The research and development of feasible policies and practicable measures to enhance and secure the sustainability of Vietnam’s social protection system in the coming years, hence, are highlighted as an urgent need at present. | Ensuring Social Protection in Vietnam Hoang Van Cuong1, Pham Phu Minh1 1 Central Institute for Economic Management, the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Email: cuonghgv@; cuonghgv@ Received: 7 March 2017. Accepted: 8 May 2017. Abstract: To ensure the viability of social protection has always been a consistent and systematic guideline of the Party, that is leading Vietnam to development. Despite a number of major achievements attained during the past period, the policy system to guarantee social protection in Vietnam is still faced with several shortcomings and weaknesses which should be improved and overcome properly to maintain effective policy enforcement. The research and development of feasible policies and practicable measures to enhance and secure the sustainability of Vietnam’s social protection system in the coming years, hence, are highlighted as an urgent need at present. Keywords: social protection, sustainable development, social assistance. Subject classification: Sociology 1. Introduction After 30 years of economic reforms since the launch of đổi mới, or renovation, process in 1986, Vietnam has “officially joined the category of lower middle-income developing countries” while continuously promoting further the national industrialisation and modernisation process in accordance with the development of a knowledge-based economy”. Recent statements stating the viewpoints of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the State have always emphasised the importance of rapid and sustainable economic development, along with “effective efforts to achieve social improvement and equality, as well as to guarantee the coverage of social protection in every stage and policy enforced during the course of development”. Ensuring social protection for the people has become a core pillar of the national development strategy and Vietnam is currently striving to establish a widespread social protection system which covers the entire population. .
