The Ministry of Home Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam held a ceremony on August 22 to launch a project supporting Vietnam’s Youth Development Strategy over the period 2011-2020.

The project will focus on reproductive and sexual health care as well as the prevention of HIV and gender-based violence.

It will be carried out nationwide from 2012-2016, using US$900,000 of non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) from UNFPA and reciprocal capital of more than 3 billion VND from Vietnam.

Vulnerable groups, including young emigrants, single people and young people living in remote mountainous areas will directly benefit from the project.

When speaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan stressed that helping young people to develop is the only way to ensure sustainable development in the country.

UNFPA Chief Representative in Vietnam , Mandeep K. O’Brien, emphasised the need to implement policies that specifically concern young Vietnamese people.

UNFPA will assist Vietnam to carry out research into young people’s reproductive health and introduce policies to improve the capacity of Government agencies in charge of young people’s affairs, while liaising with relevant ministries to meet the demands of young people today, she said.

The project will be carried out by the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children in conjunction with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.