Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung on June 4 received and held talks with a delegation from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), led by Carter Roberts, President and Chief Executive Officer of WWF US.
WWF is the world’s largest international conservation network, currently operating in 100 countries and supported by more than five million members worldwide.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the establishment and development of cooperation in the fields of nature conservation, biodiversity protection and climate change response, with a view to building long-term cooperation programmes.
In discussions with Minister Trinh Viet Hung, Carter Roberts said the merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had created a more suitable institutional framework for effectively implementing conservation programmes. He also stressed that WWF has accompanied Viet Nam in nature and environmental conservation activities for more than 30 years, providing a favourable foundation for future cooperation.
Minister Trinh Viet Hung stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment currently oversees 17 sectors governed by 17 corresponding specialised laws. These sectors are all closely linked to the tasks of environmental, ecosystem and nature protection, in which international conservation organisations play an important partnership role.
At present, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is implementing a wide range of programmes on nature conservation and ecological protection; safeguarding land, seas and islands; conserving flora and fauna within protected areas; and strictly addressing illegal hunting and trapping of birds and wild animals. These programmes have yielded positive results, particularly during the 2025–2026 period, with the reappearance of large wild animal populations in Bac Ninh, Ha Noi, Lao Cai, Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen.
On that basis, both sides agreed that climate change and nature conservation are organically interconnected issues that must be addressed simultaneously. Discussions at the meeting also underscored the need for global solutions to prevent environmentally harmful activities, while focusing on two key priorities: remedying existing environmental damage and preventing future harm.
Regarding future cooperation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and WWF agreed to establish a regular communication mechanism through WWF Viet Nam to facilitate information exchange, experience-sharing and coordination in addressing emerging issues.
Both sides expressed their desire to continue maintaining and expanding cooperation, strengthen exchanges of experience in biodiversity management and conservation, and support one another in conservation programmes, thereby contributing to shared goals of environmental protection and sustainable development.
