub-national levels, with a particular focus on the provision of access to justice for vulnerable groups, including victims of discrimination and violence, ethnic minorities, the poor, LGBTI individuals, drug users, sex workers and people living with HIV, as well as women, youth and children. 
• Assist the development and implementation of multi-sectoral prevention, protection and support strategies and services to effectively respond to violence, including violence against children and sexual and gender-based violence such as domestic violence, as well as harmful practices, including gender-biased sex selection, child marriage and human trafficking, which meet international standards and requirements.
• Strengthen interventions that raise public knowledge and awareness of human rights, with a particular focus on due process and the rights of those in conflict with the law, child rights, gender equality, including gender-based violence and domestic violence, ethnic minority rights, elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and the rights of other vulnerable groups, including the poor. 
• Support mechanisms to improve the quality and independence of justice delivery including receiving and responding to public feedback and facilitating public oversight of the judicial process, and increasing awareness and capacity of justice and security officials in human rights protection.

III. PARTNERSHIPS

74. The nature, relationship and inter-connectedness of the SDGs will influence the work of the UN in 2017-2021 and beyond, and underscores the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration between individual UN agencies. As identified in the Common Country Assessment, this inter-connectedness has implications for the UN and will mean enhancing coherence across programming, ensuring a people centered, gender-sensitive approach, respecting human rights to development in all areas of work and more cross-cutting, multi-sectoral and issuebased ways of working. 

75. Achieving the SDGs will also require new and strategic partnerships that are increasingly issuebased and which involve the coordinated efforts of many different stakeholders. The importance of partnerships in development is far from a new idea. Multi-stakeholder partnerships played an important role in the MDG agenda and contributed to their achievement. Yet, it is increasingly apparent that success in achieving the SDGs depends on the effective participation of all actors. Development partnerships draw on the diversity and complementarity in the functions of each partner and such partnerships need to be optimally deployed for greater results. Partnerships offer an avenue to pursue common interests among like-minded actors, and for the Government, through its active leadership and coordination, to nurture collective action.

The Government and the UN, through a partnership lens, accelerate inclusive, equitable and sustainable development

76. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 represents a sea change for the Viet Nam-UN relationship. The Plan fully recognizes Viet Nam’s middle-income status, is shaped by the SDGs and emerging development challenges and will enable a rapid response to Viet Nam’s constantly changing development context. The Government is developing the human resources and capacities to serve a modern welfare state, where poverty is eradicated and social exclusion and vulnerabilities are systematically addressed. Going forward, the UN will be a partner offering the support Viet Nam requires within its areas of comparative strength and development mandate and moving beyond traditional development assistance. 

77. While the UN is not the only development partner in Viet Nam with the capability to assist the Government, the UN has a particular role to play in helping Viet Nam fully embrace policies and multi-stakeholder partnerships for the realization of human rights, inclusion and equity. This work will be underpinned by international norms and standards that leverage the contributions of all stakeholders towards achievement of Viet Nam’s development agenda and the SDGs. The UN’s presence and ways of working alongside the Government as a trusted partner can help facilitate and enable continuing socioeconomic reforms.

78. In order to strengthen the targeting of beneficiaries in selected provinces who have not benefitted from the MDG progress, the UN will continue working at sub-national government level and further deepen strategic partnerships with selected provincial governments to address the unfinished agenda, as well as emerging issues such as urbanization and climate change, and develop good practice models. Partnerships in major cities can offer a hub from which to expand innovative collaboration for development with the corporate sector, other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations in other urban areas.  

79. During the 2017-2021 period, the most important focus for the UN will be to help advance policies and partnerships to activate national progress on the SDGs. This could include, inter alia, assisting the Government with strategies for improved management of ODA and public investment and brokering international partnerships, such as South-South cooperation.

80. For the successful achievement of the goals and targets outlined in section two, the UN in Viet Nam will engage in strategic partnerships with a range of other stakeholders at different levels.

Business is emerging as a force for development and innovation in public service

81. The Government has expressed its intent to increase the share of financing from other sources, including the private sector (foreign as well as domestic) through public-private partnerships. The private sector has in recent years engaged with UN agencies and other development partners on corporate social responsibility issues. However, it is key to move beyond just corporate social responsibility, with the corporate sector becoming a full partner in SDG implementation, harnessing its ability to deliver innovative solutions, commit financial resources and provide opportunities for all. 

