The conference was attended by Nguyen Truong Nhat Phuong, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council; Dang Quoc Toan, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee’s Organization Commission; and leaders of municipal departments and agencies.
Chairwoman of HUFO, Ha Thanh, emphasized that amid increasingly deep international integration, people-to-people diplomacy continues to affirm its role as one of the three important pillars of the country’s external relations work.
According to HUFO, approximately 5.3 million Vietnamese people currently live and work in 130 countries and territories, with more than 50 percent having origins in or maintaining regular contact with Ho Chi Minh City. In 2025, remittances sent to Ho Chi Minh City were estimated at more than US$10.3 billion, out of nearly US$18 billion nationwide, contributing to exchange-rate stability and promoting investment.
Alongside resources from the Vietnamese diaspora, Ho Chi Minh City has also achieved positive results through its collaboration with foreign non-governmental organizations. In 2026, the city recorded 117 foreign non-governmental organizations registered to operate, up from 112 in 2025, with their activities focusing on healthcare, education, social protection, and community development.
From the beginning of the year through September 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee approved 30 aid packages with a total committed funding of more than VND302.4 billion (US$11.6 million). The aid has been managed and used for its intended purposes, providing practical support to vulnerable groups and helping ease pressure on the city’s social welfare budget.
To improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy and cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations in the new period, Ha Thanh called for continued efforts to strengthen interagency coordination among HUFO, the Ho Chi Minh City Police, and the municipal Department of Finance.
At the conference, delegates offered a number of substantive recommendations aimed at further improving the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy and cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations in Ho Chi Minh City, contributing positively to the city’s socio-economic development goals and those of other countries.
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