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V-League seeks new sponsor
Hanoi (VNA) - The Export-Import Bank of Vietnam (Eximbank) will sponsor the national V-League for the next three years.
The Vietnam Football Federation announced the prospective agreement on Dec. 14.
Earlier this week, the VFF signed a 20-year deal to provide V-League TV rights to cable TV provider Audio Visual Global (AVG).
AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to officially launch its 70-channel TV package soon.
The price for the service has yet to be announced.
The agreement will have the VFF and its sponsors take 50 percent of the fees and the participating teams the remainder - 35 percent to the home team and 15 percent to the visitors.
The national football championship has been a money-spinner for the VFF since 2004 when Vietnam Television paid 1,590 USD to telecast a V-League match.-Enditem
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Mining, civil service, consumer laws issued
Hanoi (VNA) - Three new laws were made public on Dec. 14, including the Law on Consumer Rights Protection, the amended Law on Minerals, and the Law on Public Officials and Civil Servants which were passed by the National Assembly during its 8th session.
In a meeting held on Dec 14 by the President's Office, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh said that the number of violations of consumer rights and the extent of the violations were on the increase, seriously affecting the rights of consumers.
The Law on Consumer Rights Protection regulated that disputes between consumers and individuals and organisational businesses will be settled by negotiation, conciliation, arbitration and courts.
Consumer protection organisations have the right to sue businesses for harming the public interest and the State will provide funding for organisations to implement the tasks outlined in the law.
Introducing the amended Law on Minerals, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chu Pham Ngoc Hien said the law's new points are regulations related to licensing mineral exploitation through auctioning exploitation rights, State management of minerals, and devolution of licensing powers to local authorities.
Auctioning mineral exploration rights will help abolish the current "give and take" mechanism in licensing and allow qualified organisations which have enough capacity and experience in the sector to be chosen, he said.
The Law also lays out regulations on the overall direction of the mineral sector as well as rules on mineral planning and exploration to avoid overlapping responsibilities between different State agencies, Hien said.
The breakthrough amendment of the revised law is the change in State's mineral management mechanism which was based on financial regulations and in line with the rules of the market economy, he said.
Under the law, the State will collect a fee from individuals and organisations that are licensed to explore minerals.
The Law on Minerals and Law on Consumer Right Protection will come into effect on July 1, 2011.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang said the Law on Public Officials and Civil Servants will come into force on January 1, 2012. - Enditem
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Study reveals harsh realities for women migrants in HCM City
HCM City (VNA) — Women immigrants in HCM City have faced severe financial and other challenges since the recession began in 2007, according to a study released on Dec. 14 by a city-based university.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Xoan, a member of the research group from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said the study was meant to assess the impact of the economic recession on women, especially immigrants to the city during the period.
It polled 400 women in the district of Nha Be, Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, and 5, half of them immigrants aged between 21 and 40.
It found that the rate of unemployment among women in the city was more than 5 percent, higher than the national average.
Nearly 91.5 percent of women immigrants to the city work at industrial and export processing zones, run small business, or do seasonal jobs since they lack knowledge or skills.
"They do not have any knowledge of social and health insurance or labour contracts, and so do not protest when their employers do not sign contracts or pay social and health insurance for them," Xoan said.
Their average salary at industrial and export processing zones is around 2.3 million VND while the cost of living in the city is rising relentlessly, forcing them to cut back on rent, healthcare, and entertainment.
They can only afford 2.7 percent to 5 percent of their income for healthcare, with most of them going to pharmacies rather than doctors for medicines.
Ninety percent of them do not have time to attend training courses to improve their skills because they have to work to earn money.
Just over a third of them have the time to take part in events organised by social organisations like trade unions and women's unions, meaning most are unable to learn about labour laws or benefits.
The researchers recommended that employers and authorities should take greater care of women workers, especially migrants.
More research would need to be done into the life and work of women migrants to enable policy makers to draft specific policies to support them, they added. - Enditem
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Province builds on successes in family planning
Hoa Binh (VNA) — Nguyen Manh Thao of the northern province of Hoa Binh is happy that he has two daughters.
This is somewhat surprising in Vietnam with its strong patriarchal and Confucianist traditions where families desire to have a son to tend to the family altar, to continue the family lineage and so on.
It is not important whether it is a daughter or a son, Thao said, adding that to have the right conditions to raise them comfortably and ensure a happy life for them is far more important.
