Hanoi, October 15, 2021 - In recognition of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and Vietnamese Entrepreneur’s Day on 13 October, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA), has organized a workshop titled “Promoting a Business Network to Proactively Respond to Disasters, Climate Change and Epidemics.” The key objective is to establish and develop national and regional business networks in Viet Nam emphasizing the role of businesses in disaster risk reduction, climate change, and epidemics through consultations with experts at national and international meeting points.

Representatives from the VCCI offices in Hanoi, Da Nang and Can Tho, as well as UNDP, the VNDMA, businesses, and the private sector were in attendance, along with massive public participation through the livestream channel.

Facing many intertwined risks from disasters, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the business community – especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises – all need to embrace appropriate preparedness levels and business strategies that help to reduce those compounding risks and ensure business continuity.

At the opening of the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, General Secretary of the VCCI, said: “Businesses need to have access to more information and be connected to proactively interact with each other and share experiences in adapting to climate change and epidemics. More importantly, this will contribute to raising the compliance consciousness of enterprises, encouraging them to invest, improve their level of environmental compliance, and adapt safely to epidemic situations, thereby creating a business community that is “resilient” to disasters, climate change, and epidemics.”

VCCI has pioneered establishing a business network in some areas which are intensively affected by disasters and climate change. So far, a small business network has formed in the Mekong Delta, bringing prospects towards a national network. Following up on this result, VCCI, UNDP, and the VNDMA established a Working Group to promote the role of the private sector in disaster risk reduction, climate change, and epidemics with three main objectives: 1) Enhance awareness, capacity, and initiative of the business community in disaster risk reduction, climate change, and epidemics; 2) Promote public-private cooperation in disaster risk reduction, climate change, and epidemics; 3) Connect and promote dialogue between the government and the business community in disaster risk reduction, climate change, and epidemics. This Working Group is financially supported through the Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) under UNDP-OCHA and the Green Climate Fund-financed UNDP project “Improving the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change-related impacts in Viet Nam.”

This Working Group is financially supported through the Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) under UNDP-OCHA and the Green Climate Fund-financed UNDP project “Improving the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change-related impacts in Viet Nam.”

Mr. Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Viet Nam, also affirmed the role of businesses in preventing disasters and responding to climate change: “The private sector in Viet Nam has been developing rapidly, and has made impressive contributions to disaster risk reduction. Vietnamese enterprises have also shown examples of green growth models, including investing in renewable energy and applying digital solutions to increase productivity. Enterprises have also researched and developed seeds that are tolerant to climate extremes, or applied high-tech solutions in the agriculture sector to adapt to climate change.”

At the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director General of the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted: “It is essential and crucial to promote the role of businesses in response to disasters, climate change and epidemics and to have a specific plan to ensure a broader and more sustainable participation of the business community. In particular, businesses can directly participate in activities to strengthen the resilience of communities, developing a safer society against disasters. We hope  for a joint "Collaboration to overcome multiple challenges" with VCCI, UNDP, VNDMA and businesses to implement a comprehensive plan to promote the role of the private sector in the current context of disasters, climate change, and epidemics.”

UNDP has been working closely with the VCCI and the VNDMA to promote and develop the connection between international support, the government, and the business community, with the goal of building an active and effective business network to respond to disasters, climate change, and epidemics in Viet Nam.

Download the workshop materials at: https://bit.ly/ht15-10-2021

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Phan Huong Giang

Media & Communications Analyst,

UNDP Viet Nam

Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org; Tel: 0948466688.

Ms. Nguyen Le Ha

Secretariat of the Working Group

Deputy Head, Legal Department

Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)

Email: hanl@vcci.com.vn; Tel: 0989412324