Hanoi (VNA) – The GermanDevelopment Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs held a forum in Hanoi on March 20 assessing the social impactsof policy loopholes on vulnerable groups.

The event aimed to help carry out the socialtarget project on sustainable green growth in Vietnam.

Participants said the Vietnamese Party andGovernment have issued several strategies and policies on green growth,sustainable development and reform of the growth model.

In recent years, social indexes have improvedconsiderably, with falling rates of poor households and unemployment in urbanareas and an increase in skilled workers and health insurance card holders.

However, the rate of poor households inseveral areas, especially in mountainous areas, remains high, up to nearly 70percent.

Despite progress in multidimensional povertyreduction at the national level, big gaps are still seen in regions andresidential groups.

The rate of those in need of social supportremains high, accounting for 28 percent of the total population, including theelderly, poor children, the disabled, and poor and near-poor households.

Tran Van Loi, from the Ministry of Justice’sDepartment of common issues on legislation, said socio-economic and environmentfactors still lack links so a part of residential community, especially womenand vulnerable groups, have yet to fully enjoy social welfare benefits.

GIZ Country Director Jasper Abramoski said theagency will continue assisting Vietnam in sustainable green growth in socialinclusiveness, ecological balance, political participation and economic growth.

Delegates shared domestic and internationalexperience in assessing social impacts in Vietnam over the years, therebyproposing measures to build specific action plans.-VNA