NETWORKING AND POLICY RECOMMENDATION 

Recognizing the value of cooperation among non-governmental organizations along with socio-economic development and international integration, SRD has strengthened its networking and participation in many different activities and events held nationally and internationally.

Being the Chair of the VNGO-FLEGT and VNGO&CC Network, SRD plays an important role in the process of bringing the voices of SRD and of the Vietnamese CSOs networks to events and forums at national, regional, and international levels. 

NATIONAL NETWORKING

• Founding member and Co-chair of CCWG (Climate Change Working Group).
• Chair of VNGO-FLEGT (Network of Vietnamese NGOs on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) ~ 60 members.
• Chair of VNGO-EVFTA (Network of Vietnamese NGOs on EU-VN Free Trade Agreement) ~ 60 members.
• Chair of VNGO&CC (Network of Vietnamese NGOs on Climate change) ~ 130 members.
• Vice Chair of the DAG (Domestic Advisory Group) on Trade & Sustainable Development Chapter of the EVFTA.
• Core member of many well-known national networks and forums: CIFPEN, Gencomnet, PPWG, VRN, CDG, etc.

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INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING

One of the few local NGOs accredited by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Accredited NGO status by UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification).

Special consultative status for NGO by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Core member of regional and international networks: PANAP, EARWG, ICSW, SEACON, Reality of Aid, etc.

NGO representative, panelist, speaker at many international conferences.

SRD is a regular guest and speaker at major national and international networking events.

MAJOR NETWORKING EVENTS

1. From 2006 to 2008 

• Participated with Gencomnet to provide input on the draft of the Gender Law  
• Served as Chair of People's Participation Working Group (PPWG) to help promote what would become Decree 151 on CBOs 
• Sole NGO panelist for the Vietnam launch of the World Bank’s 2008 World Development Report  
• Sole NGO representative in the 3rd High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness    

2. From 2008 to 2012 

• Founded the VNGO&CC network in 2008, which grew from initially 5 members to more than 130 members.  
• Participated in UNFCCC pre-COP15 in Bonn  
• UNFCC COP15 in Copenhagen  
• UIMP Climate Change conference in Madrid  
• Climate Change forum Madrid  
• One of two NGO representatives in the 4th High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness  
• UN Summit on Sustainable Development, Rio +20   
• 6th International Conference on Community-based CCA  
• Accredited NGO status by UNFCCC  
• FAO Asia Pacific Conference

3. From 2013 to 2017 

• UNCCD COP13 in Ordos   
• Chatham House conference on illegal logging in London
• EU FLEGT conference in Brussels
• UNFCCC COP21 in Paris  
• 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference in Vientiane  
• Community Rights Network  
• Asia Pacific Research Network  
• Mekong Adaptation Forum  
• FAO World Forest Week  
• Gender and Diversity DRR by JICA  
• High-level conference of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation 
• Forest Services’ Study tour in the U.S.  

4. From 2018 to the present 

• Special consultative status for NGO granted by the ECOSOC  
• REDD Program Dialogue  
• Asia Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development   
• Global FCPF Dialogue hosted by the World Bank  
• ASEAN People’s Forum  
• UNFCCC COP27 in Egypt 
• UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai
• UNFCCC COP29 in Baku
• IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi
• UNFCCC COP30 in Belem

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VNGO-EVFTA  

SRD established and chaired the VNGO-EVFTA network since 2019.

SRD is Vice Chair of the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), in accordance with Chapter 13 on Trade and Sustainable Development of the EVFTA.  

SRD led the VNGO-EVFTA network in research on the potential impacts of the EVFTA, focusing on environmental, social, labor, and biodiversity aspects. 

SRD developed the capacity for NGOs to proactively engage in EVFTA civil society monitoring mechanisms.  

The VNGO-EVFTA network is a formal, collective platform for NGOS to connect with EVFTA DAGs and the timber industry, fostering joint efforts to improve forest governance and legal timber trade as stipulated in the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter of the EVFTA. 

VNGO-FLEGT

In 2012, SRD established and chaired the VNGO-FLEGT network comprising over 60 members, to build capacity and promote the role of NGOs in the VPA negotiation process and the broader forestry sector. The VNGO-FLEGT network brought the concerns, challenges, and expectations from forest-dependent communities to the attention of policymakers.

Notable research conducted:

Consultation with local communities on timber legality definition (LD)

Assessment of potential VPA impacts on the livelihoods of local communities (LIA)

Baseline assessment of forest households’ capacity to comply with LD

Set up a VPA monitoring mechanism led by an NGO

Research on the possible linkage between REDD+ and FLEGT

SRD led the VNGO-FLEGT network in developing the mechanism for VPA impact monitoring to support forest-dependent communities.

 VNGO&CC  

SRD co-founded the VNGO&CC network in 2008, which grew from initially 5 members to more than 130 members. VNGO&CC actively engaged in legitimate policy advocacy, monitoring the implementation of climate change policies, raising public awareness, and building capacity for NGOs in Vietnam.