LocationsViet Nam’s significant progress takes root in strong leadership, long-term vision: UNDP
October 31, 2025
Photos by WorachatSodsri from Getty Images, Thai Nguyen from Pexels, and Muk Photo
As published on Government Online Newspaper on 31 October, 2025
VGP - Viet Nam's significant progress in advancing socioeconomic development came as a result of strong leadership and long-term vision, noted United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Viet Nam Ramla Khalidi.
1. How would you assess the key achievements of the Government of Viet Nam during the past term, particularly in the areas of socio-economic and sustainable development? During your tenure in Viet Nam, what has impressed you the most about how the Government and the Vietnamese people have responded to development challenges?
Viet Nam has made significant progress in advancing socioeconomic development. 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 (SEDP) 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.
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.
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.
2. Compared to other countries in the region, where does Viet Nam stand in terms of public governance capacity and the effectiveness of its development policies?
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.
UNDP’s global experience shows that the most effective governments are those that actively listen to their citizens and systematically integrate feedback into policymaking and service delivery. Findings from the Viet Nam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) indicate scope to strengthen citizen participation in policy formulation and monitoring; a step that would reinforce vertical accountability and transparency. Transparency, in particular, is an area where the Chandler Good Government Index also identifies potential for further improvement in Viet Nam. Notably, PAPI data reveal that not all citizens and regions benefit equally from public administration: women, ethnic minorities, people living in rural areas, and internal migrants consistently report less positive experiences with public services and administration.
As administrative reforms continue to unfold at central and local level, there is a unique opportunity to improve performance in these areas. To do so, it will be essential to bolster the capacity of local governments, especially of newly created communes. Local authorities are at the frontline of public service delivery, yet they often face resource and coordination constraints, especially in remote, mountainous areas. Investing in their capacity, digital skills, and citizen engagement mechanisms will help ensure that reforms translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, regardless of who they are, or where they live.
UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam Ramla Khalidi
3. How does UNDP assess Viet Nam’s progress so far in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Viet Nam has made significant progress toward sustainable development goals (SDGs), despite global uncertainty and compounding crises in recent years. Multidimensional poverty has declined sharply, from over 9% in 2016 to around 4% by 2022, reflecting comprehensive policies that address deprivations beyond income. Health insurance now covers over 94% 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. Persistent disparities continue to affect ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups, particularly in child nutrition, health and education. Gender equality requires moving beyond legal frameworks to address violence against women and girls, son preference and unequal burden of unpaid care. The sharp decline in women’s representation in provincial leadership positions after the merger – from 3.2% to 0% for People’s Committee Chairpersons, 14.3% to 6% for Party Committee Secretaries, and 20.6% to 17.6% for People’s Council Chairpersons - underlines the need to protect and build on hard-won progress.
Environmental sustainability is another key frontier. Air pollution, climate risks, and biodiversity loss threatens development gains and disproportionately impacts the poorest communities. 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.
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.
4. Over the past five years, what have been the most significant outcomes of the partnership between UNDP and the Government of Viet Nam?
Over the past five years, UNDP and the Government of Viet Nam 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.
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.
Across all these efforts, UNDP and the Government of Viet Nam have placed people at the centre of development, ensuring gender equality, social inclusion, and transparency in governance.
5. If you could share a brief message with Viet Nam’s leaders about the country’s sustainable development future, what would it be?
Viet Nam’s impressive progress shows what strong leadership and long-term vision can achieve. Yet, as the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index reminds us, progress can be fragile in the face of shocks. Building resilience, through climate-resilient livelihoods, inclusive social protection, and investment in human capital, must remain central to Viet Nam’s development path.
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.
