Against a backdrop of profound and increasingly unpredictable global changes, international cooperation is undergoing fundamental transformations. Development assistance is no longer confined to a model of “pure aid,” but is steadily evolving toward more equitable partnerships characterized by co-creation and shared responsibility, with effectiveness and sustainability placed at the core.
According to the Overview Report on Cooperation between Viet Nam and Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (FNGOs) for the 2020–2025 period, the global economy is experiencing a slow and uneven recovery, shaped by the prolonged impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, and intensifying strategic competition among major powers. In this context, international aid resources are increasingly constrained and fragmented, while donors are raising expectations regarding the effectiveness of fund utilization, transparency, accountability, and project management capacity.
These developments have driven a significant turning point in international cooperation trends. Development assistance is increasingly aligned with the strategic priorities of donor countries, while placing higher demands on the roles, capacities, and responsibilities of recipient partners.
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Notably, despite persistent global challenges, the volume of development assistance disbursed to Viet Nam during the 2020–2024 period reached approximately USD 1.14 billion and is projected to total USD 1.35 billion for the entire 2020–2025 period. This outcome reflects a significant shift in Viet Nam’s mindset and approach to international cooperation.
Rather than remaining a passive aid recipient, Viet Nam is increasingly asserting itself as a strategic development partner. In this role, Viet Nam proactively works alongside donors and foreign non-governmental organizations throughout the entire project cycle. Many international organizations now consider Vietnamese partners as co-creation and co-accountability partners, engaging from the identification of priorities and design of support initiatives to the implementation of concrete activities at the local level. Vietnamese partners are also directly involved in monitoring and evaluation processes, ensuring strong alignment with national development objectives and the Government’s funding priorities. This approach enables development solutions, activities, and financing models to better respond to real-world needs, thereby enhancing both the effectiveness and sustainability of development assistance.
In the coming period, cooperation between Viet Nam and international organizations is expected to focus on strategic priorities such as the development of the digital economy and digital society, the promotion of a green economy, and the advancement of comprehensive social protection and inclusive development. This emerging cooperation landscape also highlights a growing role for financial institutions.
Aligned with these trends, and in its role as the apex bank of People’s Credit Funds (PCFs) as well as a community-oriented microfinance institution, Co-opBank has been implementing a coherent set of reform and innovation strategies. These efforts focus on strengthening governance capacity, accelerating digital transformation, expanding green credit, and deepening international cooperation. Such strategic orientations aim to reinforce Co-opBank’s financial strength, improve operational efficiency, and ensure greater alignment with the increasingly stringent standards of international development partners.
Co-opBank remains steadfast in building and maintaining a transparent governance framework, in full compliance with international standards on risk management, financial management, and independent auditing. On this foundation, Co-opBank continues to strengthen its implementation capacity while leveraging its deep understanding of the specific characteristics of the People’s Credit Funds (PCFs) system, ensuring that strategic orientations are closely aligned with the practical needs of more than two million members and customers in the agriculture and rural sectors
Beyond the mobilization of financial and technological resources, Co-opBank places strong emphasis on knowledge transfer and capacity building for PCF member institutions and beneficiary communities. This approach is fully aligned with the sustainable development support model increasingly prioritized by international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations (FNGOs), which seeks to generate long-term and lasting impact.
In the new era, as the apex bank of the PCFs network, Co-opBank reaffirms its position as a trusted partner in international cooperation. The Co-opBank ready to work closely with international organizations to advance financial inclusion, contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and enhance the quality of life for rural communities in Viet Nam. By serving as a connector and a platform for transparent and timely information sharing, Co-opBank is committed to building trust proactively, deepening mutual understanding, and fostering effective partnerships based on goodwill, accountability, and shared development objectives.
Reference source: People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM)
