Vietnam’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security NAP-WPS (2024–2030)

Overview

Vietnam officially approved its first-ever National Action Program on Women, Peace, and Security (NAP WPS) with a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang in January 2024. The plan was formally announced during a ceremony in Đà Nẵng on 8–9 August 2024.

The NAP is structured around the four pillars of the WPS agenda and also incorporates international cooperation:

Participation: Aim to enhance women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in politics, diplomacy, national defence, security, handling non-traditional security threats, and peacekeeping
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Protection: Boost prevention and response to gender-based violence, especially amid crises and disasters

Prevention: Address emerging security threats (e.g. climate change, cybersecurity), ensuring gender-responsive policies in these areas

Relief & Recovery: Integrate gender perspectives into relief and recovery efforts, including disaster and war aftermath responses

International Cooperation: Strengthen Vietnam’s engagement in WPS at multilateral levels, particularly through ASEAN and UN mechanisms

Development & Stakeholder Engagement

A National Consultation Workshop, held on 6 November 2023 in Hanoi, brought together over 200 stakeholders—government ministries, academia, UN, civil society, and more—to refine the draft plan, discuss coordination, and plan financing

The drafting involved a broad inter-ministerial committee led by MOFA and supported by UN Women (alongside partners like Canada, UK, Australia, and South Korea)

Strategic Importance & Context

Vietnam has been a vocal advocate of the WPS agenda internationally, key among them leading the adoption of UN SC Resolution 1889 (2009) and facilitating the Hanoi Commitment to Action during its UNSC tenure in 2020–2021. The program builds on Vietnam's earlier legal frameworks on gender equality, including the Gender Equality Law (2006), the National Strategy on Gender Equality (2021–2030), and the Domestic Violence and Protection Law (2022).

UN Women emphasized that the program’s success relies on strong coordination, measurable planning, adequate financing, and multi-stakeholder involvement across all administrative levels.

To note – the significance that Vietnam’s first WPS-specific plan aligns with global and domestic gender equality.
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Objectives of Vietnam’s NAP-WPS (2024–2030):

Vietnam’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security is structured around four core objectives:

Enhancing Women's Participation

• Ensure women have meaningful roles in diplomacy, national defense, security, disaster response, and UN peacekeeping. Target: at least 40% female officers in management by 2025, 50% by 2030.
• Increase Vietnamese women’s involvement in UN peacekeeping deployments.

Preventing & Responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

• Strengthen women’s capacity to address GBV amid crises, disasters, and non-traditional security threats. Aim for broad reach: by 2025, 70% of public social support facilities should implement GBV response; by 2030, 100%. By 2025, 80% of survivors should access at least one basic support service; by 2030, this rises to 90%.

Mainstreaming Gender into Relief & Recovery

• Integrate gender perspectives into post-crisis relief, war aftermath recovery, and climate adaptation initiatives.

Elevating Vietnam’s Global Role in WPS

• Actively advance the WPS agenda within ASEAN and the UN, aligning with prior commitments like the Hanoi Commitment and Resolution 1889.

Implementation Strategy:

Stakeholder Engagement: Broad inter-ministerial collaboration—led by MOFA, with involvement from sectors such as defense, social affairs, public security, natural resources, and women’s union structures. UN Women and international donors (Canada, UK, Australia, South Korea) provided technical backing.

Delivery Planning & Coordination: Workshops developed a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-oriented, Time-bound) implementation road map with defined timelines and clear roles across agencies.

Capacity Building & MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning): With support from the NAP Global Network, Vietnam initiated:

Evaluation of implementation progress and a financing strategy.

Development of guidelines for gender-responsive climate adaptation policies.

Training workshops and an M&E manual for ministries and local authorities.

Monitoring & Evaluation Mechanisms:

SMART Planning: The plan employs SMART objectives, providing clarity for assessment and oversight.

M&E Manuals & Training: The NAP Global Network supported the development of an M&E manual, rolled out through training across regions to build M&E capacity.

Evaluation Reports & Financing Strategy: Built into the plan are multi-level evaluations, funding strategies, and gender-mainstreaming integration in adaptation policies.

Institutional Oversight: UN Women continues to monitor and support implementation through outcome tracking, SOP development (e.g., for coordinated GBV service), and enhancing governance and access to justice for women and girls.