Thao, therefore, did not pressurise his wife to give him a son and a third child for the family, another not-too-uncommon practice in the country when the first two children are daughters.
Like his elder brother, Nguyen Manh Hung has no particular preference, and does not say anything to his wife about needing a son. The couple did not adopt any method or measure, western or traditional, to try and influence the baby's gender, another frequently chosen option by many others.
His first child is a girl and the second, a boy. After giving birth to the second child, his wife chose to use the IUD (intrauterine device) sterilisation method, Hung said.
"Two children are enough and I can afford to secure their future based on my financial situation," he added.
Thao and Hung's parents worked very hard to raise their five children, and they often advised their offspring to have only one or two children in order to raise them well.
Nguyen Thi Nga, a family planning worker at Cham Mat Ward in Hoa Binh City , said the number of families having three children in the ward has reduced in recent years.
"The awareness of residents about the advantages of having a smaller family has improved," Nga added.
Unlike earlier, when many families did not want to meet and listen to her about sterilisation, a large number of women are now voluntarily asking for advice on sterilisation methods, she said.
Only 10 of 1,750 households in the ward have a third child.
Nguyen Huy Lam, head of the city's Centre for Population and Family Planning, said in 2008, the third child accounted for nearly three in every 100 births. This dropped to two in 2009 and is expected to remain the same this year, he said.
This is the result of awareness campaigns as well as the implementation of many activities like the establishment of a club for families without the third child in Cham Mat ward, he added.
However, Lam said he is concerned that in Hoa Binh City , more than 50 percent of the third-born children were from well-off families.
Nguyen Thi Nguyet of Cham Mat ward has a son and a daughter, but wants another one despite the advice of family planning workers.
Her family is doing well, so raising one more child is not difficult, she said.
Tran Phuong Hoa, Cham Mat ward's family planning co-ordinator, said some families want to have many children because they thought it will make them happier and will have more people to take care of them when they are old.
In Vietnam , especially in rural and mountainous areas, there are no homes for senior people, and many people are afraid that there will be nobody to take care of them if they have only one or two children.
In particular, some families think that daughters cannot take care of them when they are old because daughters usually live at their husband's house and take care of his parents.
So families with two daughters often want to have one son, Hoa said.
Cao Phong district in the province has many well-off families with more than two children and is among districts with the highest gender imbalance.
The province has a third child rate of 7.7 per cent, according to Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, deputy head of the provincial Statistic Department, with most of them being boys.
The use of methods to choose a baby's gender before conceiving is popular among the provincial population.
It has contributed to the gender imbalance in Hoa Binh province, which ranks among the top ten provinces in the country in this regard, according to the provincial Statistics Department.
The province will change the content and objectives of its awareness campaigns and also introduce stricter punitive measures as it strives to reduce its gender imbalance and contribute to stable development of the nation's population, Lam said. - Enditem
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Children's hospitals struggle with recent surge in patients
HCM City (VNA) - The number of children with respiratory illnesses, acute diarrhoea and dengue fever has increased sharply in recent days, according to hospitals in HCM City .
The HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No 1's Respiratory Diseases Ward is severely overstretched, having to take in as many as 200-230 inpatients a day while it has just 100 beds.
At the Digestive Ward of HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No 2, many inpatients are suffering from acute diarrhoea.
Environmental pollution as well as unsafe and unhygienic food have increased considerably the risk of diarrhoea in children, according to doctors.
The HCM City Health Department has ordered relevant agencies to implement measures to control further outbreaks of diarrhoea. It has urged district authorities to strengthen awareness campaigns about the disease, including prevention measures like using boiled water, eating well cooked food and washing hands with soap and water before eating.
Meanwhile, the Pasteur Institute has noted that the city is now having about 500 patients with dengue fever every week, up 50 percent compared to the same period last year.
In this case, it is not just children, but the number of adults contracting the mosquito-borne disease is also on the increase.
On December 6, a first-grade student of the Chuong Duong Primary School in District 1 died of dengue fever, said Nguyen Van The, director of the District 1 Preventive Health Centre. - Enditem
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Vietnam, Japan’s universities expand cooperation
Hanoi (VNA) – Japan ’s Kumamoto University has signed with three Vietnamese universities an agreement on academic and students exchange.
The signing took place in Hanoi recently in the framework of a forum themed “Academic Collaboration for Asian Development and Prosperity”.
The three Vietnamese universities are the Construction University , the Hue National University and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.
