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Aid Activities in Vietnam

Governance

High economic growth in recent years has been central to Vietnam's impressive progress in poverty reduction. The Government of Vietnam is continuing to pursue economic reforms towards closer integration with the global economy. However, developing and maintaining a favourable environment for a competitive market economy is an important reform challenge for Vietnam if it is to retain its current high growth rates.

In recognition of this, a strategic objective for the Vietnam-Australia development cooperation program is to improve the governance of the institutions required for a competitive market economy. This brings a particular focus for the aid program on private sector development and support for economic integration.

Aid activities:

• Beyond WTO Program
• Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor (CEP) Microfinance Expansion Project
• Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (MPDF)
• Monitoring and Evaluation Strengthening Project Phase II
• Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSCs)
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Capacity Building Program
• Technical Assistance to Ministry of Finance in developing a new Law on Public Assets Management and Uses in Vietnam
• Trade Analysis and Reform Project
• Vietnam-Australia Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program (HRTC program)

Recently completed:

• Capacity-Building for Effective Governance (CEG) Facility (2002-2006)

Rural Development

While Vietnam's development performance has been impressive in recent years, there is still a significant proportion of the population who are not benefiting fully from the current economic growth.

Vietnam's poorest people are predominantly in rural areas, poorly educated and living in remote, inaccessible locations with few services.

Many of the people who have moved above the poverty line in the past decade are barely above it, and are vulnerable to shocks such as economic downturns or natural disasters which would push them back into poverty. The vulnerability of the poor is a key challenge to poverty reduction efforts.

Australia's efforts in rural development are focused primarily on two regions. The central coast remains one of the poorer regions in Vietnam, with deep and widespread poverty in selected provinces and a high level of vulnerability to natural disasters. The Mekong Delta has a relatively low proportion of poor people but, due to its high population, many people living in poverty (around 3 million).

Aid activities:

• Conservation and Development for Key Sites of the Man and the Biosphere Reserve of Kien Giang Province
• Australia-Vietnam Laboratory Partnership Program
• Budget Support for the National Target Program 135 Phase 2
• Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development Program (CARD)
• Mekong Market Portfolio Program (MMPP) - the Inception Phase
• Sector Programme Support to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Vietnam
• Technical Assistance to Natural Disaster Risk Management Project
• Quang Ngai Disaster Mitigation Project
• Quang Ngai Rural Development Program
• North Vam Nao Water Control Project

Recently completed:

• Cuu Long Delta Water Supply and Sanitation Project
• Three Delta Towns Water Supply

Human resource development

Strengthening the capacity of people - Vietnam's greatest resource - is urgent as Vietnam strives to modernise and integrate into the world economy. An important operating principle for Australia's development cooperation in Vietnam is support for human resource development. Australia aims to deliver high quality capacity building, technical assistance and new ideas through the program, supported by appropriate capital investment.

An important element of this support is the Australian Scholarships Program. Australia has become the leading provider to Vietnam of scholarships for study abroad. These scholarships focus on a broad range of key governance and rural development issues, as well as other identified priority areas.

Aid activities:

• ADS Scholarships
• Primary Education for Disadvantaged Children Project
• ADS Pre-Departure Project

Combating HIV/AIDS

Australia considers HIV/AIDS a significant development challenge to the South East Asia region. In response, a six-year A$200 million Global Initiative on HIV/AIDS was announced in 2000.

In Vietnam, Australia has provided over A$10 million for HIV/AIDS prevention and support activities.

Through UNDP, the Australian Government is currently supporting two projects. One aims to build capacity for the Vietnam Youth Union (VYU) to implement HIV/AIDS education and awareness activities, targeting young people practicing high risk behaviors.

The other project supports the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of HIV/AIDS activities in Vietnam, working with agencies such as the National AIDS Standing Bureau, Ministry of Health and selected Provincial AIDS Committees (Lang Son, Hai Duong and Danang).

The Australian Government supports a number of HIV/AIDS prevention activities implemented by international and local NGOs, e.g. CARE Australia in Quang Ninh, An Giang, Soc Trang, Khanh Hoa provinces, Australian Red Cross in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, World Vision in Hai Phong. Recognizing the role of local NGOs, AusAID has also funded several projects through the STD/HIV/AIDS Centre (SHAPC). These projects aim at harm reduction, using peer approach and community-based care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

At a regional level, the Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Project is working with health and public security agencies in Vietnam, China and Myanmar to reduce HIV/AIDS related harm associated with injecting drug use.

Aid activities:

• Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Project

Avian influenza

Australia is helping Vietnam combat Avian Influenza and other infectious diseases by strengthening its ability to manage public health emergencies, with a particular focus on Avian Influenza.

Aid activities:

• AusAID Program to support the control and prevention of Avian Influenza in Viet Nam
• Support through the Joint GoV - UN Program on 'Strengthening the Management of Public Health Emergencies in Viet Nam ...

VANGOCA projects

The Vietnam Australia NGO Cooperation Agreements (VANGOCA) program is a partnership between AusAID and Australian NGOs, linking NGO programs and expertise to Australia's overall development cooperation strategy for Vietnam.

• Dengue-Safe Water Supply in Southern and Central Viet Nam
• Community Resilience to Natural Disasters in the Mekong Delta
• Options and Ownership: Water and Sanitation for Rural Poor in the Mekong Delta
• Participatory Disaster Management in Dong Thap and Tien Giang provinces
• Vietnam Rural Water and Sanitation (RWS) Program
• Reducing Flood and Storm Vulnerability in Quang Ngai Province

Regional Programs

The Asia Regional Program addresses high priority economic and trans-boundary development challenges, such as trans-national crime, trade liberalisation and reducing the spread of communicable diseases.

See Asia Regional Program details

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2008

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