International conference on Sustainable development for ethnic minorities people

In two days of 12th and 13th June, at Learning Resource Center, Thai Nguyen University, World Bank in Viet Nam cooperates Thai Nguyen University to hold a conference on the theme “Sustainable development for ethnic minorities people”.

Attending the conference, Mr. Dang Viet Thuan, Member of Provincial Party Standing committee, Vice Chairman of provincial People’s Committee, leaders of Committee of Ethnic minorities, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social affairs, representatives from Ireland Embassy, Switzerland Embassy, international guests from Nepal, Bolivia, India, America, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh.

Preliminary report of World Bank Vietnam has reported ratified results from social annual investigation of General Department of Statistics: During the past 20 years, Vietnam is one of the nations to be successful in economic development and poverty alleviation. In 1986, Vietnam from one of  the poorest country in the world with per capita income of 100 USD to the nation with per capita income of 1200 USD and 35 million people alleviating poverty.  Besides, Vietnam has impressive educational and medical achievements. Primary school admission of the poor is over 90%, secondary school admission is 70%. Rising learning competence, diversified non-rural activities, job opportunities at construction sites, factories… actively contribute to poverty alleviation in Vietnam.

The representatives stated that: Comprehensive strategies in development and poverty alleviation in Vietnam are proper, meet the needs of people, suitable for global trends. Despite economic difficulties, Vietnam Communist Party, Vietnam government always priorities welfare, poverty alleviation.

At the conference, the delegates discussed the topics of Vietnam’s policies viewing from the viewpoints of the government and sponsors;  development projects and institutionalized economic development policies; Supporting production development to raise income for sustainable poverty alleviation. However, the percentage of poverty alleviation in Vietnam is rapid but not sustainable, the gap between regions and people has been narrowed, especially in mountainous northern area and Central Mid-land. To implement effectively these programs in the future, recommendations has been proposed at the conference, that is, applying unified regulations and avoiding overlapping policies promulgation. Specially, during building policies, some issued should be considered, such as customs, traditions, cultural customs of ethnic minorities, regional factors which affect policies implementation.