At the forum, the eighth of its kind, students from Kumamoto University and its Vietnamese partners took part in a scientific research contest with the first prize went to students from the Civil Engineering faculty under the HCM City University of Technology.-Enditem
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Festival to promote tea growers and brands
Hanoi (VNA) - The third Lam Dong Tea Culture Festival 2010 will be held in Bao Loc city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong from Dec. 25-27 to promote the trademark and potential of the country’s tea industry.
According to Bui Thang, Bao Loc People’s Committee’s Chairman and head of the festival’s organising board, the highlight of this year’s festival will be a night to celebrate Bao Loc city’s B'lao tea brand which has been around for decades, and honour outstanding tea growers.
During the festival, a seminar on measures and conditions for the development of Vietnam ’s tea sector, a tea products exhibition, a tea drinking night and a parade will take place.
Vietnam now ranks fifth in tea exports in the world. The country’s tea products are present in 110 countries and territories.
In 2009, Vietnam earned 178 million USD from export of 133,000 tonnes of tea, a year-on-year increase of 21 and 27.3 percent in value and volume, respectively.
The country expects to ship 120,000 tonnes for 200 million USD in 2010.
Tea growing and processing started in Bao Loc in the 1930s. The acreage for tea trees makes up 50 percent of agricultural land in the locality.
The city gains an annual output of 72,500 tonnes with a revenue of 500 billion VND (25 million USD), equal to 20 percent of the local industrial production value.-Enditem
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Microfinancing helps to reduce poverty
Hanoi (VNA) – The 2010 Citi Bank Micro Entrepreneur Awards have been awarded to 52 microfinance customers and 16 staff from across Vietnam for successfully using loans to do business and improving living standards.
Seven microfinance organisations won awards for programmes that extended micro financing services for the poor, which have contributed to reducing poverty.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Hanoi on December 14, Brett Krause, Citibank’s Country Director, confirmed that microfinance is one of several social activities and community development programmes that Citi Bank has been conducting for over 25 years.
Also present at the ceremony was To Hoai Nam, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Association, who said that the awards helped encourage small enterprises in business.
On recognising the marked improvement in awareness and support for microfinance in Vietnam thanks to pledges from the Government and donors, Duong Quoc Anh, the Chief Inspector of the State Bank of Vietnam said he would assist microfinance organisations in Vietnam to integrate into mainstream financial and banking sector. He said this would bring benefits to the poor in all walks of life in Vietnam.
The 2010 Citi Bank Micro Entrepreneur Awards came to over 600 million VND (30,000 USD).
Since 2007, the Micro Entrepreneur Awards have been presented to 290 individuals, with a value of 2.25 billion VND.-Enditem
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Dioxin treatment project targets hot spots
Hanoi (VNA) – A seminar to start a dioxin treatment project in hot spots across Vietnam took place in Hanoi on December 15.
The seminar was jointly held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Global Environmental Fund and the United Nations Development Programme.
The five-year project, starting from 2010, will deal with and minimise the devastating consequences of the chemicals at and around Da Nang , Bien Hoa (Dong Nai) and Phu Cat (Binh Dinh) airports.
According to statistics released by the Office of the national steering committee for overcoming the consequences of chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam war (called the Office of National Steering Committee 33), from 1961 to 1971 the US military dropped nearly 80 million litres of herbicides on southern Vietnam, of which the majority of the chemicals sprayed were Agent Orange that contained dioxin.
The dioxin levels in the sprayed areas have reduced remarkably, however, the airports where the chemicals were stored are still hot spots.
At the seminar, the participants discussed dioxin treatment plans in the hot spots and the possibility of other sponsors becoming involved in the project.
They spent a lot of time identifying the scale and level of contamination in the three targeted areas, discussing new technologies to treat the areas as well as environmental and human issues during the project.
Richard J. Cooke, an international advisor from the Office of National Steering Committee 33, pointed out that the project needs to place more importance to the technological and environmental requirements of both Vietnam and the rest of the world.
Priority should be given to technologies that can directly be implemented in Vietnam through trade clauses and those with suitable prices for both experiment and application, he said.
The project needs close cooperation and coordination between the Office of National Steering Committee No. 33 and relevant ministries and agencies, especially the Ministry of National Defence, he added.