82. The UN intends to work to leverage the role of the private sector to complement the UN’s normative, technical assistance, policy advisory and convening roles. The UN will support the Government in building an enabling framework for the corporate sector to contribute domestic resources for development and identify and explore opportunities for promoting robust accountability standards and monitoring of public-private partnerships.

The participation of people improves development outcomes and makes people genuine partners

83. Engaging the public to participate in development is essential, especially in middle-income countries where an increasing number of people aspire to have a voice in policies and programmes. Organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations can also play an important role in implementation, scaling up and monitoring to ensure more responsive service delivery.

84. In this context, the UN has a critical role to play in fostering cooperation between the Government and other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations and ensuring they are supported to perform a number of key functions. Such functions include organizing people’s participation and expression of their voice; identifying opportunities to engage citizens in project planning, implementation and monitoring; seeking the accountability of duty bearers for achievement of development goals and realization of international commitments; and increasing the prospects of attaining higher levels of equity, particularly in engagement with youth and women. Other critical functions include participating in public policy dialogues and articulating the interests and concerns of citizens in a way that helps validate the relevance of policies, laws and other instruments; consolidating lessons learned to inform policies and improve the dissemination of these; and making use of a strong implementation capacity to increase the effectiveness of public service delivery, offering more tailored and responsive services. 

International development partners identify regional and bilateral economic interests that advance a socioeconomic development agenda

85. Whilst the development landscape in Viet Nam has changed dramatically in recent years with a large number of foreign missions phasing out or downscaling their bilateral assistance programmes after Viet Nam became a lower middle-income country, some donor countries continue to offer active assistance. These donors act as bridges to knowledge, capital and businesses in their countries and offer strong opportunities for developing prosperous bilateral ties with Viet Nam. 

86. When implementing the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, the UN will strive to coordinate with other development partners, aiming to strategically leverage each other’s work and avoid overlaps that in the past have sometimes limited the full potential of investment. Opportunities for joint policy research and policy coherence will be explored, and the UN will work to expand multi-partner dialogues on jointly defined development agendas, including the SDGs and human rights. Opportunities for flexible and innovative partnerships beyond specific projects and funding will also be looked at. 

87. International financial institutions and development banks continue to have a very active presence in Viet Nam, although lending is gradually shifting to less concessional terms. The general reduction in ODA grant funding has drained loan investment from softer capacity development areas, while financing to incorporate socioeconomic advancement alongside commercial priorities is critical for Viet Nam’s progress towards the SDGs. The UN can play an important role in helping the Government to bridge this transition in donor assistance at sector level. Through partnerships with lending institutions the UN also has opportunities to enhance the development impact and net contribution of large-scale financing to boost social and sustainable development objectives, for example by ensuring inclusion of the most vulnerable populations and by strengthening the climate and disaster resilience of infrastructure investment.

IV. ONE STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2021 MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

88. The overall management of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be established within the context of the aspiration of the Government and UN to continue adopting the Delivering as One Initiative and in line with the standard operating procedures for countries adopting the Delivering as One approach, prepared by the UNDG. 

89. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 management structure builds upon lessons learned from implementing One Plans in Viet Nam since 2008. The management mechanisms are designed to ensure national ownership and leadership, effective coordination of programme delivery and promotion of the Delivering as One Initiative. The management structure will seek to facilitate full alignment with national priorities, reduce duplication of efforts, build accountability for delivery of UN programming principles and ensure flexibility to meet emerging demands over the five-year programming cycle. 

90. The key elements of the management mechanism will include formation of a Joint UNGovernment Steering Committee for the Delivering as One Initiative, a review mechanism for implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and the establishment of internal UN Results Groups. 

91. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be nationally executed under the overall coordination of the Joint UN-Government Steering Committee.Government implementing partners for specific participating UN system agencies are noted in Annex I.iv. Government ministries, other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations, international non-governmental organizations and participating UN system agencies will implement programme activities. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be made operational with reference to the development of Results Groups’s work plans and joint and/or agency-specific project documents and work plans, which will describe the specific results to be achieved and will form an agreement between the participating UN system agencies and each implementing partner on the use of resources. Concrete joint or agency-specific project documents will be developed in accordance with Government and UN procedures. To the extent possible, the participating UN system agencies and partners will use the minimum amount of documents necessary to formulate programmatic initiatives. However, if deemed necessary and appropriate, joint or agency-specific project documents and work plans can be prepared using, inter alia, the relevant text from the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. 

Joint UN-Government Steering Committee for the Delivering as One Initiative

92. Co-chaired by the Vice Minister of Planning and Investment and the UN Resident Coordinator, the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) is the highest decision-making authority on the Delivering as One Initiative and One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 in Viet Nam. The JSC members comprise representatives from central and line ministries and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), and the committee provides policy guidance on matters pertaining to Delivering as One implementation, with particular focus on alignment with national development priorities. The JSC takes stock of implementation of the Delivering as One Initiative and recommends measures for effective and efficient delivery of results. The specific functions, responsibilities and membership of the committee will be jointly defined with the Government in a terms of reference document.  

Annual One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Review Mechanism

93. Annual meetings will be arranged for the UN to present the results achieved in the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, highlighting challenges encountered and key planned results for the following year. The annual meetings will be co-chaired by the Vice Minister of Planning and Investment and the UN Resident Coordinator and will be attended by all One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 key stakeholders, including UNCT members, government partners, central and line ministries, implementing partners, development partners, and other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations. 

UN Country Team 

94. Composed of the heads of all resident and non-resident UN agencies, funds and programmes, the UNCT is the highest inter-agency coordination and joint decision-making body, providing internal oversight of the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. The UNCT is guided by the UNCT Code of Conduct and members are accountable to each other for the responsible use of resources, achievement of results, adherence to the UN programming principles of UN development assistance,^[40]and progress with Delivering as One reform. This includes making available the financial, human and other resources needed for the realization of the commitments related to the achievement of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 results. The UN Resident Coordinator leads the UNCT. The UN Resident Coordinator is assisted in her/his functions by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, and provides support to advance UNCT efforts on Delivering as One and coordination of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 implementation, monitoring and review. 

95. The UNCT will ensure that efforts to promote Delivering as One key principles of enhanced efficiency and effectiveness across the entire UN system will continue. Effective coordination within the UN system will ensure achievements and measurable programmes and will also apply to inter-agency groups established by the UNCT on results-based management, human rights, operations, communication and disaster risk management, as well as other UNCT issue-based thematic groups and task forces, such as to ensure UNCT accountability for gender equality commitments.

UN Results Groups

96. UN Results Groups will be established to lead joint planning, monitoring and reporting of results, leveraging the clustering of staff according to thematic areas of work and functions within the Green One UN House. The UN Results Groups will be aligned with and coordinated within the framework of government-led technical working groups and other broad partnership groups established, if available. 

97. The work plans of the Results Groups will be developed in consultation with the relevant Government partners prior to commencing implementation of the One Strategic Plan 20172021. The most practical and adaptable planning mechanism, which is compliant with the rules and procedures of participating UN system agencies and ensures effective engagement of and reporting to government entities, will be designed. 

BUSINESS PROCESSES

98. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is implemented by national implementing partners and participating UN system agencies. The decree on the management and utilization of ODA and donor concessional loans, as well as the Paris Declaration and Hanoi Core Statement, will guide the design and implementation of UN-supported programmes and projects. 

99. As part of the Delivering as One Initiative, the UN has invested considerable resources in three specific areas: the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT), the Harmonized Programme and Project Management Guidelines (HPPMG) and the UN-EU Guidelines for Financing of Local Costs in Development Cooperation with Viet Nam (the UN-EU Cost Norms). Initially, the HPPMG and HACT initiatives were implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA. For the period of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, the UN will continue to implement these two initiatives and will actively seek opportunities to expand, partly or fully, the engagement of other UN system agencies to the extent possible. For the duration of the One Strategic Plan 20172021 all participating UN system agencies will continue to implement the UN-EU Cost Norms.

Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers

100. In April 2005, the UNDG shared the HACT principle with the Government for application by UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA and their Implementing Partners. In 2007 the HACT initiative was rolled out in Viet Nam. HACT is a harmonized process for managing cash transfers from participating UN system agencies to national Implementing Partners. Based on the risk management approach, HACT is intended to reduce transaction costs for the UN and national Implementing Partners, enhance the use of national systems and strengthen national capacity for programme management and accountability. In 2014, the UNDG launched the new HACT framework and it is being applied in Viet Nam.

101. All cash transfers to an Implementing Partner are based on the work plans or project documents agreed between the Implementing Partner and the UN agency. Cash transfers for activities detailed in work plans or project documents can be made by UN agencies using the following modalities:

• Cash transferred directly to the Implementing Partner:

a. Prior to the start of activities (direct cash transfer), or

b. After activities have been completed (reimbursement);

• Direct payment to vendors or third parties for obligations incurred by the Implementing Partners on the basis of requests signed by the designated official of the Implementing Partner;
• Direct payments to vendors or third parties for obligations incurred by UN system agencies in support of activities agreed with Implementing Partners. 

102. Direct cash transfers shall be requested and released for programme implementation periods not exceeding three months. Reimbursements of previously authorized expenditures shall be requested and released quarterly or after the completion of activities. The participating UN system agencies shall not be obligated to reimburse expenditure made by the Implementing Partner over and above the authorized amounts.

103. Following the completion of any activity, any balance of funds shall be refunded or programmed by mutual agreement between the Implementing Partner and the participating UN system agencies. 

104. Cash transfer modalities, the size of disbursements, and the scope and frequency of assurance activities may depend on the risk rating of an assessment of financial management capacity (micro assessment) of the Government Implementing Partner or of the non-UN Implementing Partner. A qualified consultant, such as a public accounting firm selected by the participating UN system agencies, may conduct such an assessment, in which the Implementing Partner shall participate. 

105. Cash transfer modalities, the size of disbursements, and the scope and frequency of assurance activities may be revised in the course of programme implementation based on the findings of programme monitoring, expenditure monitoring and reporting, financial spotchecks and audits.

106. In preparation for the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 a joint UN review of the national public financial management system (macro assessment) is being conducted in 2016.

Harmonized Programme and Project Management Guidelines 

107. Harmonized Programme and Project Management Guidelines were jointly developed by the Government and UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA for the management and implementation of UNsupported programmes and projects and became effective on 1 July 2010. The HPPMG guide the preparation, management and implementation of UN-supported programmes and projects and are expected to be a useful tool for the management and implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, as well as individual programmes and projects, and will increase transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. In 2015, the HPPMG were reviewed after five years of implementation and an update is being finalized. 

UN-EU Guidelines for Financing of Local Costs in Development Cooperation with Viet Nam (Cost Norms)

108. Following a baseline survey of the existing cost norm system for ODA loans and grants in Viet Nam, published in November 2006, major differences were found between the cost norms used by different donors. In response to the survey findings, harmonized cost norms were prepared. The agreed cost norms are subject to regular review to ensure continued alignment with government cost norms and to reflect movement in market prices. 

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

109. The participating UN system agencies will provide support to the development and implementation of activities within the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. These activities may include technical support, cash assistance, supplies, commodities and equipment, procurement services, transport, and funds for advocacy, research and studies, consultancies, programme development, monitoring and evaluation, training activities and staff support. Part of the participating UN system agencies’ support may be provided to other organizations and groups that are legally established and operate in line with Government’s rules and regulations, as agreed within the framework of individual work plans and project documents.

110. Additional support may include access to participating UN system agencies’ global information systems, the network of the participating UN system agencies’ country offices and specialized information systems, including rosters of consultants and providers of development services, and access to the support provided by the network of UN specialized agencies, funds and programmes.

111. The participating UN system agencies shall appoint staff and consultants for programme development, programme support and technical assistance, as well as monitoring and evaluation activities.

112. Subject to annual reviews and progress in the implementation of the programme, the participating UN system agencies’ funds are distributed by calendar year and in accordance with the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. The budgets will be reviewed and further detailed in the work plans and project documents. By mutual consent between the Government and the participating UN system agencies, funds not earmarked by donors to the participating UN system agencies for specific activities may be re-allocated to other programme activities.

