The information was revealed at a conference on foreign NGO work in 2024 hosted by the Committee for Foreign Non-governmental Organisation Affairs on April 12. The conference was connected to 63 provinces and cities nationwide, including Son La province.

Speaking at the event, a Son La representative said 31 foreign NGOs have been licensed to operate in the province. Their activities have focused on sustainable development through programmes/projects to improve community capacity, raise public awareness, improve livelihoods for ethnic minorities, develop agriculture, and combat climate change, and develop logistics, medical care, and education.

In the coming time, Son La province will continue to effectively implement programmes to strengthen cooperation and mobilise foreign non-governmental aid for the 2020-2025 period. It will focus on attracting assistance to such fields as agriculture and rural development, education-training, health, environmental resources; handling of social problems.

According to statistics, 381 foreign non-governmental organisations are operating in Vietnam. The value of their aid in the country in 2023 reached 228.7 million USD, an increase of 4.9 million USD compared to 2022. Their assistance mainly went to health, education, environment, development and solving of social issues in the North Central, Red River Delta, Northern Mountainous, Southeastern, Central Highlands, and Southwestern regions.

Representatives of foreign NGOs said they will continue to support programmes and projects according to Vietnam's needs; closely coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities in the process of implementing programmes and projects and comply with Vietnamese legal regulations, actively contributing to promoting the country’s socio-economic development and foreign relations.

Concluding the conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairwoman of the committee Nguyen Minh Hang said in the coming time, ministries, agencies and localities need to continue to strengthen state management of foreign NGO activities; regularly exchange information and closely coordinate between local and central agencies in managing and supervising aid activities, meeting requirements in terms of politics-security and foreign affairs, serving socio-economic development.