The project’s steering committee should pay attention to the necessary financial resources to prevent the pollution in the south-western area of Bien Hoa airport and pollution treatment in Phu Cat airport, the expert said.-Enditem
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Lawmakers urged to play greater role in climate change issue
Hanoi (VNA)- The role of legislators needs to be promoted in policy and legal planning, negotiation and the supervision of conventions, treaties, international commitments on sustainable development and climate change.
This was agreed among the delegates who attended a seminar on the role of the Asian-Pacific Parliamentary Francophone Assembly (APF) in the environmental field and climate change, which was organised by the APF, the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) and Vietnam’s National Assembly in Hanoi on December 15.
On addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyen Van Son, the chairman of Vietnam’s NA’s Committee for External Affairs, said that the event is meaningful in the context of the 16 th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16) that has just finished in Cancun, Mexico.
“The seminar stresses the responsibilities of Francophone member countries in the face of common global challenges in Asia-the Pacific region”, said Son.
At the event, delegates from APF member countries such as Laos and the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu as well as experts from the Institute for Energy and Environment of Francophone Countries (IEPF), representatives of Vietnam’s ministries, along with scientists agreed that environmental protection is always an essential factor in sustainable socio-economic development.
In reality, in a global economy, climate change poses challenges to many countries around the world, especially poor and developing countries, of whom many are members of the Francophone bloc.
The delegates were also briefed on Vietnam’s progress in the implementation of solutions on climate change as well as the NA’s role in sustainable development.
According to Jean Luc Lala, the Secretary General of Administration for the APF, the crucial point is to find a balance between the economic benefits and environmental protection, so all concerned parties must take own responsibility after signing conventions and international treaties in this area.-Enditem
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Indonesian assembly chairman to visit VN
Hanoi (VNA)- Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of Indonesia Taufik Kiemas will pay an official visit to Vietnam from Dec. 19-21.
The visit will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, announced the NA Committee for External Relations on Dec. 15.-Enditem
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Vietnam, Laos inaugurate new border gate
Dien Bien (VNA)- Vietnam’s northern province of Dien Bien and Laos’ Phongsaly province on Dec. 15 held an inauguration ceremony for Si Pa Phin - Huoi La border gate in Muong Cha district.
Addressing the ceremony, Hoang Van Nhan, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the border gate would provide new opportunities for cooperative ties in socio-economic development, ensuring security along the borderline as well as promoting the strength of the two provinces.
In the near future, Dien Bien province will build a new road system and work out proper policies to promote investment, import and export through this border gate, helping tighten the special friendship ties between Vietnam and Laos, Nhan said.-Enditem
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Denmark helps upgrade flood-destroyed road
Hanoi (VNA) – Denmark will provide 150,000 USD to help repair and upgrade roads in Can Loc district in the central province of Ha Tinh , which were severely damaged by floods in October.
A document to this effect was signed in Hanoi on Dec. 15 by Danish Ambassador John Nielsen and Bui Huy Tam, chairman of the Can Loc people’s committee.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Ambassador John Nielsen said he hoped the support would help promote economic development and enhance income-generating opportunities for the local people to get on their feet again after the flooding.
In the October calamity, Ha Tinh province was the most seriously affected. Can Loc district was among the province’s heavily devastated localities, with losses of people and property.
The support is expected to help the province and the district repair and upgrade the road in Vuong Loc commune, promptly putting the road into operation and allowing local people access to surrounding areas.-Enditem
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VN looks to increased cooperation with Mongolia
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam wishes to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia in the direction of exploring each country’s potential and strengths as the two countries have had a close relationship for many years.
State President Nguyen Minh Triet made this statement while receiving the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, Demberel Damdin in Hanoi on Dec. 15.
Vietnam was also willing to act as a bridge for Mongolia to expand its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said.
In the spirit of the meeting, President Triet asked ministries and relevant agencies of both countries to increase exchange of measures that could be taken to boost cooperation, especially in trade and mining.
The Mongolian legislative leader affirmed that Mongolia highly valued Vietnam ’s role in the Southeast Asia and expected to increase and expand traditional friendship and multi-sided cooperation with Vietnam .
In its foreign policy, Mongolia was determined to boost cooperation with Vietnam with the aim of expanding relations with ASEAN, he said, adding that with its potential in minerals, Mongolia was also ready to work with Vietnam in mining.
The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung welcomed Speaker Demberel Damdin and his entourage, affirming that Vietnam wished to further promote multifaceted cooperation with Mongolia for mutual benefit.
