The Emerging Civil Society: An Initial Assessment of Civil Society in Viet Nam

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The Emerging Civil Society: An Initial Assessment of Civil Society in Viet Nam

June 19, 2013

Globally, civil society organizations are playing an increasingly important role in the guts and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction (MDGs). The organizations have been working alongside with governments in activities pertaining to the goals on poverty reduction, empowerment of women, increased transparency, and notably to encouraging people’s participation in decision-making and policy implementation.

In Viet Nam, as the Doimoi process moves forward, a wide range of civil society organizations have been established and tremendously developed. The people’s participation in the development process has been increasingly enhanced. However, substantial researches on civil society currently need to be conducted so as to clarify its roles, position and policies to encourage the people’s active participation, thus contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.

Under the support from the UNDP, SNV and CIVICUS and the cooperation with local and international research institutes and experts, in 2005, the Viet Nam Institute of Development Studies (VIDS) carried out the project titled “Civil Society Index - Shortened Assessment Tool in Viet Nam”. This document is the Final report of the project.

The main analysis presented in this report reflects the perceptions and standpoints of the National Assessment Group composed of representatives from such different organizations as academic, social, non-governmental ones and so forth in Viet Nam. This report took the efforts to introduce initial analysis on the current situations, comprising strengths and weaknesses, and prospects for the civil society in Viet Nam.

It is the VIDS’s expectation that the analysis and findings of the report will have a part in the solution recommendations in order to improve action-planning process for the implementation of national-level strategies and programmes on sustainable development with the participation of people. The wish also extends to that the report will serve as a valuable source of information for all civil society researchers in the country in the coming time.

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