[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1135, 260], "category": "Text", "text": "monitoring the implementation of climate change adaptation and resilience policies, such as the one on disaster risk reduction, and promoting climate change mitigation via low-carbon and circular innovations. In view of TEI-2, the Action will contribute to inclusive and responsible business conduct by promoting equal participation of girls and women and helping the private sector at implementing and promoting corporate social responsibility."}, {"bbox": [85, 288, 323, 318], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 352, 234, 379], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [96, 399, 1135, 611], "category": "Text", "text": "Viet Nam is a **strategic player** in ASEAN, often supportive of enhancing the EU involvement in the region. No other country in South East Asia is party to as many agreements with the EU (e.g. Partnership and Cooperation², Free Trade³, Sustainable Forestry⁴, Investment Protection⁵). In the context of an accelerating geopolitical and geostrategic shift in the region, the EU has responded with its Indo-Pacific and Global Gateway Strategies⁶. Based on both frameworks, through the implementation of the MIP and the TEIs, the EU will deepen its engagement with Viet Nam, to promote a rules-based international order, a level playing field, as well as an open and fair environment for trade and investment, under the above mentioned agreements, tackling climate change and supporting connectivity with the EU."}, {"bbox": [96, 638, 1135, 930], "category": "Text", "text": "Despite Viet Nam positioning itself as an active promoter of peace, security and human rights in the world, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2020-2021) and recently-elected Vice President of the UNGA's⁷ 77th session for Asia-Pacific region, significant challenges remain in the human rights and gender equality agendas. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2021⁸ of the World Economic Forum, Viet Nam ranks 87th out of 156 countries, in terms of **gender gap**, and particularly low in the area of women's political empowerment (only 121st out of 156). Over the last 10 years, Viet Nam has **not** met its own targets in relation to women's representation in the Party's Committees; National Assembly; and Provincial People Councils. At a closer look, female deputies sit mainly in non-essential Committees (such as Ethnic Council and Culture Committee) instead of the more politically influential Committees (such as Security and Defense or Economic/Finance/Budget ones). Prevalent social norms about gender have been significant barriers for women to pursue and attain leadership positions in political bodies."}, {"bbox": [96, 955, 1135, 1115], "category": "Text", "text": "Viet Nam is a disaster-prone country⁹, with extremely high exposure to flooding, 4-6 typhoons and numerous storms striking the country each year, often accompanied by strong wind, tidal waves, stormy surges and incessant rainfall. As the result of climate change, these events are more likely to be increasingly severe with potentially-catastrophic damages to the country, especially in coastal areas, islands and deltas. There is therefore an **urgent need for strengthening climate-change adaptation and disaster resilience** in Viet Nam as climate change is expected to interact with cyclone hazard in complex ways which are currently poorly understood. Women"}, {"bbox": [85, 1161, 1143, 1233], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² EU-Viet Nam PCA: Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, of the other part, OJ L 329, 3.12.2016, p. 8–42\nhttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A22016A1203%2802%29"}, {"bbox": [85, 1233, 1143, 1329], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ EU-Viet Nam FTA: Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, ST/6051/2019/INIT, OJ L 186, 12.6.2020, p. 3–1400\nhttps://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/vietnam/eu-vietnam-agreement_en"}, {"bbox": [85, 1330, 1143, 1403], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ EU-Viet Nam FLEGT VPA: Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on forest law enforcement, governance and trade, ST/10877/2018/INIT, OJ L 147, 5.6.2019, p. 3–209\nhttps://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/pdf/Vietnam.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1403, 1072, 1474], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement:\nhttps://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/vietnam/eu-vietnam-agreement_en"}, {"bbox": [85, 1474, 1143, 1523], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Joint Communication on the Indo-Pacific: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-communication-indo-pacific_en and Joint Communication on the Global Gateway: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/joint_communication_global_gateway.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1523, 893, 1548], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-becomes-vice-president-of-un-general-assembly/229808.vnp"}, {"bbox": [85, 1548, 648, 1572], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2022/"}, {"bbox": [85, 1572, 1143, 1620], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2020 (CRI), Vietnam has worsened from 9th spot in the CRI 2019, which reviewed 1998 to 2017, to 6th in 2018 on the global vulnerability ladder."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 26"}]