The APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism will be held on June 19 in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh as part of the APEC Year 2017 in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai revealed this information at a press conference in Hanoi on June 15.

The event is expected to draw 150 delegates from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, tourism companies and experts from international organisations.

Deputy Minister Ai said the dialogue is a following event of the Technical Workshop on Sustainable Tourism held during the first APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 1) in February 2017 in Nha Trang city, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

The dialogue will offer an opportunity for APEC economies to share experience and discuss measures to enhance the effective cooperation and integration in the region, especially in the field of sustainable tourism development, the deputy minister added.

The dialogue is an initiative of Vietnam to realise the APEC Strategy for Strengthening Quality Growth, he said, adding that it is also a major contribution of APEC to the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development set by the United Nations.

Grasshoppers damage crops in northern Cao Bang province

By June 15, grasshoppers have damaged 500 hectares of crops in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, putting local farmers at risk of having a bad harvest.

Grasshoppers have appeared in seven districts and Cao Bang city, with Nguyen Binh, Thach An and Hoa An suffering the biggest damage.

Population density was estimated at between 50-100 grasshoppers per square metre on average. In some particular places, the figure even reached 1,000 per square metre.

The insects have mainly attacked maize, paddy, tobacco and bamboo.

This is the second year Nguyen Binh district’s Thinh Vuong commune has faced grasshopper epidemic. Local authorities disbursed 5 million VND (220 USD) to help famers buy pesticides to prevent the insects but failed to save local maize fields.

To prevent the grasshopper epidemic from spreading, the provincial agriculture sector has sprayed pesticides on 357 out of 500 affected hectares of crops.

Huong Pagoda Festival welcomes 1.4 million visitors

This year’s Huong Pagoda Festival in the suburban area of Hanoi welcomed approximately 1.4 million tourists, up 6,000 from the same period last year and including about 7,800 foreign visitors, according to the People’s Committee of My Duc district.

The district has earned nearly 175 billion VND from ticket sales, the committee announced at a conference on June 14 to review the organisation of the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam that lasts through three spring months.

The organising board has increased inspection around the Huong Pagoda to prevent any activity having bad effects on the religious space while vendors were banned from setting up shops or booths near worship areas, like pagodas, temples, shrines and caves. 

Inspection groups have seized over 300 books with superstition contents, 120 pirate discs, 450 illegal toy guns, six fortune telling advertisement signs and ten illegal advertisement banners in the festival areas. They also suspended operation of unlicensed traditional medical clinics. 

Good security and improved traffic in both road and waterway have given visitors better experience. Local police have detained ten people for illegal soliciting travellers to buy goods or use services and fined 32 others for boat overloading or not having a garbage container on their boats.

Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hau vowed for the district to keep up such good works during the coming festivals.

The district is asking the Prime Minister’s approval to recognise the Huong Son relic site as a national special relic.

Workshop discusses human resources for stable blood donation

A workshop was organised in Hanoi on June 14 to discuss measures to develop human resources for safe and stable blood donation, bringing together domestic and foreign experts, and outstanding blood donors.

As part of a programme to honour prominent blood donors nationwide and celebrate World Blood Donor Day 2017, the event was held by the National Steering Committee for Mobilising Voluntary Blood Donation and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT). 

The International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations’ (IFBDO) representative said it is necessary to diversify communication and campaigning methods to attract more blood donors. Communication methods should be conformable with each targeted group.

A representative of the Thai Red Cross Society’s national blood transfusion centre introduced the model of Club 25, which targets blood donors aged between 17-25. When joining Club 25, participants commit to donate blood 25 times, until 25 years old and call on 25 others to follow suit.

Ngo Manh Quan from the NIHBT introduced the institute’s initiative to maintain groups of standby people for donating blood in order to ensure timely provision of safe blood sources for patients in remote and border areas.

So far, the project has helped develop live blood banks in 17 remote, isolate and border districts and islands nationwide, attracting a total of 1,174 members. 

Initiated in 2011 , the model benefits people in Bach Long Vi island of Hai Phong city, Phu Quoc island of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang; Con Co island in central Quang Tri province; Si Ma Cai and Dong Van districts in the north mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Ha Giang.

95 works win 11th National Press Awards

As many as 95 media pieces have won the 11th National Press Awards 2016 and the award ceremony will be held in Hanoi on June 21 - the Vietnam Revolutionary Journalism Day. 

The winning works include seven A prizes, 24 B prizes, 39 C prizes and 25 consolation prizes, announced Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalism Association Ho Quang Loi at a press conference on June 14 in Hanoi. 

Of them, 48 works or 50 percent, belonged to local press agencies, said Loi, who is also Standing Vice Chairman of the Council of the 11th National Press Awards 2016.

