NA Chairman receives AIPA delegates; Polish Agriculture Minister visits Vietnam; PM pledges contributions to climate change conference; Politics academy opens Chinese-funded dormitory

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong on November 30 received delegates from the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) who have been in Hanoi for a conference to discuss female parliamentarians’ role in legislation.

Mr Trong described the conference as a good opportunity for AIPA members to share experiences in promoting women’s role in law making and in socio-political affairs.

He said emancipating women, protecting their rights, promoting gender equality has become a focal point of all nations and one of the Millennium Development Goals.

He noted that most AIPA member countries have high rates of female parliamentarians, ranging from 20-28 percent, even 31 percent in Malaysia, and many of them are holding key positions in parliaments as well as other state agencies.

Vietnam makes every effort to prevent discrimination, protect women’s rights and strictly adhere to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, said Mr Trong.

He expressed his hope that female parliamentarians will carry out more activities to promote their role and strengthen cooperation amongst the AIPA member countries for solidarity and prosperity of the ASEAN community.

Vice Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou briefed Chairman Trong on issues discussed at the conference, including a plan to establish an AIPA Female Parliamentarians League to boost cooperation in law making amongst the AIPA countries.

PM pledges contributions to climate change conference

Vietnam will make a significant contribution to the success of the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, says Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

While receiving Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Peter Lysholt Hansen in Hanoi on November 30, PM Dung said Vietnam is committed to solutions to cope with climate change and sea surges.

The PM emphasised the importance of political commitments made by developed countries to cut green house gases and to assist underdeveloped and developing countries to address climate change issues and support the transfer of new technologies.

He proposed establishing a global coordinating organisation to boost the implementation of pledges to be made at the conference.

He thanked the Danish government for providing assistance to Vietnam’s programme in response to climate change. He called on the Danish government to support Vietnam in its discussion at the conference as well as in developing projects on medical waste treatment and wind energy use.

For his part, ambassador Hansen said that developed countries have demonstrated their commitments to cut green house gases and assist developing countries to cope with climate change. He confirmed that Denmark will continue to provide assistance to help Vietnam address issues related to climate change and sea surges.

Polish Agriculture Minister visits Vietnam

The Minister of the Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland, Marek Sawicki, began a week-long visit to Vietnam on November 30 at the inviation of his Vietnamese counterpart Cao Duc Phat.

On December 4, the Polish embassy in Hanoi and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will co-organise a Poland-Vietnam business seminar which offers a good opportunity for both countries to strengthen cooperation and investment in the field of agriculture.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Poland has increased sharply in recent years and is expected to hit US$500 million. Vietnam’s major export items to Poland are garments, agricultural products, and cooking while its main imports are powdered milk, pharmaceutical products, shipbuilding equipment and steel.

Politics academy opens Chinese-funded dormitory

The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration on November 30 inaugurated a dormitory for learners funded by the Chinese government.

Le Huu Nghia, member of the Party Central Committee and director of the academy, joined Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce Lu Jianhua and Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Sun Guoqiang at the ceremony.

Nghia said Vietnam and China have shared a time-honoured friendship that was initiated by late President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong and has been nurtured by the parties, states and people of both countries.

Vietnam-China friendly ties have further developed in all fields, from politics to economics, culture and social affairs, Nghia said adding that the Chinese government’s finance for the dormitory reflects the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Designed and constructed by Chinese firms, the 15-storey dormitory has 156 rooms and auxiliary facilities.

Caodaists mark 85th founding anniversary

More than 10,000 Caodaism followers across the country flocked to the Tay Ninh Holy See on November 30 to celebrate the 85th founding anniversary of the religion.

Representatives from the government’s Committee for Religious Affairs, the Tay Ninh provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee also attended the event.

Monsignor Thuong Tam Thanh, Head of the Executive Council of the Tay Ninh Cao Dai Sect, said in recent years, the religion, with around 3 million followers in 39 provinces and cities nationwide, has grown along with the nation’s development.

The religious society believes that, with care and support from the state, it will lead all followers to take an active part in emulation movements and join hands with the entire people to fulfill the country’s socio-economic development targets.

GMS economies target sustainable development

How to boost cooperation to weather the global recession and promote sustainable development among the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries was the major theme of a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on November 30.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc noted that global economies, including those in the GMS, have shown signs of recovery, but the recovery process is unsteady. In the face of imminent risks and unexpected developments, GMS countries should cooperate closely to overcome the global financial and economic turmoil, address climate change issues, and boost regional and global economies in a rapid and sustainable manner.

Vietnam is committed to promoting cooperation with other countries to undertake regional cooperation initiatives, said Mr Phuc.

