Vice Minister and NPAP Chair, Mr. Le Cong Thanh;
Deputy Director General and NPAP Standing Vice Chair, Mr. Vu Duc Dam Quang;
Excellency, UK Ambassador and NPAP Vice Chair, Mr  Iain Frew;
Director of GPAP, Ms. Clemence Smith, joining us on-line;
Members of the NPAP Leadership Board and Taskforces;

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 7th Leadership Board Meeting of the Viet Nam National Plastic Action Partnership.
It’s been five years since the launch of NPAP December 2020. And in those five years, progress has been real and measurable.
More than 200 organizations have joined the Partnership. Over 160 initiatives addressing plastic pollution have been mapped. Coordination has strengthened across the plastics life cycle. And Most importantly, NPAP has become a trusted national platform—turning commitments into action.

As the Partnership matures, our understanding has sharpened. We are clearer about the scale of the challenge. And clearer about what must happen next.

Allow me to highlight two priorities as we look ahead to 2026 and to Viet Nam’s ambition to significantly reduce plastic pollution by 2030.

First: mobilizing financing at scale.
The NPAP Financing Roadmap estimates in order to comprehensively address plastic pollution, that Viet Nam will need between 7.5 and 8.5 billion US dollars over the next five years, across upstream and downstream interventions.
Even after accounting for existing commitments and projected inflows, a gap of approximately 5 to 7 billion dollars remains.
Public finance is essential. But it will not be enough. Closing this gap depends on private investment—capital that will only flow where projects are credible, risks are managed, and returns are clear.
This is where NPAP adds value. It connects policy ambition with investable projects. It uses EPR to unlock blended finance. And it helps channel resources to where they matter most—local governments, small and medium enterprises, and actors across the plastics value chain.

And the second priority: sustaining NPAP for long-term impact.
NPAP is now entering a critical phase—moving from establishment phase to sustain phase. This transition is essential if the Partnership is to remain a central platform for coordination, learning, and delivery.
The foundations are strong: committed leadership from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and active engagement from members, including through the Policy Task Force. But sustaining this momentum requires predictable operational support and funding beyond April 2026.

We appreciate the continued support of GPAP in mobilizing resources for the growing global NPAP network, now 25 partnerships strong.

And we are grateful for the commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to fund part of the NPAP budget, including for our Leadership Board meeting today.

Going forward, lasting impact will depend on shared responsibility—development partners and NGOs providing sustained technical engagement, and the private sector going beyond compliance to invest, innovate, and scale solutions. We also invite partners to please consider financial and in-kind contributions to support NPAP’s future.

Today’s Leadership Board meeting is an opportunity to focus on solutions—how to secure the needed resources, how best to turn plans into action, and how to ensure that lessons from NPAP inform national policy and investment decisions. UNDP remains fully committed to supporting this effort as part of our broader work on environment, climate, and the circular economy.
Allow me to close by wishing you all a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy, and successful New Year.