Closing Event of the project “Scaling-Up a Socialised Model of Waste Management in Five Cities”

Opening Remarks by Patrick Haverman, UNDP Viet Nam Resident Representative

November 24, 2022


Ms. Mette Møglestue, Deputy Ambassador of the Norwegian Embassy in Viet Nam and Lao
Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Huong, Chairwomen of Da Nang Women’s Union
Colleagues from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Distinguished participants from provinces and informal waste workers joining us today  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning and xin chào.

I am honored to welcome you all to the closing event of the project “Scaling-Up a Socialised Model of Waste Management in Five Cities”, implemented over three years, with the goal of developing integrated, green and fair models to improve domestic waste and plastic management.

At the onset, I would like to express my great appreciation to the Norwegian Embassy for their generous financial support to this project for enhancing waste management, protecting our oceans, and engaging national and provincial partners in the country’s transition toward a circular economy. We are also extremely grateful for the unfailing support and excellent collaboration with the Women’s Unions in Da Nang, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and Binh Duong, and the Farmer’s Union in Quang Ninh, which was only made possible thanks to the strong partnership and on the ground knowledge of the UNDP/ GEF Small Grant Programme.  

Colleagues and friends,

The project was rolled-out over a three-year period, which included two years of COVID-19 and despite the travel restrictions associated with the lockdown, the project delivered and even over-achieved on many indicators. On this occasion, I would like to share three reflections and lessons from the project.

“Nothing about us without us!”  

With this project, we firstly have recognized that waste workers, especially informal sector workers, play a vital role in waste management systems and in advancing a circular economy. We know that you are vulnerable and exposed to several risks, for example, as you collect and treat hazardous materials and medical waste. Therefore, it is essential that the waste workers are protected, supported, and trained, but also consulted and included by the municipalities when they redesign and enhance their waste management systems. Our support resulted in the delivery of over 35 training to more than 1,800 informal waste workers, mainly women, and the setting up of five revolving funds, all of which resulted in an increase in income of waste workers of at least 20 percent compared to the baseline prior to the project. We are many happy to see so many informal waste workers here today and welcome!

My second reflection is about policy framework, and the implementation of this project was very timely and critical as the policy framework on waste management, and circular economy has rapidly evolved at the local and national levels. We are proud to have contributed to the formulation and inclusion of the first definition of Circular Economy in the Revised Law on Environmental Protection and the formulation of Decree 08, which marks a cornerstone of a comprehensive policy framework on CE, by introducing criteria (including simple and measurable indicators and targets). Not only the project served the central government and our partners from the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources & Environment (ISPONRE) in this endeavor, but we also made new ground in Da Nang when the Provincial People’s committed approved our research conducted with the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic (DISED) to inform the Circular Economy Roadmap. The project organized over 120 training and workshops to build the capacity of provincial and local government officials. The Project also works with agencies under MARD to provide input for the preparation and issuance of plans to reduce plastic in the crops and livestock sectors.  

Thirdly, we have again witnessed the central roles of partnerships in tackling plastic pollution and driving the transition toward a Circular Economy. In the five cities, the Women’s Union and Farmer’s Union have worked hand in hand with the PPC and DONRE and mobilized actors in the society, including youth and students, households, tourism business, fishermen, and so many more, in their communication, education and behavioral change campaigns. Collaboration was also the rationale for designing the Viet Nam Circular Economy Hub, which aims to enhance dialogue, generate know-how, and mobilize collective action towards the CE transition.

Lastly, moving forward, we will focus our efforts on nurturing and disseminating the learning generated by the pilot projects at the local level, through the communication campaigns, and the training delivered to businesses and ensure that the sustainability of the project is guaranteed.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is only the beginning of the journey, and this year, we launched a new initiative in Quy Nhon, harvesting the lessons learned from this project. The upcoming  Material Recovery Facility (MRF) will include and enhance the roles and contributions of the informal waste workers along the plastic and waste value chains, and pilot waste management models in the fishery sector, with a view to delivering bigger results and strengthening resilience of informal waste workers.  

UNDP greatly values the renewed trust of the Governments of Norway and Viet Nam. We believe that our collaboration has been critical to promoting innovative approaches to tackle multi-faceted problems and advocating for the recognition of the women working in the informal sector as critical actors of the waste value chains.  

In closing, allow me to express our honor to collaborate with all of you, informal waste workers, and mass organizations in advancing the transition of Viet Nam towards a green, sustainable, and attractive country, a place that is prosperous and safe for the people and for the planet, while leaving no one behind

I wish you all good health, happiness, and success.

Thank you! Xin cảm ơn!