In her speech,  Ha Thanh, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, highlighted the event as a practical activity to strengthen exchanges and ties in people-to-people diplomacy between Vietnamese partners and foreign NGOs in the city. It is also an occasion to review activities and work towards improving the effectiveness of non-refundable aid not belonging to official development assistance (ODA) from foreign agencies, organisations and individuals for Vietnam.

She said such non-refundable, non-ODA aid is a valuable resource for development, helping supplement shortages in human resources, material resources and science and technology. At the same time, cooperation with international organisations and partners in Vietnam helps enhance friendship between the Vietnamese people and people of other countries, while promoting the image of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City to international friends.

Ha Thanh called on foreign NGOs and Vietnamese partners to continue promoting achieved results, further strengthen cooperation and comply with legal regulations, enabling non-refundable, non-ODA aid from foreign agencies, organisations and individuals to be used effectively and deliver practical benefits for socio-economic development in localities.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, Head of the Foreign NGO Affairs Committee under the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, said that in 2025, the municipal People’s Committee approved 32 dossiers for receiving and implementing project and non-project aid funded by non-refundable, non-ODA sources from foreign agencies, organisations and individuals, with total committed capital of about VND401 billion.

Of this, 20 project-based grants accounted for about VND387 billion, while 12 non-project grants totalled about VND13 billion. The projects focused on essential areas aligned with people’s needs, including healthcare, education, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation and support for vulnerable groups.

Foreign NGOs and Vietnamese partners have complied with regulations on declaring and confirming aid. The funds have been received, managed and carried in accordance with regulations on foreign NGO aid, used for the committed purposes and in line with project contents approved by the municipal People’s Committee. These cooperation projects have contributed to socio-economic development and supported the city’s target programmes.

At the programme, representatives of local unions of friendship organisations shared information and presented aid mobilisation needs to foreign NGOs to connect and implement future projects and non-project activities.

On this occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations hailed and awarded foreign NGOs for their positive contributions and effective implementation of humanitarian programmes and projects in the city in recent years.

Non-governmental organisations active in social welfare

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been very active in social welfare projects across Vietnam, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung at a conference in Hanoi on December 19 to promote cooperation with NGOs in this field.

Non-governmental organisations join hands in supporting children orphaned by COVID-19

The Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD), Saigon Children’s Charity (saigonchildren) and Capacity Building and Support Center for Women and Children (CSWC) - have joined hands to launch the “You are not alone” campaign to support children orphaned by COVID-19.