113. The Government and UN will make efforts to jointly identify and mobilize non-core funding sources for the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Guided by the experience of implementing previous One Plans in Viet Nam, appropriate mechanisms will be designed to ensure that opportunities for co-investment and cost-sharing between the UN and Government are feasible. 

114. The UN and Government will continue to look into using existing and future trust fund mechanisms to support resource mobilization for attainment of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 results. A joint resource mobilization strategy will be developed by the UN and Government to guide the joint effort and ensure the success of it.

COMMON BUDGETARY FRAMEWORK

115. The Common Budgetary Framework is a consolidated financial framework that reflects an estimation of the resources required, available and projected to be mobilized by all participating UN system agencies in order to achieve the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 results. It is expected that the Common Budgetary Framework provides a single reference document and overview of the funding situation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 at any given time during the five-year period.

116. The overall estimated budget for the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 programmatic results is US$ 423,348,650. This includes US$ 96,254,080in regular resources,^[41]either core or assessed resources (secured), and US$ 327,094,570 in other resources^[42](secured or to be mobilized) over the four focus areas of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. 

117. The overall resource requirements to achieve the programmatic results for the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 are summarized in the following table:

Unit: US dollars

118. The budgets are indicative and represent the basis for resource mobilization. The total budgets for regular resources are also indicative as they may be subject to the participating UN system agencies’ governing body and internal management decisions.

119. Annual or biannual Common Budgetary Frameworks will be developed together with the annual/biannual work plans of the UN Result Groups to inform the resource requirements for implementation of the result groups’ work plans.

120. The Government, through the implementing partners, will make necessary counterpart contributions for the implementation of joint and agency-specific projects and programmes formulated under the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

121. In addition to the funding requirements detailed in the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 results matrix and summarized above, there are other resource requirements associated with the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. These include activities and staff costs for the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the One Communications Team, among others. In the past these costs have been funded by resources mobilized separately from the One Plan.

ONE PLAN FUND

122. The One Plan Fund in Viet Nam was established to support the coherent mobilization, allocation and disbursement of resources to the One Plan under the direction of the UN Resident Coordinator. The One Plan Fund is the vehicle for donors to pool resources at the country level to support the realization of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 objectives, as well as new initiatives responding to emerging needs within the context of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

123. The legal documents that govern the operation of the One Plan Fund are: 

• The Memorandum of Understanding between the participating UN system agencies, the Administrative Agent and the UN Resident Coordinator; 
• The One Plan Fund Terms of Reference, which outline the purpose, principles, governance and management arrangements, and auditing and reporting regulations of the One Plan Fund; and
• The Standard Administrative Arrangement between the respective donors and the Administrative Agent. 

124. The Multi-Partner Trust Fund office (MPTF-O) in New York provides administrative agent services for the One Plan Fund. All financial information is available on their website at http://mptf.undp.org/.

One Strategic Plan 2017 - 2021 

VI. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

125. Monitoring and evaluation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be a joint responsibility of the UN and Government, in line with joint responsibility for implementation of the Plan. Results stipulated in the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and achieved through the integrated implementation of the Delivering as One strategies will be jointly monitored and evaluated, following common UN approaches to results-based management found in the UNDG ResultsBased Management Handbook. 

126. Recommendations and observations related to monitoring and evaluation made by the Independent Review of the One Plan 2012-2016 and the Delivering as One Audit will inform the development of context-specific monitoring tools and evaluative exercises. Alignment between participating UN system agencies’ monitoring efforts and the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be promoted to ensure greater efficiency. The UN will ensure that adequate capacity is in place in support of the monitoring, reporting and evaluation set up.

127. Monitoring of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will also be aligned, to the extent possible, with national information, statistical and monitoring and evaluation systems in order to promote enhanced national ownership and mutual accountability for results by the UN and national partners. As the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is characterized by having placed the SDGs at its centre, indicators included in the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results Framework have been carefully selected from the globally-adopted list of SDG indicators. It is expected that this will support effective and efficient use of national resources, while ensuring that the UN supports baseline studies and/or surveys when data from national systems, particularly disaggregated data, is not available. Using and generating disaggregated data is considered critical to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aspiration of leaving no one behind. 