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Vietnamese UN Operational Personnel (as of mid-2025) from Chat GPT sources:

Vietnam’s contributions to UN peacekeeping are substantial and growing:

Total Deployment: Since 2014, nearly 1,100 military and police personnel have served in UN missions and at UN Headquarters.

See reference section for additional details:

Active deployment: Roughly 274 personnel are currently active in UN peacekeeping missions, with a continued emphasis on gender balance (43 women), specialized teams (engineering, medical), and representation in UN HQ planning roles.
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Numbers as of 31 March 2025 from UN source:

As of March 31, 2025, Vietnam has contributed 274 personnel for peacekeeping missions (of which only 43 are women).

2025 updates: Additional deployments of eight military officers and three police officers, along with preparations for a full police unit, reflect Vietnam’s sustained and growing commitment to UN peacekeeping operations.
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Civil Society Involvement:

Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU):

A core actor in developing and implementing the NAP-WPS, including sitting on the drafting committee.  Civil Society Role VWU as lead implementer; wide input from NGOs, academia; embedding CSOs in M&E.

Drives grassroots peace and security initiatives (e.g., "Peace House Shelters," "Safe Village," anti-trafficking campaigns, climate resilience programs).

Leads international exchanges on WPS and legal advocacy

Other Civil Society & Academia:

Participated widely in workshops and consultations to shape, refine, and localize the NAP, contributing legal, academic, and community perspectives.

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Global Evidence:

Research underscores that robust NAPs include civil society in monitoring and evaluation, enhancing transparency and effectiveness.
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References

Vietnamese NAP (could not locate English translation)

https://1325naps.peacewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/101-qd-ttg.signed-1.pdf

UN Peacekeeping Statistics March 2025

https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/05_missions_detailed_by_country_84_march_2025.pdf

Details of UN Peacekeeping personnel:

Types of Contributions:

Level-2 Field Hospitals: Six rotations (approx. 63 personnel each).

Engineering Units: Three rotations (approx. 184 each).

Staff officers, observers, intelligence, logistics roles, and liaison positions both in-field and at UN HQ.

Gender Representation: Female peacekeepers make up about 16% of individually deployed personnel—above global averages. Police units have reached nearly 19.4% women, with 5 female officers currently serving in South Sudan, Abyei, and UN HQ.

New Deployments & Units: Vietnam is rolling out Engineering Unit 4 and Field Hospital 7 in 2025, expanding capacity.

Institutionalizing Peacekeeping Engagement: A new law passed June 26, 2025, formalizes Vietnam’s participation, paired with a draft law underway. Vietnam is also training to host the UN Staff Officer Course (UNSOC) in 2026 and aiming for more senior UN positions.

As of the end of 2024 to mid-2025, here’s the most up-to-date picture of Vietnam’s United Nations peacekeeping personnel:

Personnel Deployment Overview

1. Cumulative Contributions Since 2014

Total personnel deployed over the past decade (up to late 2024): 1,065 individuals

vietnamnews.vn.

As of mid-2025, this number is reaffirmed as “nearly 1,100”

THE VOICE OF VIETNAMen.qdnd.vn, indicating slight growth in contributions.

2. Current On-Field Deployment Sustained

Vietnam maintains a steady on-mission presence of 274 personnel, including 36 women

vietnamnews.vn en.qdnd.vn.

Breakdown includes:

27 individual officers

One Level-2 Field Hospital (63 staff)

One Engineering Team (184 personnel)

4 personnel—three military and one police officer—based at UN Headquarters, focusing on planning and policy

Mega Story en.daibieunhandan.vn.

3. Recent Additions (2025)

Eight officers were dispatched in early 2025 for missions in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and South Sudan (UNMISS)

Hanoitimes+1.

Three public security officers were deployed to South Sudan (UNMISS) in April 2025, with preparations underway for a full police unit deployment to MINUSCA

Ministry Of Public Security Portal

vietnamnews.vn.

Summary at a Glance

Period Cumulative Deployed Currently Deployed Notable Additions (2025)

Up to end 2024 ~1,065 274 (incl. 36 women) —

Mid-2025 ~1,100 274 ongoing +8 officers to MINUSCA & UNMISS

Early 2025 — — +3 police officers to UNMISS; plans for unit to MINUSCA

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