He expressed his hope that delegates would further examine the adverse impact of the global recession on GMS development and put forward practical solutions to overcome difficulties.

“I believe that with their own efforts and effective support from the international community, GMS economies will overcome challenges to achieve sustainable development and prosperity in the future, “said Mr Phuc.

Delegates focussed their discussions on the impact of the global financial crisis and GMS response, development cooperation and investment under the GMS Programme, and the role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in regional development programmes. They also looked at opportunities and challenges facing Vietnam in the GMS Programme, Thailand’s lessons to ride out the crisis, and investment promotion in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Presentations showed that GMS has many regional cooperation initiatives which have been undertaken, bringing a facelift to the region and its member countries.

Vietnam is one of the first six countries to have taken part in all GMS cooperation programmes and initiatives. It is also one of the countries which has benefited most from these programmes. It has integrated GMS priority programmes into its development plans.

Delegates shared the view that GMS countries have made considerable achievements in cooperation thanks to effective assistance from donors. However, they said there remains challenges and difficulties lying ahead. Due to the global recession, many GMS projects have either failed to mobilise capital or been delayed, causing great consequences on the region. They hope to receive additional financial support from donors and international organisations.

According to Ayumi Konishi, ADB Country Director for Vietnam, the bank has financed 41 projects capitalised at US$11 billion and provided technical assistance to 179 other projects worth US$208 million. Of the total, Vietnam has taken part in 14 financed and 135 technical assistance projects.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Sakaba Mitsuo pointed out that Japan considers the GMS is a key area and it will continue to inject official development assistance (ODA) capital into this area. He said Japan is to grant approximately US$5.5 billion in ODA to the region.

Delegates agreed that in the coming year, major goals are to improve the living conditions of people living in the river basin, especially the poor, encourage the efficient use of land and water, develop hydro power harmoniously, improve fishing with a focus on developing aquaculture and conserving indigenous species of fish, increase waterway transport, mitigate the impact of droughts and floods, and protect the environment.

AIPA promotes gender equality

Increasing female parliamentarians’ role in legislation is an important goal of all nations, which has been included in the working agenda of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) for the past years, says a senior Vietnamese legislator.

Through diverse activities, AIPA has encouraged its member countries to heighten their role and responsibility toward joint efforts striving for women’s advancement in the region, said Tong Thi Phong, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly, at a conference in Hanoi on November 30.

She affirmed that Vietnam has made important achievements in increasing women’s role in legislation, State management and socio-economic development. The number of female deputies to the National Assembly and grassroots-level People’s Councils has increased significantly. Many women have constantly improved their qualifications in laws, economic management and business administration, making a substantial contribution to national development.

However, Ms Phong said, like other countries in the region and the world, Vietnam is coping with challenges in finalizing its legal system, especially laws aimed at protecting women’s rights and interests in production and business activity, generating jobs and providing social insurance services to women.

She expressed her hope that during the two-day conference, AIPA female parliamentarians would share experiences in law-making and boost cooperation to promote mutual trust and understanding, overcome current challenges facing them and increase their role and position in all aspects of life.

In her welcome address, State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan acknowledged the progress made in promoting women’s role in society. She said since the ASEAN declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was approved in 2004, it has been implemented by all 10 ASEAN member countries, marking a turning point in gender integration and equality in the region.

The Party and State of Vietnam always pay special attention to promoting gender equality, said Mr Doan, adding that Vietnamese women’s status has greatly improved in politics, economics, culture, social and family affairs.

She affirmed that people-elected deputies play a very important role in formulating policies and making laws on gender equality as well as overseeing the implementation of these policies and laws. She called on parliamentarians to work closer together to incorporate gender issues into national development programmes.

Delegates discussed female parliamentarians’ role and engagement in legislation, decision making and other activities of the legislative body. They made recommendations concerning the establishment of a cooperative mechanism for the region to share information and experiences in law-making and gender integration.

The conference drew the participation of delegates from Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. It was also attended by I Gusti Ayu Darsini, acting general secretary of AIPA and representatives of the United Nations Development Programme, some international organisations and foreign embassies in Hanoi.

Enhancing the role of ASEAN female parliamentarians

Delegations to the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) arrived in Hanoi on November 29 to attend a conference focusing on the role of female AIPA parliamentarians in the legislative process.

The conference, which lasts until December 3, will discuss how to strengthen the role of female parliamentarians and boosting ties between AIPA female parliamentarians.

In addition to the representatives from the nine AIPA member countries, observers from Myanmar, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the EU, Canada and some international organisations also attended the conference.

PV