128. At the operational level, joint work plans underpin results-based implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Short to medium-term joint results will be monitored through a limited number of qualitative indicators and context-specific performance benchmarks, which have been identified based on their ability to capture underlying factors for success. Particular attention will be given to developing and applying appropriate tools to measure the results of UN policy research, advice and advocacy. Attention will also be given to monitoring cross-cutting themes identified in the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021, namely human rights, gender equality, participation and support to data generation and use.  

129. The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be periodically reviewed and adjusted as needed in order to ensure its continued relevance. Results reports will be produced at the midpoint and end of the implementation cycle, highlighting key contributions to One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 outcomes and reflecting on the main lessons learned. Regular updates by focus area and/or outcome will be produced, ensuring that an analysis of challenges and lessons learned feed back into the management decision-making process in a timely manner and that Delivering as One partners are kept informed about the progress being made.

130. A credible, independent, impartial and transparent evaluation of the One Strategic Plan 20172021 will be jointly conducted with the Government to identify key achievements, lessons learned and best practices, as well as constraints and challenges, in order to take corrective measures and inform the development of the next strategic framework. The evaluation will 

take into consideration the fact that the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is implemented in a Delivering as One context. The evaluation will be designed and conducted according to the United Nations Evaluation Group’s norms and standards. An evaluation calendar for 2017-2021 and a repository of project and programme evaluation reports will be developed and updated on a regular basis so that the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 evaluation is built on the evidence available and is timely planned, avoiding overlaps with agency-specific evaluative exercises.

131. Implementing partners agree to cooperate with the participating UN system agencies to monitor all activities supported by cash transfers and will facilitate access to relevant financial records and personnel responsible for the administration of cash provided by the participating UN system agencies. To that effect, implementing partners agree to the following:

• Periodic on-site reviews and spot checks of their financial records by the participating UN system agencies or their representatives, as appropriate, and as described in specific clauses of their engagement documents and contracts with the participating UN system agencies.
• Programmatic monitoring of activities following the participating UN system agencies’ standards and guidance for site visits and field monitoring.
• Each UN organization, in collaboration with other participating UN system agencies (where so desired and in consultation with the respective coordinating ministry), will establish an annual audit plan, giving priority to audits of implementing partners with large amounts of cash assistance provided by the participating UN system agencies and those whose financial management capacity needs strengthening.

VII. COMMITMENTS BY ALL PARTIES

COMMITMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VIET NAM 

Central Government

132. The Government, in close collaboration with the participating UN system agencies, will do everything in its power to ensure the effective implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. It will furnish and compile findings, data, statistics and other such information that will enable the participating UN system agencies to analyse and evaluate the results and achievements of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Successful achievement of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will also depend on the relevant staff of the implementing partners. Government implementing agencies will make available competent staff with the necessary technical skills and the required allocation of time and resources to deliver results. Participating UN system agencies will endeavour to build a wide range of government staff capacities and thereby facilitate implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

133. The Government, through the implementing partners, will ensure that counterpart contributions necessary for the implementation of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be made available in a timely and adequate manner. 

134. The Government will also support the participating UN system agencies’ efforts to raise the funds required to meet the needs of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and will cooperate with the participating UN system agencies. This support will include encouraging potential donor governments to make available to the participating UN system agencies the funds needed to implement unfunded components of the programme and continuing dialogues on  an enabling framework and mechanism for the participating UN system agencies’ efforts to raise funds for the Plan from the private sector, both internationally and in Viet Nam as well as from individuals, corporations and foundations in Viet Nam to support the Plan.

Implementing Partners^[43]

135. Cash assistance for travel, stipends, honoraria and other costs shall be set at rates commensurate with those applied in the country, but not higher than those applicable to the UN (as stated in the International Civil Service Commission circulars).

