B1.1.2. REDD+ Information sharing mechanisms in Viet Nam

National level

Information sharing on REDD+ strategies, implementation and safeguards has been stipulated in legal documents, decrees or circulars. However, online information sharing is subject to some restrictions. For example, publicly available forestry sector information from central to local levels only encompasses policy documents, regulations, and some implementation measures, as well as summarized statistics.

The National REDD+ Action Program (NRAP) (2017) sets out that the Ministry of Information and Communications will lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) in working with the media on to raise awareness on REDD+ among relevant agencies, organisations and people, and called for the development of a communications plan.[1]

There are multiple channels for information disclosure by government agencies (see SIS B1.1.1). Public information requests related to REDD+ are directed to relevant agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the Office of the Central Steering Committee for the implementation of the Sustainable Forestry Development Program for the period 2021-2025. The Ministry receives public information requests via email, online forms, and mail, as well as through in-person petitions at provincial and local levels. The responsible officers respond or direct the request to other relevant units. At the provincial level, the process is similar.

Viet Nam monitors and reports on anti-corruption measures, fund management for forest sector activities (including REDD+), Payments for Forest Environmental Services (PFES), and distribution of REDD+ results-based payments. For example, anti-corruption reports are posted on the websites of relevant government agencies, including for the forest sector (e.g. MAE, VNFF, provincial departments, etc - for example, this report from Kon Tum Province VNFF). On PFES, the VNFF is required to report nationally on its implementation and has a comprehensive set of indicators that is used down to the local level to monitor the scheme. An online database is also under development as of 2025.

The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA)/Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Viet Nam – European Union, Annex VIII, states that information to be published includes forest land use planning and forest land allocation, forest management, domestic timber production, forest law violations, information on processing, trade, investment and revenues. MAE is the national focal point for the Viet Nam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS, http://en.vntlas.org/), which will ensure that timber products are verified as legal according to specified requirements for all stages of the supply chain.

At national level, several dedicated forestry and REDD+ information sharing mechanisms have been established including:

• A national REDD+ website providing information to the public on REDD+ was established in 2009; this website is no longer in use.
• Forest sector information, including statistics, maps, etc., is compiled through the Forest Resource Management System (FRMS), which is available upon request. New online information, such as updated forest inventory data, is currently being developed (as of 2025).
• The National REDD+ Network, established in 2010, raises awareness about REDD+ and builds capacity at national and provincial levels to coordinate relevant activities.
• The VNFF website provides information on the PFES scheme, a key element of REDD+ benefit sharing. Legal documents, activities, announcements and communications are also provided on VNFF’s website.
• Viet Nam’s SIS provides publicly accessible information in Vietnamese and English on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected. The information presented in the SIS is drawn from a range of sources, including FRMS, NSO (National), CEMA, MONRE and others.

Provincial / subnational level

The national guidelines on the development of Provincial REDD+ Action Plans (PRAPs) assigned responsibilities for information sharing and communications to relevant Provincial Departments and People’s Committees (PPCs), which were instructed to conduct communication and education activities to raise awareness among relevant stakeholders, along with other departments responsible for communication, awareness raising and capacity building activities on gender equality, mobilization of ethnic minorities, and REDD+ mainstreaming.[2]

PPCs organize awareness raising through the media about the value of forests for economic, social, environmental, security and defence purposes. PPCs also strengthen legal education on forest protection and development, raise people's awareness about forest protection, mobilize households living in and near forests to sign a commitment to protect forests, and develop and implement forest protection regulations. PRAPs and other relevant documents, such as provincial forest protection and development plans, are currently shared through mass media channels, as well as on the information pages of Departments for Agriculture and Environment (DAEs), and Provincial VNFFs. As noted above, provincial DAEs, VNFFs and other provincial agencies also play a role in responding to information requests.

Under the Emission Reductions Program of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund (covering six provinces in the North Central Region of Viet Nam), activities on communications are aimed at 'timely published information on ER program to stakeholders' and 'documented and shared lessons learnt and results of the ER program'.[3] The ER Program adopted an Adaptive Collaborative Management Approach (ACMA), to be operationalised through proposed local Forest Management Councils (FMCs). FMCs are to implement a range of tasks, including: establish communication networks, to facilitate the exchange of information for all stakeholders to access.[4]

[1]	NRAP 2017, Decision No 419/QD-TTg dated 5/4/2017
[2]	Decision 5414/QD-BNN-TCLN dated December 25, 2015 of MARD on guidelines to develop PRAPs
[3]	FCPF ERP Document (2018): https://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/sites/default/files/documents/vietnam_mmr1_final_06.09.2023_vn_updated_01.10.2023_clean.pdf
[4]	FCPF ERP Document (2018). Annex 8: Adaptive Collaborative Management Approach (ACMA) and Benefit Sharing Mechanism (BSM)