Hanoi, Viet Nam. The formulation of the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger Challenge in Viet Nam took another step forward today.

FAO Viet Nam joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to hold a consultation workshop in Ha Noi to get comments on the draft of the National Action Plan to achieve Zero Hunger by 2025.

The Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC) was launched by the United Nations Secretary-General at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil in June 2012. It called for all societies to join the effort to end hunger and achieve sustainable development. In December 2013, the UN Regional Thematic Working Group on Poverty and Hunger prepared a Regional Guiding Framework for Achieving Zero Hunger in Asia and the Pacific through extensive multi-stakeholder consultations.

Joining the global efforts, the Government of Viet Nam has shown great commitment since the launching event on 14 January 2015, and assigned MARD to take lead in collaborating with development partners to formulate a ZHC National Action Plan, with technical support from FAO and other UN agencies.

As a result a draft result matrix has been released to form a core part of the action plan and this document formed a central part of discussions today between FAO, Government agencies and development partners on its suitability.

“The comments on the draft result matrix from the consultation workshop today will contribute to formulate the National Action Plan on achieving zero hunger in Viet Nam by 2025,” said Mr. Nguyen Hoan Linh, FAO Programme Officer    

Focus group discussions at the workshop focused on key thematic pillars, the establishment of key indicators for each pillar, outputs and activities, responsible agencies/stakeholders and linking activities to existing strategies/policies.