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Its purpose is to introduce the Partnership Group on Social Protection and Poverty Reduction and to develop its work plan. The meeting will bring together leaders of relevant departments of MOLISA and representatives of all international development partners active in social protection and poverty reduction. It is an activity organised within the framework of the Vietnamese-German Development Cooperation’s project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Acting as a focal point in this area, MOLISA has cooperated with many international development partners and bilateral organisations as well as many NGOs to support the development of the social protection sector through technical cooperation and financial assistance. As of now, there has not been an efficient way of sharing information and coordinating all single efforts to bring about meaningful strategic change in the sector. During the consultation process with divisions of MOLISA and the development partners, all sides therefore expressed a strong need for a partnership group.

Thus, MOLISA has been keen on setting up the Partnership Group on Social Protection and Poverty Reduction which aims to promote information sharing, to facilitate the policy dialogue and to connect partnership groups that are now operating independently. ICD will act as the secretariat of this partnership group .

This meeting is intended to raise interest and to call for the contribution of all partners to develop a work plan for the Group. Experience had shown that there are several challenges in keeping a partnership group alive and useful. It requires strong political commitment, a high competency of the secretariat, and lively engagement of the members. Hopefully, the work plan will therefore well address the need for information sharing, coordination and policy dialogue in social protection and poverty reduction, striving for structural positive changes in the sector and a good environment of cooperation.