UNDP project aims to accelerate socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas
The Project on Accelerating Multi-dimensional Poverty Reduction and Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority Areas 2020-2025 (SEDEMA) was signed in Hanoi on December 21.
Hanoi (VNA) – The Project onAccelerating Multi-dimensional Poverty Reduction and Socio-economic Developmentin Ethnic Minority Areas 2020-2025 (SEDEMA) was signed in Hanoi on December 21.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister-Chairman of the Committeefor Ethnic Minority Affairs Do Van Chien briefed on the process of building the national targetprogramme (NTP) for socio-economic development in ethnic minority andmountainous areas in the 2021 – 2030 period.
This is the first time Vietnam has had a national target programme dedicated toethnic minority and mountainous areas, he noted, adding that estimated budgetfor its first phase (2021 - 2025) approved by the National Assembly is over 137trillion VND (5.86 billion USD).
However, the implementation of the programme is facing numerous difficulties,especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chien said. He expressed his wish that through this project, the research, evaluationand implementation of policies for ethnic minority development from the centralto local levels will be improved.
UNDPResident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen believed that the ethnicminorities, with their creativeness, will turn the national target programmeinto an effective tool to promote local socio-economic development.
UNDP is willing to cooperate with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities,ministries, agencies and provinces to support the Vietnamese Government in thisimportant effort, said she.
The project aims to provide policy consultancy and technicalsupport for the development of guiding documents for the NTP and SEDEMAimplementation, including an assessment of implementation results mechanismsadopted in the New Rural Development and the NTP on Sustainable PovertyReduction so as to inform and recommend the appropriate, innovative mechanismsfor adoption in the NTP and SEDEMA.
It will also deliver technical support to the Committee on Ethnic MinorityAffairs in development and introduction of innovative solutions under theNTP-SEDEMA and launching event, as well as technical support for digitaltransformation in implementation and management of the NTP- SEDEMA./.
Poverty reduction efforts in ethnic minority areas in Binh Phuoc province have posted many important results over the years but difficulties persist. The story of Duc Hanh commune in Bu Gia Map district is common. Though fulfilling criteria as a new rural area, the commune still has 95 poor households and 112 near-poor households, of which poor ethnic minorities account for the majority.
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Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 
