Impressive strides in poverty reduction notwithstanding, significant pockets of poverty and vulnerability remain in Viet Nam. Over the past decade, policy momentum around social protection has grown, motivated by a concern to reduce this residual poverty and vulnerability, as emphasised in the country’s first and second Socio-Economic Development Plans (2001-2005 and 2006-2010). Viet Nam now has an array of social protection programmes in place, including social assistance, social insurance and a range of social services and social equity measures.   

This chapter, from the Viet Nam Human Development Report 2010,  maps the social protection policy reform process over time in Viet Nam and assesses the extent to which equity considerations are effectively being addressed. The National Social Protection Strategy is already under development, but it is hoped that the review in this chapter will contribute to ongoing policy dialogues.