On October 22 at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, the Conference “Fostering International Collaboration and Mobilizing Internal Resources to Develop Vietnam’s Halal Industry” took place with the participation of H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh – The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, along with ministry leaders, and over 600 representatives from more than 50 countries and international organizations. The event was collaboratively organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with a view to position Vietnam as a vital part of the global Halal supply chain.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Coference delegates

Overall of the conference

In his address, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the government's deep interest in fostering a Halal economy, underlining its humanitarian values aimed at “to connect the people of Vietnam with people across the world”, “to link Vietnam to the world through Halal products and services”, “to integrate Vietnam's economy with the global economy in a diverse, rich, comprehensive, and sustainable way”, and “to brige Vietnamese culture with the cultures of other countries.”

The Prime Minister underscored three key messages regarding Halal industry development, notably expressing that Vietnam is “keen to establish Halal cooperation as a pillar in international economic relations for both the present and future.”

The Prime Minister also highlighted Vietnam's potential and strengths in advancing its Halal sector and joining the global Halal supply chain. He stressed that developing Halal products and ecosystems is highly favorable, as Vietnam has a solid foundation in terms of economy, culture, and politics, with all the elements needed to develop a swift and sustainable Halal industry.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivering directives at the conference

Domestic and international delegates at the conference commended Vietnam’s potential, strengths, and strategies for active participation in the global Halal market. Mohamed Jinna, Chairman of India's Halal Authority, asserted that Vietnam is facing a “bright future” as it enters a “wide-open” global Halal market, where Halal certification serves as the “gateway” for Vietnam to access diverse industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion, and tourism…

H.E. Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat – Minister of Science and Technology giving his welcoming speech at the conference

The Prime Minister and delegates noted that to effectively enter the global Halal market, Vietnam should focus on connecting businesses with partners in agriculture, tourism, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics; attract investment, develop human resources, improve the legal framework for Halal, optimize certification processes, and promote cultural exchanges to enhance understanding with Muslim nations.

Conference delegates

The Prime Minister praised the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Directorate for Standards, Metrology, and Quality (STAMEQ) for establishing and putting into operation the National Halal Certification Center (HALCERT), with a vision to make it a trusted certification authority under state management and national standards (TCVNs), thereby ensuring the integrity of Vietnam's Halal products. Dr. Moteb Al-Mezani, President of the GCC Accreditation Center, also stated that product certification, including Halal certification, represents the highest expression of confidence in product quality. He recognized that Vietnam’s Halal industry aligns well with the interests and cooperative direction of Gulf countries.

Following the Prime Minister's directives, Mr. Ramlan Bin Osman, Director of the Vietnam Halal Certification Center (HALCERT), shared: “HALCERT not only focuses on providing Halal certification services but also plays a vital role in supporting Vietnamese enterprises in understanding international Halal standards. We commit to accompanying businesses from production to inspection, ensuring that products not only meet all Halal requirements but also increase their competitiveness in the international market. Additionally, HALCERT actively supports training and development, helping Vietnamese enterprises truly understand the processes and demands of Muslim markets, thus expanding export opportunities and building reputable brands.”

Leaders of STAMEQ, QUACERT, and HALCERT with the Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat.

Alongside the launch of HALCERT, the conference saw the announcement of the national standard TCVN 14230:2024 on Muslim-friendly tourism services, the launch of the “Halal Corner” on The World and Vietnam Report, and the signing of five cooperation documents between the Korean Halal Agency (KHA), European Halal Certification Center (ECC), Halal Academy of GAE Resources Sdn Bhd. (Malaysia) with HALCERT; between the Quang Ninh Tourism Association with the Vietnam Certification Center (QUACERT); and between the GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) with the Bureau of Accreditation (BoA).

The Exchanging Ceremonies of Cooperation Documents

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat also stated that in the coming time, the Ministry will continue to deepen collaboration with other ministries, sectors, enterprises, and international partners to build a sustainable Halal ecosystem. This will involve standardizing production processes, enhancing research and technology capabilities, and raising Vietnam’s Halal certification standards to meet the highest international requirements.

Observing the signing of these documents, Mr. Ihsan Ovut, Secretary-General of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), praised Vietnam’s dynamic economic development, its potential in Halal tourism, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, and expressed readiness to support Vietnam in strengthening international Halal cooperation for economic development.

Leveraging internal strength, enhancing international cooperation, “Vietnam has the potential to become an important factor, the center of the global Halal economy” – quoting Dr. Mohamed Jinna, Chairman of India’s Halal Certification Authority.

Hong Quan – Vietnam Certification Center (QUACERT)