Practical role model campaigns encouraged; Deputy PM highlights SEAMEO RETRAC’s activities; Building new criteria for rural areas; Pakistani high-ranking military delegation ends visit; Lao PM receives Vietnam’s Party delegation

At the 29th session of the Central Emulation and Rewards Council in Hanoi on August 10, Mr Dung analysed the opportunities and challenges facing Vietnam in the remaining months of this year and said that a greater effort is needed to meet the targets.

He said that role model campaigns launched so far this year have motivated every sector, business and people to work harder to prevent the economic slowdown and ensure social welfare. Many role models have been discovered and replicated in many parts of the country.

“Campaigns and efficient models of working should be encouraged among people from all sections of society, especially workers and farmers,” said Mr Dung. “Rewards should be given to the right people.”

He reminded the designated agencies to focus on practicality rather than formalism to make their campaigns more efficient. He stressed the importance of the media in discovering and replicating the models and asked it to further support the campaigns.

He said that in 2010, role model campaigns should be closely linked to big national anniversaries and grassroots-level Party congresses as well as the implementation of the campaign “Studying and Following the late President Ho Chi Minh’s Moral Examples”.

The Vice Chairwoman of the Central Emulation and Rewards Council, Tran Thi Ha, briefed the meeting on major role model campaigns and their results since the beginning of the year. The Vietnam Fatherland Front has intensified the movement “People unite to promote a new cultural lifestyle in residential areas”. The Youth Union has launched the campaign “Youth for social welfare”. The Ministry of Transport has organised the signing of role model documents at the construction sites of key projects, while the Ministry of Health has encouraged doctors and nurses to work in grassroots-level medical centres.

To replicate exemplary role models, the Youth Union has hosted a national conference to honour young skilled workers. The Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control has commended 10 citizens for their outstanding achievements in the fight against corruption. Hanoi has also launched a nation-wide campaign to celebrate its 1,000th anniversary in 2010.

During the session, delegates discussed amendments to some articles of the Emulation and Rewards Law and a project to present the President Ho badge to individuals for their achievements in the campaign “Studying and Following the late President Ho Chi Minh’s Moral Examples.”

Deputy PM highlights SEAMEO RETRAC’s activities

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has highlighted training courses conducted by the SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (SEAMEO RETRAC) as well as efforts made by the Centre to establish ties with international organisations around the world.

The Deputy PM made the statement at the SEAMEO RETRAC 12th Governing Board Meeting in Nha Trang city on August 10, which was attended by lead delegates of the participating countries in the region and the world.

Associate Professor Do Huy Thinh, director of SEAMEO RETRAC Vietnam stated that in the 2008-2009 academic year, the government of Vietnam and SEAMEO signed an additional memorandum of understanding at the 44th SEAMEO Council Conference held in Phuket, Thailand.

Mr Thinh confirmed that his Centre will develop on a par with other SEAMEO centres in the region to improve Vietnam’s education and training sector.

Seminar discusses the role of NA in perfecting state mechanisms

A seminar was held in Hanoi on August 10 to discuss the role of the National Assembly in upgrading the State mechanism.

It was co-organised by the NA Legislative Research Institute and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The seminar was also a forum for Vietnamese leaders and policy-makers and the Japanese Lower House guests to share information on the political system, its legal status, and ways to organise and operate the Vietnam’s NA and the Japanese Diet.

At the seminar, NA vice chairman Nguyen Duc Kien emphasised on the need to improve the efficiency of NA operations in the interests of the people.

Dien Bien urged to boost rural development

The northern mountainous province of Dien Bien should focus on building new rural areas and training staff, said Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong during his working visit from August 8-9.

A Government delegation led by Deputy PM Truong Vinh Trong visited to Dien Bien to inspect a pilot project aimed at building a new model for rural areas in Thanh Chan commune and a rubber tree development programme.

To boost rural development, provincial leaders need to pay closer attention to the lives of local people by encouraging them to work together to implement the pilot project on schedule. In terms of economic development, government agencies should choose suitable and effective saplings to introduce high value products to the market, bringing more benefit to farmers.

Thanh Chan is the poorest out of the 11 communes, which are introducing the pilot project. However, with the 300 billion VND project underway in Thanh Chan, local people hope that they will be able to enjoy a better standard of living and this new model will be expanded to other communes in the future.

