UNFPA’s Guiding International Principles
UNFPA is directed in its work by several international agreements, in particular the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994. Our work is also guided by the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) , and it contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Viet Nam and the International Principles
The Government of Viet Nam shares commitment to these goals and has endorsed these agreements and conventions. With this shared understanding, UNFPA helps the Government formulate policies and strategies to reduce poverty and support sustainable development.
Viet Nam and the ICPD
Viet Nam has endorsed the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development , and immediately following the conference began to formulate a new country programme charting future directions for its cooperation with UNFPA. It adopted a broader approach to sexual and reproductive health, which has continued in subsequent years. In 1999, the year of the follow-up ICPD+5 meeting, the Viet Nam Commission for Population, Family and Children was awarded the United Nations Population Award in recognition of its outstanding contributions to increasing awareness of population questions and their possible solutions.
Viet Nam and the Beijing Declaration
Viet Nam has signed the Beijing Declaration, which brings women’s rights to the forefront to promote equality, development and peace globally. This lead, in 1993, to the establishment of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women (NCFAW) to implement the National Plan of Action developed for the Beijing conference. In 1997 the government then approved its first National Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women in Viet Nam to the Year 2000, according to the recommendations of item 297 of the Beijing Platform, and in 2000 launched the first National Strategy for the Advancement of Women by 2010 and a Plan of Action by 2005. In 2004, NCFAW then completed its Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines in National Policy Formulation and Implementation and in 2005, UNFPA and the government commemorated Beijing+10 with a conference .
CEDAW and Viet Nam
Viet Nam has ratified CEDAW and is legally bound to put its provisions into practice. It has also committed to submitting national reports at least every four years on measures it has taken to comply with the obligations. You can find the latest country report here . These reports are filed with the UN’s Division for the Advancement of Women.
Past country reports for Viet Nam:
- Country Report 2001 and the Introductory Statement on Vietnam’s Combined 5th and 6th National Report on the Implementation of CEDAW are filed with the UN's Division for the Advancement of Women
- Concluding CEDAW Comments on Viet Nam, Feb. 2007 (download Vietnamese version here)
- Report by Non-Governmental Organisations Regarding Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in Viet Nam
MDGs in Viet Nam
Viet Nam ratified the Millennium Declaration at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000 and has since made impressive advances towards the achievement of many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The Government of Viet Nam and the United Nations in Viet Nam have produced several reports assessing progress toward the MDGs in the country . UNFPA particularly focuses on MDG#3, to promote gender equality and empower women, and on MDG#5, to improve universal access to reproductive health, including maternal health.
You can find more information on the MDGs here .
