The meeting was attended by Naomi May Cook, Development Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam; representatives of Australian donors in Vietnam; leaders of several provincial departments and agencies; and members of the Steering Committee, the Project Management Unit and consultants.

GREAT 2 Son La is funded through non-refundable assistance by the Australian Government and implemented from June 2022 to 2027, aiming to enhance the economic empowerment of ethnic minority women. The project adopts a market development approach to strengthen economic empowerment for ethnic minority communities.

The project consists of three main components: developing market systems in agriculture and tourism; a cross-cutting strategy addressing four areas including access to finance, digital transformation, development of women-led enterprises and cooperatives, and behavior-change communication; and supporting policy formulation, improvement, and implementation.

It is expected to allocate 8.07 million AUD (5.37 million USD) to fund cooperation agreements with partners for sub-project implementation. To date, 11 sub-projects are underway and two proposals are awaiting approval from the Steering Committee. As of the end of November 2025, the disbursement rate of the 10 ongoing sub-projects had reached 34% of the total committed partnership budget.

During the meeting, the Steering Committee reviewed achievements, analysed challenges, and discussed a proposal to add 1.24 million AUD to seven sub-projects identified as effective and scalable to strengthen outcomes. The committee also proposed solutions to accelerate implementation progress, enhance cooperation, and improve dissemination of the project to beneficiary communities.

Speaking at the meeting, Naomi May Cook appreciated the project’s implementation results in Son La and affirmed Australia’s continued support for the province in carrying out the project.

Representatives of the GREAT 2 Son La Steering Committee reaffirmed their commitment to meeting agreed timelines so that local people can benefit as soon as possible.