On August 26, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a conference in Hanoi to meet with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) operating in Vietnam. The conference, themed “Connecting Localities with INGOs for Vietnam’s Sustainable Development,” was attended by more than 100 delegates representing central and local government agencies, along with nearly 60 INGOs active in the country.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van poses with conference delegates for a group photo. Photo Credit: The World and Vietnam News
This event was part of a series of activities celebrating the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector (August 28, 1945 – August 28, 2025). Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Committee for INGO Affairs (COMINGO), Mr. Ngo Le Van, chaired the conference.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Ngo Le Van praised the vital role INGOs play in promoting sustainable development in local communities and expressed deep appreciation for their long-termand contributions. He also shared his hope that the conference would generate new ideas for cooperation between INGOs and local governments. He highlighted three key priority areas for collaboration: digital and high technology transition, the green and circular economy, and holistic human and social development.
The event was chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Committee for Foreign NGOs Affairs, Mr. Ngo Le Van. Photo: MCNV
The Deputy Minister affirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, COMINGO, and other government agencies to create the most favorable conditions for INGOs operating in Vietnam. He expressed confidence that “the road ahead will be filled with many successful partnerships, contributing to Vietnam’s prosperous development.”
The conference also featured two specialized discussion sessions, which were respectively titled “Orientation and Assessment of Localities’ Needs for INGO Assistance in addressing Social Issues in the New Context,” and “Orientation and Assessment of Localities’ Needs for INGO Assistance in promoting Sustainable Economic Development in the New Context.”
(From the left) Representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs of Cao Bang, MCNV, the Norwegian People’s Aid participate in Thematic Discussion Session 1.
Representatives from Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, and Dong Nai provinces, along with several INGOs—including MCNV, Norwegian People’s Aid Vietnam, Save the Children International, Worldwide Fund for Nature Vietnam, ICRAF Vietnam, ActionAid Vietnam, and World Vision International—participated in the discussions.
During these sessions, local representatives candidly presented their urgent needs, such as developing healthcare, education, human resource training, and climate change response support. They also expressed a strong desire to collaborate closely with INGOs to build sustainable development models. In turn, INGO representatives commended Vietnam’s efforts to improve the cooperative environment and facilitate their projects. The organizations reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting Vietnam in various priority sectors and proposed several solutions to enhance operational efficiency in the coming period./.