136. A standard Fund Authorization and Certificate of Expenditures (FACE) report, reflecting the activity lines of the work plan or project documents, will be used by implementing partners to request the release of funds or to secure the agreement that the relevant participating UN system agency will reimburse or directly pay for planned expenditure. The implementing partners will use the FACE to report on the use of cash received. The implementing partner shall identify the designated official(s) authorized to provide the account details and request and certify the use of cash. The FACE will be certified by the designated official(s) of the implementing partner. 

137. Cash transferred to implementing partners should be spent for the purpose of activities and within the timeframe, as agreed in the work plans or project documents only.

138. Cash received by the Government and implementing partners shall be used in accordance with established national regulations, policies and procedures consistent with international standards. In particular, it is important to ensure that cash is expended for activities as agreed in the work plans or project documents and to ensure that reports on the use of all received cash are submitted quarterly to the relevant UN system agency within six months after receipt of the funds. Where any of the national regulations, policies and procedures are not consistent with international standards, the participating UN system agencies’ financial and other related rules, regulations, policies and procedures will apply. 

139. In the case of international non-governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations, cash received by implementing partners shall be used in accordance with international standards. As above, it is important to ensure that cash is expended for activities as agreed in the work plans or project documents and ensure that reports on the full use of all received cash are submitted to the relevant UN agency within six months after receipt of the funds.

140.To facilitate scheduled and special audits, each implementing partner receiving cash from the relevant UN system agency will provide the UN system agency or its representative with timely access to:

• All financial records that establish the transactional record of the cash transfers provided by the relevant participating UN system agency together with relevant documentation; and
• All relevant documentation and personnel associated with the functioning of the implementing partner’s internal control structure through which the cash transfers have passed.

141. The findings of each audit will be reported to the implementing partner and concerned government agencies and the relevant participating UN system agency. Each implementing partner will furthermore:

• Receive and review the audit report issued by the auditors;
• Provide a timely statement of the acceptance or rejection of any audit recommendation to the relevant participating UN system agency that provided cash so that the auditors can include these statements in their final audit report before submitting it to the relevant participating UN system agency;
• Undertake timely actions to address the accepted audit recommendations; and
• Report on the actions taken to implement accepted recommendations to the participating UN system agencies on a quarterly basis.

142. In case of direct cash transfer or reimbursement, participating UN system agencies shall notify the implementing partner of the amount approved by the participating UN system agencies and shall disburse funds to the implementing partner within 30 days.

143. In case of direct payment to vendors or third parties for obligations incurred by the implementing partners, on the basis of requests signed by the designated official of the implementing partner, or to vendors or third parties for obligations incurred by participating UN system agencies in support of activities agreed with implementing partners, the participating UN system agencies shall proceed with the payment within 30 days.

144. Participating UN system agencies shall not have any direct liability under the contractual arrangements concluded between the implementing partner and a third party vendor.

145.Where participating UN system agencies and other UN organizations provide cash to the same implementing partner, programme monitoring, financial monitoring and auditing will be undertaken jointly or coordinated with those UN organizations.

COMMITMENTS BY THE UN

146.The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 represents the full commitment of participating UN system agencies to seek funding and support national priorities as expressed by the set of development results outlined in section two (One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 Results) and to deliver support in the most effective way, in line with aid effectiveness principles as set out in the Paris Declaration and the Hanoi Core Statement.

VIII.LEGAL CONTEXT

147.The One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 covers programme activities to be implemented during the period from 1 January 2017 through to 31 December 2021 and will become effective once the document has been signed by all relevant parties.

148.The Government will honour its commitments to each of the participating UN system agencies in accordance with the provisions of the respective Basic Agreements set forth in Annex I.i.

149.This One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 relates to and regulates any project document signed between the Government and a participating UN system agency after the date hereof, and shall have no effect on any programme or project documents signed with the Government before such date. 

150.The contents of the footnotes and the Annexes of this document are an integral part of this document and have the same legal validity as the main body of the text of the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021.  

ONE STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2021 MODIFICATIONS 

151. In the event of any significant change in the situation requiring a change in objectives or a need to extend the duration and scope of the planned programme components, the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 may be modified by mutual consent of all parties, in writing, as follows:

a. Where the change is initiated by the Government, the Government will make a formal request to the UN Resident Coordinator and the respective participating UN system agencies and an appropriate amendment to this One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be concluded following appropriate procedures. 

b. Where the change is initiated by the participating UN system agencies, the respective associated UN agencies will make a formal request through the UN Resident Coordinator to the Government and an appropriate amendment to this One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 will be concluded following appropriate procedures.

