The seminar was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông and Ms. Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam. Attending the event were Ms. Hilde Solbakken, Ambassador of Norway to Viet Nam; Mr. Colin Shonk, Political Counsellor of the Embassy of Canada to Viet Nam; representatives from central ministries and agencies, Hanoi City’s authorities, and experts.

Vietnam acceded to the CERD Convention in 1982 and has always strictly fulfilled its obligations as a state party. The preparation of the 6^th National Report under the CERD Convention continues to affirm Vietnam's responsibility in honoring international human rights commitments, while substantiating the foreign affairs guidelines of the Party's 14^th National Congress.

The seminar was organized to share international experiences, discuss methodologies and good practices in data collection, management, and utilization for drafting the National Report, contributing to improving report quality, refining policies, and enhancing the implementation efficiency of the CERD Convention in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông speaks at the seminar

At the seminar, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông emphasized: For Vietnam, guaranteeing equality among ethnic groups, consolidating great national solidarity, and creating conditions for all communities to develop together are consistent guidelines of the Party and State.

Since acceding to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in 1982, Vietnam has consistently and strictly fulfilled its obligations as a member state. These international commitments have been concretized through improving the legal framework, formulating, and executing numerous socio-economic development policies and programs, especially targeting ethnic minority and mountainous regions.

Deputy Minister Y Thông extended deep gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Embassy of Norway in Viet Nam, and the Embassy of Canada in Viet Nam, noting that the partnership of international friends brings not only valuable resources and expertise, but also exemplifies the spirit of shared responsibility in building a just society where "no one is left behind."

He stressed the crucial importance of constructing a reliable, up-to-date data system, noting that data is not merely statistical figures, but an objective reflection of living realities, achievements gained, and ongoing challenges. This serves as the scientific and practical foundation to formulate more effective, realistic, and humane ethnic policies (policies on ethnic affairs) in the new era, in line with the guiding orientations of the Party as well as policies and laws of the State.

Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông expressed expectations that this seminar would serve as a vital forum for experts, scientists, and international organizations to exchange views, identify data gaps, and learn effective international practices, thereby enabling Vietnam to enhance the quality of its national report and optimize the implementation of ethnic policies, significantly contributing to the country's sustainable and inclusive development.

UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam Ramla Khalidi speaks at the seminar

UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam Ms. Ramla Khalidi commended Vietnam's extraordinary achievements in its development trajectory, affirming that preparing the National Report under the CERD Convention provides an opportunity for countries to further refine institutions, enhance data quality, and strengthen governance efficiency. UNDP commits to continuing its partnership with the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and relevant bodies in formulating the National Report as well as bolstering data and governance capacities.

Ms. Ramla Khalidi observed that rising to the status of an upper-middle-income nation and lifting millions out of poverty within a single generation stands as proof of the enduring efforts of a unified multi-ethnic country. However, the UNDP representative also candidly noted that the greatest ongoing challenge lies in narrowing the development gap for ethnic minority communities – a group vulnerable to being left behind if relying solely on national average growth figures.

She compared the role of data in national governance to "hidden infrastructure" – an essential foundation for designing effective public policies. To turn equality commitments into reality, policymakers need reliable, timely, and disaggregated data; this represents the precise tool enabling development programs to accurately reach each household in remote and isolated areas, rather than stopping at aggregated provincial or national figures.

Addressing the CERD Convention, UNDP emphasized that this is not merely an international obligation, but a valuable opportunity for Vietnam to review progress and identify policy gaps. Through the reporting mechanism and experience sharing from countries such as Norway and Canada, Vietnam can access best practices to reinforce public institutions and advance social inclusion.

The UNDP representative reiterated the commitment to stand side-by-side with Vietnam in linking national priorities with international standards, aiming toward a transparent, human-centered development path where all ethnic communities are heard and guaranteed rights on the journey toward the future.

Ambassador of Norway to Viet Nam Hilde Solbakken, Political Counsellor of the Embassy of Canada to Viet Nam Colin Shonk, and delegates attend the seminar

During the seminar, delegates exchanged international experiences, shared solutions to elevate data quality, and strengthened inter-agency coordination to guarantee the completeness, consistency, and reliability of information in service of preparing Viet Nam's 6^th National Report under the CERD Convention.

The seminar's outcomes will contribute to perfecting Viet Nam's 6^th National Report under the CERD Convention, while continuously reaffirming Vietnam's earnest efforts in fulfilling international commitments, promoting equality among ethnic groups, safeguarding human rights, and pursuing sustainable development.