Viet Nam’s significant progress takes root in strong leadership, long-term vision: UNDP

In a recent interview with VGP, the UNDP Resident Representative said, sustained prosperity, with an average GDP growth rate of 6.9 percent between 2022 and 2024, has been crucially accompanied by continued advances in human development.

According to UNDP's Human Development Index, which measures the degree to which people can access education, maintain a decent standard of living and enjoy a long and healthy life, Viet Nam now ranks among countries with a high level of human development.

Another key measure closely monitored by UNDP, the Multidimensional Poverty Index, shows equally encouraging progress. Between 2014 and 2021, Viet Nam's multidimensional poverty rate more than halved, reflecting significant improvement in people's living conditions. These achievements are commendable and speak to the Government's strong commitment and effective implementation of the objectives set out in socio-economic development plan during 2020-2025.

"During my tenure, I have been particularly inspired by the Government's whole-of-society approach and the resilience, adaptability, and solidarity of the Vietnamese people. From the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic to the collective recovery efforts following Typhoon Yagi, the people and Government of Viet Nam have consistently shown determination, compassion, and solidarity", noted Khalidi.

She stressed that equally impressive is Viet Nam's long-term vision at this critical juncture in its development journey. The Government's commitment to public administration reforms, and its strategic orientation towards innovation-driven and green transformation, clearly signals the country's strong ambition for sustainable development.

Specifically, Viet Nam's public administration has made important strides over the past decade in enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, and digital transformation. The country's strengthening performance in global governance and public sector indices reflect this progress.

For instance, according to the Chandler Good Government Index 2025, Viet Nam ranks among the top performers in Southeast Asia for government capacity and policy vision, while the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators show consistent improvements in government effectiveness and regulatory quality. These achievements demonstrate Viet Nam's commitment to building a capable, modern, and citizen-oriented administration.

Continued progress will depend on further strengthening coordination capacity and whole-of-government approaches to complex policy challenges that transcend sectors, from climate adaptation and green transition to digital governance and social protection. These issues require not only inter-ministerial collaboration but also multi-stakeholder strategies that engage civil society, academia, the private sector, and communities.

While these achievements mark significant progress, the journey toward sustainable and inclusive development continues, bringing both new opportunities and evolving challenges.

"Building on this strong foundation, I hope to see Viet Nam continue to prioritize inclusive and equitable development to unlock the full potential of its people and economy", told the UNDP Resident Representative.

By investing early in renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and human capital, Viet Nam can not only safeguard its achievements but also be a model in the region and beyond toward a greener, more inclusive future, she added.

Viet Nam makes significant progress toward SDGs

According to Khalidi, Viet Nam has made significant progress in implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs), despite global uncertainty and compounding crises in recent years.

Multidimensional poverty has declined sharply, from over 9 percent in 2016 to around 4 percent by 2022, reflecting comprehensive policies that address deprivations beyond income.

Health insurance now covers over 94 percent of the population, educational indicators show strong enrollment from pre-school through to secondary levels.

Rapid infrastructure development has connected communities and created new economic opportunities. These gains demonstrate Viet Nam's capacity to translate economic growth into broad-based human development.

However, challenges remain on the road to SDG implementation, including persistent disparities affecting ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups, gender inequality, air pollution, climate risks, and biodiversity loss.

Accelerating the transition to clean energy and resilient ecosystem is essential to achieving Viet Nam's net-zero commitment by 2050 and ensuring that growth remains inclusive and sustainable, she underlined.

Looking ahead, Viet Nam's continued SDG progress will depend on addressing persistent inequalities, investing in human capital, and accelerating the green transformation. This will require coordinated action and shared commitment from the government, private sector, civil society, and international partners to ensure that progress benefits every community.

People placed at center of development

Over the past five years, the Government of Viet Nam and the UNDP have advanced governance, mine action, climate action, circular economy innovation, and digital transformation, strengthening national systems and empowering individuals and communities toward a greener, safer, and more inclusive future.

At the community level, UNDP-supported initiatives have helped farmers in Lam Dong and Ca Mau adopt climate-friendly agriculture, young islanders on Cham Islands pioneer eco-tourism models, and elderly women in disaster-prone areas move into safe, resilient homes.

In remote villages, residents now access online public services with the help of local digital transformation teams, while children in contaminated areas learn about explosive ordnance risks through creative education programmes.

At the policy level, UNDP has been a key partner in Viet Nam's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), helping shift from agreement to implementation, and attract climate finance.

"We have supported the Government in strengthening its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and advancing the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), integrating climate action across sectors and improving preparedness for future shocks", shared the UNDP Resident Representative.

UNDP's collaboration has also made major progress in mine action, with large areas of land cleared and national capacity strengthened for safe and productive use further bolstering rural development.

"In parallel, we have helped drive the transition to a circular economy — piloting waste sorting, circular business models, and co-processing of non-recyclable waste into energy", she added.

Across all these efforts, the Government of Viet Nam and the UNDP have placed people at the center of development, ensuring gender equality, social inclusion, and transparency in governance./.