ONE STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2021 TERMINATION  

152. In the event of a failure by one party to fulfil any of its obligations under this One Strategic Plan 2017-2021:

a. Where the defaulting party is one of the participating UN system agencies, the Government may either (i) suspend the discharge of its own obligations vis-à-vis the defaulting party by giving written notice to that effect to the defaulting party or (ii) terminate the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 vis-à-vis the defaulting party by giving written notice of sixty (60) days to the defaulting party. 

b. Where the defaulting party is the Government, the UN agency to which the Government has defaulted, either alone or together with all other participating UN system agencies, may either (i) suspend the discharge of its own obligations by giving written notice to that effect 

to the defaulting party or (ii) terminate the One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 by giving written notice of sixty (60) days to the defaulting party. 

DISPUTE RESOLUTION 

153. Any dispute between the Government and a participating UN system agency shall be resolved in accordance with the provisions of that organization’s Basic Agreement with the Government as referred to in this One Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Any dispute among the participating UN system agencies shall be resolved exclusively among the participating UN system agencies through approaches identified in the UNDG-endorsed dispute resolution mechanism.

UN CONVENTION ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES 

154. The Government shall apply the provisions of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations^[44]as the case may be, to the Agencies’ property, funds and assets and to their officials and experts on missions. In addition, the Government will accord to the Agencies and their officials or other persons performing services on their behalf, the privileges, immunities and facilities as set out in the cooperation and assistance agreements between the Agencies and the Government. The Government will be responsible for dealing with any claims, which may be brought by third parties against said Agencies and their officials, experts on missions or other persons performing services on their behalf and shall hold them harmless in respect of any claims and liabilities resulting from operations under the relevant cooperation and assistance agreements, except where it is any claims and liabilities resulting from operations under the cooperation and assistance agreements, except where it is mutually agreed by the Government and a particular Agency that such claims and liabilities arise from the gross negligence or misconduct of that Agency, or its officials or persons performing services on its behalf.

a. Nothing in this Agreement shall imply a waiver by the UN or any of its Agencies or Organizations of any privileges or immunities enjoyed by them or their acceptance of the jurisdiction of the courts of any country over disputes arising from this Agreement.

b. Nothing in or relating to this document will be deemed a waiver, expressed or implied, of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, and/or its subsidiary organs under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 13 February 1946, and no provisions of this One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 or any Institutional Contract or any Undertaking will be interpreted or applied in a manner, or to an extent, inconsistent with such privileges and immunities.

ANNEX I.i - COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE AGREEMENTS 

ANNEX I.ii - COMMON BUDGETARY FRAMEWORK BY AGENCY 

                                                                                                                          Unit: US dollars

ANNEX I.iii: UNDP SECURITY PROVISIONS

Any additional annex that deals with a UN system agency’s specific requirements is a bilateral agreement between that agency and the Government.

Each Implementing Partner agrees to undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that none of the UNDP funds received pursuant to the Project Document (One Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and Work Plans) are used to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism and that the recipients of any amounts provided by UNDP hereunder do not appear on the list maintained by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The list can be accessed via https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/un-sc-consolidated-list. This provision must be included in all sub-contracts or sub-agreements entered into under/further to a specific Project hereunder. 

The foregoing shall also apply to Projects under this One Plan 2012-2016 where the Implementing Partner is an Inter-Governmental Organization that has signed a standard basic executing agency agreement with UNDP.

Where UNDP or other UN Agencies serve as Implementing Partners, they shall (a) comply with the policies, procedures and practices of the United Nations safety and security management system, and (b) undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that none of the project funds/UNDP funds received pursuant to a Project Document, are used to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism and that the recipients of any amounts provided by UNDP hereunder do not appear on the list maintained by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). This list can be accessed via https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/ un-sc-consolidated-list. This provision must be included in all sub-contracts or sub-agreements entered unto under each Project Document.

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Results Framework with Indicative Resources

Unit: US dollars