Vietnam and Mongolia should support each other at multilateral and international forums, PM Dung said, adding that the two countries should also increase high-ranking visits to boost mutual understanding and trade cooperation.
Vietnam backs Mongolia ’s hosting of APEC 2011, PM Dung said.
Sharing Speaker Demberel Damdin’s view on the two countries’ cooperation potential, especially in agriculture and fisheries, PM Dung asked both countries to consider cooperation possibilities in oil and gas exploration and mining.
In his opinion, bilateral trade value of 10 million USD at present did not match the two countries’ potential and the level should be higher in the near future.
Vietnam also wants to increase cooperation in education and training, defence and security with Mongolia , the PM said, asking the inter-governmental committee of the two countries to continue to realise agreements reached between Vietnam and Mongolia to further consolidate and develop bilateral ties.
Speaker Demberel Damdin said Mongolia wants to expand new cooperation fields with Vietnam.-Enditem
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VN attends Asia-Middle East dialogue forum
Bangkok (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung, is attending the third Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting (AMEDIII) in Bangkok on Dec. 15-16.
Themed, “Strengthening Cooperation towards Common Prosperity,” the meeting focuses discussions on political, economic, socio-cultural and environmental issues as well as measures to promote strategic partnership among countries that used to have traditional ties via the Silk Road.
Participants will also share experiences and views on challenges Asia and the Middle East are facing such as terrorism, piracy, food security, energy and climate change.
Addressing the opening session, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Asia continued to be dynamic and grow stronger, and it was becoming the centre of the world's trade while the Middle East continued to be the source of power and the driving force that moves the world's economy and industry forward.
The two regions have a combined GDP of 8 trillion USD and hold more than 60 percent of the world's total foreign currency reserves, he said.
He called for countries to increase cooperation for common prosperity.
The two-day meeting drew the participation of governmental officials, business leaders and scholars from 36 countries in the two regions.-Enditem
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Urban poverty monitoring takes on new dimension
Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City should make a comprehensive poverty reduction plan with an effective urban poverty monitoring and evaluation system of multi-dimensional approach.
The recommendation was raised in the result of the urban poverty survey which was conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Hanoi and HCM City.
According to the survey result, the urban poverty issue was not only calculated on income but also reflected inequalities in access to basic social services. It suggested the two cities pay more attention to strengthen the social welfare system, improve housing services, ensure equality among the people in access to public education establishments, healthcare and insurance and mobilise migrants’ involvement in social activities.
The survey conducted in October and November 2009 also revealed that migrants in the two cities were facing difficulties in accessing health, education, housing and other social services.
Speaking at the result announcement ceremony in Hanoi on Dec. 15, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Hoang Manh Hien said the survey would help State agencies and city authorities make more accurate evaluations of urban poverty level and have long-term policies for migrants.
For her part, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam Setsuko Yamazaki afffirmed that, “UNDP is ready to support Hanoi and HCM City in developing concrete action plans for tackling urban poverty challenges as well as better monitoring of urban poverty”.-Enditem
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WWF to remove Vietnam’s tra fish from red list
Hanoi (VNA)- A senior officer from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has announced the nature watchdog’s decision to remove Vietnam ’s Tra fish from the consumer Red List.
Mark Powell, WWF’s global seafood leader, released advice for consumers worldwide to continue using Vietnam ’s Tra fish at a press briefing in Hanoi on December 15 after a working session with the Fisheries General Department and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
He said WWF agreed to immediately remove Vietnam ’s Tra and Basa fish from the Red List in consumer guides published in several European countries.
The WWF expert described the working session as positive despite some minor differences, which, he said, would not affect bilateral relations in future.
VASEP Vice President Nguyen Huu Dung affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s commitments to develop Tra and Basa fish farming in a sustainable way.
In fact, the Vietnamese Tra fish industry has always updated its knowledge and applied the most advanced international standards in an effort to satisfy increasingly demanding consumers worldwide, Dung said.
A majority of Vietnamese Tra fish farms and processors have either already built or are currently building closed production chains to ensure tight supervision of any element that might have negative impacts on the quality and safety of Tra fish. Many enterprises have successfully applied traceability procedures with radio-frequency identification technology and have also taken social responsibility for their local community.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Fisheries General Department, said Vietnam will have another working session with WWF on December 16 to reach a consensus on sustainable development of aquaculture in general and Tra fish farming in particular.
