Vietnam praises Thailand’s human rights efforts

Vietnam highly values Thailand’s efforts to implement human rights, said a Vietnamese diplomat.

Ambassador Vu Dung, Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, made the assessment at the 12 th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on October 5.

Thanks to a human rights-based approach in enforcing the law and implementing development policies, Thailand has recorded great achievements in socio-economic development as well as in the protection and promotion of human rights and basic freedom rights, especially in poverty reduction, education, health and gender equality, he said.

Vietnam also applauded Thailand’s commitments to international human rights organisations and its active cooperation with the UN’s human rights mechanisms, Dung noted.

The ambassador emphasised recent developments in Thailand after the general elections, expressing belief that a new era of stability and development will soon be ushered in the country.

He suggested Thailand strengthen polices and measures to protect vulnerable groups such as women, children, the poor, ethnic minority people and migrants while further boosting the implementation of laws, policies and mechanisms relating to human rights as set in the National Human Rights Action Plan for 2009-2013.

Thailand is one of the 19 countries to have their UPRs reviewed at this session, which is taking place in Geneva from October 3-14.

Reform group told to renew justice system

President Truong Tan Sang wants the Central Judicial Reform Steering Committee to help renovate the justice system over the next five years.

The President was speaking at the first working session of the committee in Ha Noi yesterday. The committee consists of 15 members headed by Sang. He said judicial offices were a part of Viet Nam's judicial system and the committee played an important role.

Sang urged members in charge to outline specific programmes to effectively implement resolutions and conclusions regarding justice reform.

He said one of the key tasks was to speed up the amendment of the Constitution 1992.

Participants contributed opinions to a draft which regulates committee members' responsibilities and a decision to strengthen the staff of the committee secretariat.

Royal Malaysian naval ships visit HCM City

A crew of 130 officials and sailors aboard KD TERENGGANU and KD PERDANA began a goodwill visit to HCM City on October 6.

During the four-day stay, the crew will lay a wreath at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and pay courtesy visits to municipal leaders and Military Zone No7 Command.

They will also play volleyball with officials and soldiers of the Naval Technical School.

Vietnam always treasures ties with Canada

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received a Canadian business delegation led by Olsen Donald, Senior Director of the Canadian Commercial Corporation, in Hanoi on October 5.

At the reception, Ms Ngan spoke highly of the activities of the Canadian businesspeople, who are on a four-day visit from October 3 to study Vietnam’s investment environment, wishing that they would help boost economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Ms Ngan said she is pleased with recent positive developments in bilateral cooperation, with two-way trade reaching nearly US$1 billion over the past nine months.

However, Vietnam and Canada should fully tap their potential for economic cooperation to meet the aspirations of the two countries’ people, she said.

The NA Vice Chairwoman affirmed that Vietnam always treasures ties with Canada, a prestigious member of G8 and G20, and wishes to continue boosting cooperation with the North American country in various fields.

As a legislative body, the Vietnam NA will contribute to accelerating the signing of the Vietnam-Canada Investment Encouragement and Protection Agreement, creating a legal foundation for Canadian businesses to invest in Vietnam, Ms Ngan said.

She also expressed her wish that the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement would be signed soon, opening up opportunities for economic cooperation between Canada and ASEAN nations, including Vietnam.

For his part, Olsen Donald said he hoped that the two sides could continue fostering cooperation in fields such as energy, finance and technological transfer.

During its stay in Vietnam, the Canadian delegation worked with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport, Vietnam Development Bank and Vietnam Machinery Erection and Construction Corp. (LILAMA) on projects to build infrastructure facilities in Vietnam.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA