24 December 2024, 9:30 -11:00 AM
Yasaka Saigon Nha Trang Hotel, Nha Trang, Viet Nam
Ms. Clarissa C. Arida
Acting Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
Dr. Le Van Huu, Deputy Director General of NBCA
Dr. Nguyen Thanh Vinh, Director of the SGP Project Management Unit (PMU);
Dr. Nguyen Xuan Dung, Deputy Director of PMU
Colleagues from from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;
Representatives of the 4 ASEAN Heritage Parks in Viet Nam—Ba Be National Park, Hoang Lien National Park, Chu Mom Ray National Park and Kon Ka Kinh National Park;
Dear conservation partners in Viet Nam: SGP Service Providers and Grantees from the different grant projects supported by the SGP Programme;
Good morning!
It is my pleasure to join you today at this important Closing Forum of the PMU Component of the Small Grants Programme in Viet Nam!
In 2015, the ACB joined the KfW Development Bank in the feasibility study mission for the SGP II. Our partners at the KfW then recognised that while we have yet to prove and show accomplishments for SGP I, another phase should already be in the works. The vision was very clear—to help the communities living in and around select ASEAN Heritage Parks.
We knew that investing in people is the wisest investment that we could do to enhance biodiversity protection in the ASEAN region. While Phase I focused on supporting pilot grant projects in and around selected AHPs in Indonesia and Myanmar, Phase II centred on selected AHPs in Viet Nam and its adjacent communities. It took some time before the SGP II in Vietnam officially started in 2019 with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, and the ACB, together with the Programme Implementing Agency and the Viet Nam Environment Administration (VEA), endeavoured to get the programme on track.
The expected outcome of the SGP Viet Nam national component is to improve capacity and coordination for biodiversity conservation of the country’s AHP system, including the monitoring and evaluation system. As its output, the national component was expected to strengthen the capacity, coordination mechanism and policy framework for biodiversity conservation in Viet Nam’s AHPs.
The Project Management Unit or PMUs workplan outlined several Key Result Areas in terms of policy support and development for the strengthening of the management of AHPs in Viet Nam, including the following: review of legislation related to AHP management; evaluation of the Biodiversity Law 2008 in the AHPs; and supporting policy development for the sustainable management of the said AHPs. The PMU also planned for national capacity building activities for the AHPs which included capacity building needs assessment, training and capacity building for stakeholders in project deployment, law enforcement and biodiversity conservation, training and capacity building for AHPs and stakeholders in the development of technical guideline/reports for ecosystem management, sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in AHPs and other thematic areas, as well as communication campaign and awareness raising.
As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic threw us all off our plans. Nevertheless, I am very pleased that despite this and other formidable challenges and circumstances beyond our control in some AHPs, the SGP II in Viet Nam still remained, pushed through, and endured.
Allow me to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to the PMU for the guidance and support to the SGP. The ACB has been working with the National Biodiversity and Conservation Agency and the former Vietnam Environment Agency (VEA) for a long time, and has been supportive of the many conservation activities in the ASEAN region.
As the SGP II officially concludes next year, our cooperation with the PMU continues, because the success of the Programme will always acknowledge and recognise the contribution and wisdom of the PMU and the hardworking fellows behind it. I would like to acknowledge as well the efforts of our colleagues from the ACB, the RPCU and the SGP Team, with GITEC, who have been the Centre’s arms and feet in implementing our programme objectives. Cheers, everyone!
As I end, I wish all of you a very successful and enriching closing workshop as we all pursue meaningful partnerships for the well-being of the local people and the environment. We also look forward to 2025 and Vietnam’s hosting of the 8th AHP Conference to showcase among others the gains and lessons from the SGPII. Thank you very much and happy holidays!