In regard to the development of rubber trees, Trong asked the province to research on how to develop rubber trees in a proper and effective manner, expand cultivated areas to grow other subsidiary crops and increase animal husbandry.

Associations talk over increasing Vietnam-Cambodia ties

A delegation from the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) has met with its counterpart to strengthen friendship relations between the two countries during its working visit to Cambodia from August 6-10.

During the talks, VCFA President Vu Mao and Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, who is also President of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, informed each other of their respective associations’ performance.

They expressed hope to promote cooperation between the two associations in encouraging greater exchanges of investment and people-to-people activities in order to further understand each country’s economic and socio-cultural environment.

The Vietnamese delegation also had a meeting with officers of the Cambodian Development Council to explore the business climate in the country, met with Cambodian Ministry of Education and Youth Association, and visited Vietnamese communities in the provinces of Pursat, Battambang and Siem Reap.

Building new criteria for rural areas

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate with related ministries and departments to quickly carry out the PM’s decision on promulgating a set of national criteria for rural areas.

The Deputy PM has required provincial people’s committees to assess the real situation in rural areas, build a draft national target programme until 2020 with a vision for 2030 and send it to the national target programme steering committee before August 31 this year.

They will also have to send the PM reports on the one-year implementation of the Party Central Committee’s resolution on agriculture, farmer and rural areas.

Pakistani high-ranking military delegation ends visit

General Tariq Majid, Chairman of the Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, left Ho Chi Minh City on August 9, concluding an official visit to Vietnam.

During the visit, General Tariq Majid and his entourage held talks with Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Khac Nghien, Chief of General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army.

They also paid courtesy visits to Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong and Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh.

The Pakistani military delegation laid a wreath at the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, visited the National Defence Institute, the High Command of Military Zone 7, Ha Long Bay in northern Quang Ninh province and Ho Chi Minh City.

Lao PM receives Vietnam’s Party delegation

Lao Prime Minister Buasone Bouphavanh received the Head of the Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Hoang Binh Quan, in Vientiane on August 8.

During the meeting, Mr Quan briefed Mr Bouphavanh on the results of his earlier talks with his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith and cooperation activities between the two external relations commissions.

Mr Quan affirmed the commissions’ determination to implement the agreements that the Vietnamese and Lao Parties’ politburos agreed on, including the compilation of a book on the history of the special fighting alliance between Vietnam and Laos.

He added that the two commissions will set up a joint working group to supervise Vietnamese ODA-funded projects in Laos.

Meanwhile, the Lao PM said that Laos will build memorial houses commemorating late President Ho Chi Minh in Thakhek town, Khammouan province, and in Vientiane. It will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the date when the voluntary Vietnamese soldiers were sent to Laos to help it with its resistance war (October 30).

PM Buasone Bouphavanh confirmed that the unconditionally mutual support between Vietnam and Laos has become a tradition of their ties.

Vietnam supports women’s participation in peace building

Vietnam supports women’s participation in peace processes, particularly in conflict resolution and peace building, a Vietnamese diplomat said.

At an open debate on women, peace and security of UN Security Council (UNSC) on August 7, Ambassador Bui The Giang ,Vietnamese Deputy Permanent Representative to the UNSC, said the implementation of Resolution 1820 more than a year ago has led to the visibly improved awareness across the UN system, international community, and in many conflict areas on sexual violence.

The UNSC’s recent adoption of Resolution 1882 on children and armed conflict once again reaffirmed the Council’s resolve to halt these violations, he said.

The diplomat suggested that greater efforts should be made to promote empowerment of women and improve women’s participation in early stages of peace processes, particularly in conflict resolution and peace building.

He went on to say that measures to protect women and girls from sexual violence in conflict situations should be designed and implemented as part of a broader strategic framework which covers social, economic and development issues.

The UN and donors should further assist national governments in building gender-related capacity and developing gender-sensitive programmes to help survivors of sexual violence with a wide range of services, from access to justice to support for greater physical, economic and social security through employment and income generation, and involvement in decision-making, he added.

Ambassador Giang also asserted the State’s primary responsibility for protecting their population from all types of violations, including sexual violence.

He reiterated Vietnam’s resolute determination to work constructively together with all international partners towards strict implementation of all relevant international laws and Security Council resolutions in order to put an end to sexual violence and ensure a worthy place for women and girls in the life of humanity.

PV