The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences held the fourth annual Nopoor meeting in Hanoi on June 12, focusing on evidence-based policy making for poverty alleviation.

Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Franz Jessen said Nopoor is an EU initiative with 20 agencies from 17 countries worldwide working to study poverty developments around the globe.

The project is being carried out in Vietnam and has helped the country to develop international cooperation and integration strategies, he said.

It is expected to help the Southeast Asian country increase its national competitiveness and address challenges regarding inequality, social welfare, developing a law-abiding state and improving state administration, he added.

Coordinator of the project Xavier Oudin noted there will not be a policy that suits everyone and it is difficult to explore poverty dimensions with time.

He suggested researchers focus on studying the interaction between different aspects of poverty to yield accurate results.

In Vietnam , about 30 million people rose out of poverty in the doi moi (reform) process - a highlight in the country’s poverty alleviation efforts, said Director General of the Centre for Analysing and Forecasting Nguyen Thang.

However, he noted that a number of challenges will face the country in the short and medium term due to limited breakthroughs in economic restructuring.

He recommended building institutions promoting agriculture, the manufacturing industry, construction, trade and services, all of which require a large number of workers.

Emphasis should be placed on tertiary education as well, he continued, explaining that higher education is essential in helping the country avoid the “middle-income trap”.-VNA