The event marked an important milestone in over 30 years of effective cooperation between IFAD and Viet Nam. It brought together representatives from ministries, development partners, local authorities, and communities to review the outcomes of IFAD-supported programmes implemented between 2012 and 2024, while setting out a new strategic direction for future cooperation towards inclusive, modern, and climate-resilient rural development.
Independent evaluations have shown that IFAD’s investments have created lasting impacts on rural livelihoods, helping smallholder farmers improve productivity, diversify income sources, and enhance resilience to climate change and market fluctuations.
“The evaluation report highlights that Viet Nam’s achievements in rural development stem from local ownership, innovation, and inclusive cooperation,” emphasised Dr Indran A. Naidoo, Director of the Independent Office of Evaluation at IFAD.
Earlier, an IFAD mission also conducted a field visit to the Mekong Delta, where tangible results of IFAD-supported projects were observed.
During the event, Viet Nam reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with IFAD to enhance investment effectiveness and expand the programmes’ positive impacts.
Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong noted that IFAD has been a trusted partner in Viet Nam’s rural transformation journey for more than three decades. He said the fund’s projects have demonstrated that well-targeted investments, when aligned with local ownership, can deliver exceptional results.
From a local perspective, participants underscored that coordination, inclusiveness, and community ownership are key factors in sustaining results.
On this occasion, delegates also discussed the joint commitment between IFAD and the Government of Viet Nam to integrate the findings of the evaluation into the formulation of new strategies and investment programmes, ensuring that lessons learned from implementation directly inform the design and execution of future projects.
