Vietnam’s investment abroad has constantly increased in recent years, both in terms of number of projects and amount of capital. Lao PDR is the country receiving the most investment from Vietnam, with 278 projects and over 5 billion USD. In this context, responsible investment and benefit sharing have become a topic of concern for communities, investors, social organizations and governments.
This Discussion Note presents the lessons and recommendations emerging from the investigations in Lao PDR by members of the Learning & Alliance group for Responsible Cross Border Investment in Vietnam. They studied the practices of Vietnamese enterprises in agro-forestry, particularly those that have demonstrated an interest for responsible investment and have shared benefits with local communities. They have met a variety of stakeholders: Vietnamese investors, local companies, communities, local government and administration, etc. to understand what their expectations, the good practices and lessons learned from cross-border investment were.