NPAP: Connecting over 200 organizations, 160 plastic pollution reduction projects

On July 9, the Vietnam National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) convened its sixth Working Group Meeting.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was reviewing NPAP’s implementation progress, updating the Working Group’s member list, and, most notably, officially launching the NPAP Policy Technical Group.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP Vietnam and Deputy Head of the Working Group, shared: "Since its launch in 2020, NPAP Vietnam has brought together over 200 organizations and recorded more than 160 plastic pollution reduction projects. The initiative has also spurred over 570 innovative solutions. This close collaboration has helped shape and embed inclusive principles into national policies. These efforts lay a solid foundation for NPAP to continue growing as a sustainable, multi-stakeholder platform led by Vietnam."

For our NPAP members, whether upstream or downstream, mutual actions will be critical in enabling innovation and putting solutions into practice on the ground. UNDP Vietnam will support this process as a key part of our overall environment, climate, and circular economy portfolios. Sustaining and scaling our impact on plastic action will require clarity of roles, realistic planning, and collective effort.

She also shared, "I also recognize the vital financial and technical assistance provided by the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) hosted by the World Economic Forum, through partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and UNDP."

As the lead agency for the NPAP Program in Vietnam, UNDP Vietnam remains committed to advancing this multilateral, multi-stakeholder platform, established through an official collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and the World Economic Forum (WEF). In addition, UNDP will continue supporting the activities of the Partnership Group during the second half of 2025 to help Vietnam realize its commitments to plastic waste reduction and pollution control.

Mr. Vu Duc Dam Quang, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the INC-5.2 negotiation round, emphasized: "This is a critical moment for Vietnam to proactively shape proposals that align with domestic conditions while also affirming our role as an active member of the Asia-Pacific region in the process of developing a Global Plastics Treaty."

This event continues Vietnam’s commitment to addressing the growing challenges of plastic pollution through shared responsibility, resource mobilization, and policy solutions. At the same time, NPAP acts as a bridge to connect stakeholders, strengthening technical expertise, sharing perspectives, and aligning interventions to achieve key goals. These include reducing marine plastic waste by 75% by 2030, eliminating single-use plastics in coastal provinces, and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) nationwide.

At the event, the Sixth Meeting of the Vietnam NPAP Working Group officially announced the establishment of the NPAP Policy Technical Group - an institutional mechanism designed to promote alignment among legal frameworks related to plastic action and circularity.

Mr. Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director General of the Department of Environment and Head of the Technical Group, shared: "The group brings together 15 members, including policymakers, businesses, researchers, and development partners. It will work closely with NPAP’s two existing Technical Groups -  Innovation & Finance and Gender Equality & Social Inclusion - to strengthen an integrated and holistic approach to tackling plastic pollution in Vietnam."

The group’s activities will help build the necessary policy foundation for long-term, systemic change and contribute to Vietnam’s commitment to developing a sustainable circular plastic economy.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Mr. Ho Kien Trung, Deputy Director General of the Viet Nam Environment Agency (MAE), shared, “The Policy Task Force will play an important role in shaping Vietnam’s plastic circularity roadmap. The Task Force’s Activities will strengthen the policy framework needed for long-term, systemic changes and contribute to Vietnam’s commitment to building a sustainable plastic circular economy.”

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh serves as the Head of the Working Group of the NPAP Program, alongside 33 senior representatives from government agencies, development partners, organizations, associations, and businesses actively engaged in the fight against plastic pollution.

NPAP’s areas of impact include behavior change, innovation promotion, mobilization of financing, policy-informed data provision, harmonization of plastic-related statistics, and the advancement of gender equality and social inclusion throughout the plastic value chain.