The Seafood General Department reported that Vietnam ’s tra fish products were available in 120 foreign markets, meeting all of the strict requirements required by the European Union, Australia , the US , Japan and many other demanding markets.
Tra fish export output increases annually, with the EU market alone consuming 184,360 tonnes of Vietnam ’s tra fish, valued at 423 million USD, in the first 10 months of the year, accounting for almost 37 percent of the gross tra fish export turnover.--Enditem
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APF meets in Hanoi for climate change
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam needs active support from the francophone community in sharing experiences in institutional mechanism, solutions and resources to cope with climate change and to establish a mechanism for the exchange of parliamentary information on sustainable development and climate change between Vietnam and France.
This was raised at a seminar on environment, climate change and the role of legislative bodies in policy making, held in Hanoi on Dec. 15.
Addressing the event, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Son welcomed the participation of the delegation of the Francophone Parliament Alliance (APF), representatives of a number of APF sub-committees, experts from the Francophone Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEPF) and delegates from the Lao and Vanuatu parliaments.
Poor countries, including francophone member countries, are victims of climate change, said Son.
He said he believed that the seminar would put forward useful proposals to enhance multilateral cooperation in coping with climate change.
Chairman of the APF’s Vietnam subcommittee Ngo Quang Xuan, Secretary General of Administration for the APF Jean Luc Lala and representatives from OIF and IEPF said environmental protection, development issues and biodiversity are the APF’s interests.
The seminar affirmed APF members’ pledge to enhance cooperation for sustainable development, cultural diversity and environmental protection for future generations.
The participants focused on assessing the impacts of projects, policy, the convention on biological diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on biodiversity on the environment, biodiversity in socio-economic fields, the role of MPs and the negotiation of multilateral agreements on environment, the convention on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol and the role of the NA in sustainable development and coping with climate change in Vietnam.
They recommended Vietnam issue a resolution on coping with climate change and mobilise sources for the work, promptly issue laws on disaster prevention and control and increase budgets for carrying out solutions to cope with climate change.
It is necessary to prepare for climate change adaptation and combine policies with socio-economic development policies, assist regions worst hit by climate change in Vietnam, help poor people and speed up the implementation of hunger eradication and poverty reduction programmes.-Enditem
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VN focuses int’l youth festival on AO victims
Pretoria (VNA)- Vietnamese delegates have campaigned for Agent Orange/dioxin victims at a two-day World Festival of Youth and Students opened in Pretoria , South Africa , on Dec. 15.
The Vietnamese delegation raised the topic at all events in the framework of the festival, including workshops on Africa, Asia-Pacific region, Europe and world youth unity and solidarity.
They also handed out leaflets calling on youth organisations and the international community to support the struggle for justice for AO/dioxin victims in Vietnam .
In addition, the Vietnamese delegates held meetings and joined sports and games matches with other delegations in an effort to boost solidarity and friendship with youths from other countries worldwide.
A mobile exhibition on Vietnam was held to promote the national image, including achievements in renewal.
Also on display was the 80-year-long history of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) which highlights the vanguard and voluntary role played by the force in national construction and defence.
The HCMCYU’s First Secretary, Vo Van Thuong, said it was a good chance for Vietnamese youths to promote the national image to the international community and contribute to the world youth and students’ movement in the interest of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress.
Also on the day, Thuong was received by World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) President Tiago Vieira where the duo discussed measures to boost WFDY’S relations with the HCMCYU and the Vietnam Youth Federation.
The two sides pledged to do their best to fulfil the festival’s goal “For a World of Peace, Solidarity and Social Transformation”.-- Enditem
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VN, Lao provinces boost training cooperation
Dien Bien (VNA) – The northwestern province of Dien Bien has adopted an annual training project for 90 college and vocational training students from three provinces of Laos .
Under the project on training cooperation with the three Lao northern provinces of Luang Prabang, Oudomxay and Phongsaly for the 2010-2015 period, Dien Bien province will support training and accommodation funding and daily expenses as well as schooling aid for each student.
The total funding is estimated to up to 18 million VND (about 900 USD) per student per academic year.
The training cooperation programme obtained fruitful results in recent years, contributing to the countries’ common goal of human resource development.
Over the past five years, Dien Bien province has provided training for 330 students from the three Lao northern provinces .
Besides, Luang Prabang province helped and gave financial support for 20 students from Dien Bien province to study at Suphanuvong University.-Enditem
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