DMN Initiative - SDGs Council - DMN Foundation
Vietnam’s First Youth-Led Peace, Security, and Development Initiative Since 2018
DMN Policy Lab
The First Youth-led Think Tank in Vietnam
DMN Policy Lab is the first youth-led think tank in Vietnam, serving as a platform for policy research, strategic dialogue, and knowledge production on sustainable development, peace and security, and global governance.
Through policy briefs, research papers, and multi-stakeholder dialogues, DMN Policy Lab amplifies youth-informed perspectives and supports evidence-based policymaking at national, regional, and international levels.

Meet the Team

Mr. Dao Manh Nghia
Director

Prof. Dr. Sang Dinh
Hon Senior Advisor
Vietnam

Dr. Sawadogo A. Manegdlawendé
Senior Research Fellow
Burkina Faso

Lawyer Mr. Ha Dang Le Bao
Deputy Director
Vietnam

Dr. Khushboo Farid
Visiting Senior Research Fellow
Pakistan

LLM. Han Giang Nguyen
Fellow & Secretary
The Netherlands

M.A. Nguyen Tran Dieu Hieu
Senior Research Fellow
Vietnam

Msc. Nguyen Minh Anh
Fellow
Republic of Ireland

LLM. Lawyer. Thu Thuy Dao
Senior Research Fellow
United Kingdom

Msc. Hung Pham
Researcher
China

LLM. Ngoc Han Luc
Fellow & Secretary
Vietnam

Ms. Jin D.
Visiting Fellow
Syria

LLB. Nguyen Hieu Minh
Reseacher
Vietnam

Msc. Huy Tran
Hon Fellow
The Netherlands

Msc. Nguyen Tien Dao
Researcher
Italy

Msc. Apostolos Sakellariou
Visiting Fellow
Greece

Mr. Nam Dinh
Fellow & Secretary
The United States of America

Lawyer Thang Phan Huy
Reseacher
Vietnam
Our Areas
Peace International Security Global Governance Nuclear Enegy Politics International Law
Climate Action Disarmament Youth Empowerment Public Health Education AI
Public Policy European Union Studies ASEAN Studies Sustainable Development
Youth, Peace and Security Agenda Chemicals and Waste Management Human Rights and Democracy

Our Pending Projects
1. DMN Strategic White Paper: “Youth at the Vanguard of Global Peace”
Thematic Focus: Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), Global Governance, SDG 16
Time: 2024-2026
In direct response to the United Nations Pact for the Future (adopted in September 2024) and to commemorate a decade of the UN Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Agenda, the DMN Initiative officially launched this flagship project on our 6th anniversary (2 November 2024).
This Strategic White Paper is a critical, youth-led contribution to research-informed decision-making and international policy reform. Its primary objective is to ensure that the voices of young peacebuilders meaningfully shape the implementation of the YPS Agenda and the Declaration on Future Generations. The finalized document is engineered to be presented to the Government of Vietnam, ASEAN leaders, the United Nations, and other critical global stakeholders.
To guarantee methodological rigor and high-quality qualitative analysis, the policy aggregation and review processes are being closely supervised by our institutional partners, including the Youth Union, the Nam Yen United Organization, and the legal experts at Eunomia Law Firm.
Project Update (As of 10 February 2026):
We have successfully concluded the primary data collection phase, receiving an overwhelming response from the global community. The Policy Lab is currently processing 2,268+ policy inputs and grassroots case studies submitted by DMN Ambassadors, young leaders, and youth-led organizations spanning 42 countries. Synthesis and legal review are currently underway.
2. Global South Policy Synthesis: The Human Rights Cost of Toxic Pollution
Thematic Focus: Environmental Security, International Law, Human Rights
Time: 2019-2027
As a core deliverable of Project DMN ECO-DEFEND, the Policy Lab is compiling a groundbreaking, data-driven document that translates localized environmental degradation into formal human rights advocacy. This synthesis aggregates grassroots inputs to explicitly demonstrate how transboundary hazardous waste dumping, plastic pollution, and chemical exposure directly violate the fundamental human rights of vulnerable communities in the Global South.
Rather than treating pollution merely as an ecological issue, this synthesis applies the "Eco-Security Nexus" framework. By capturing real-world data from our ASEAN and African youth networks, this document will serve as a foundational advocacy tool for our advocacy towards 17 SDGs.
Project Update (As of 26 March 2026):
We have successfully concluded the primary data collection phase, receiving an overwhelming response from the global community. The Policy Lab is currently processing 1,278+ policy inputs and grassroots case studies submitted by DMN Ambassadors, young leaders, and youth-led organizations spanning over 31 countries. Synthesis and legal review are currently underway.