He said the council has decided to raise the prize values from the 2016 season, with each A prize winner will receive 60 million VND, while B and C prize awardees will be granted with 40 million VND and 30 million VND each, respectively. 

Meanwhile, a consolation prize will be worth 10 million VND and works going to the final round will get 3 million VND each. 

According to Loi, entries covered the country’s important events during 2016, especially the 12th National Party Congress, as well as socio-economic development, security and national defence, new-style area building and poverty reduction.
  
There was no big difference in quality between works of central and local press agencies, he said, adding that many local press agencies’ reportages, investigative reportages and narratives were appreciated. 

However, many entries lacked creativity and renovation as well as failed to find out thorough solutions to their matters, he noted.

This year’s awards attracted 1,637 press works from 214 agencies and individuals across the country.

Norway helps Vietnam boost aquaculture training

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s HCM City branch (VCCI HCM) and the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), on June 14, began a two-year programme for improving the quality of vocational training in aquaculture.

Accordingly, between now and 2019, the NHO will help the VCCI HCM train 500 labourers for the sector in Mekong Delta and south central regions.

Bui Thi Ninh, head of the bureau for employers’ activities at the VCCI HCM, said the programme aims to link enterprises and vocational training schools, and reinforce enterprises’ collaboration with training schools to create a skilled workforce that is able to meet the requirements of employers in the aquaculture industry.

It also seeks to expand awareness of career opportunities in the field among parents and high school students, she said.

It will be piloted in Dong Thap and Khanh Hoa provinces.

Speaking at the launch in HCM City on June 14, Vo Tan Thanh, director of the VCCI HCM, said fishery is one of the country’s key economic sectors, with aquaculture and fishing output exceeding 6.7 million tonnes last year and export earnings reaching 7 billion USD.

The industry employs around nine million people directly and indirectly, but more than 60 percent are unskilled, he said.

Tore Myhre, director of NHO’s International Department, said investing in skills development, especially vocational training, is important to improve the productivity and profitability of enterprises.

Aquaculture is a sector that is growing in importance for both countries, he said.

NHO and VCCI, together with Vietnamese and Norwegian industry players, have identified a need for more skilled and productive operators in their value chain from production to processing, he said.

“The current availability of vocational training for the aquaculture industry is limited despite an increase in demand for human resources.

“The aquaculture industry is also becoming more technically advanced, which increases the demand for skilled workers.

“Working in aquaculture is by many perceived as a low-status job often associated with heavy manual labour. The industry is however in rapid development, and needs to attract motivated and skilled young professionals.

“For this to happen, one needs to increase knowledge among parents and young students about what it means to work on a modern fish farm.”

The project would address this through various career guidance initiatives, he said.

Thanh said since 2010 the VCCI HCM, with technical support from NHO, has co-operated with the Dong Nai College of High Technologyand companies in Dong Nai province to pilot a training programme in mechanical engineering and hospitality.

Ninety seven percent of students from this training programme have got jobs after graduating, with their training quality deeply appreciated by employers, he said.

Following its success, NHO and the VCCI HCM have expanded their co-operation to the aquaculture sector, he added.

Hospital social work posts robust growth

More than 80 per cent of the country’s 35 central hospitals have a division for social work to improve their quality of service, according to an official involved with a programme to set up the divisions.

Speaking at a meeting held to review six years of the programme in HCM City yesterday, deputy head of its steering committee, Dr Nguy?n H?ng Son, said the rate is much higher than the target of just four central hospitals by 2020.

A third of the more than 300 provincial-level hospitals and even many district health facilities have set up this division.

Nguy?n Van Hi?u of the division at the Phú Th? Province General Hospital said his division’s 38 employees take the initiative to co-operate with doctors to learn about the health of patients, including poor ones, to identify what kind of assistance -- material or psychological -- they need.

Patients who are victims of violence, accidents or natural disasters are provided therapy and counselling in legal provisions, forensic tests, and others, he said.

Son said patients are often ignorant about administrative procedures and the benefits of health insurance, and counselling by the division staff is greatly necessary, he said.

For many patients, hospitals are like a “labyrinth” and so they need to be guided, he said.

Providing such guidance is one of his division’s tasks, he added.

In many places, staff of the division organise entertainment programmes to amuse patients.

Son said unlike in other countries, hospitals in Vi?t Nam usually do not have enough staff to provide comprehensive care to patients.

So patients’ families often hire care givers to stay with them at the hospital.

He said hospitals’ social work divisions should train and manage the care givers.

Besides, their staff should pay more attention to psychotherapy for patients, he said.

“Social work at hospitals has helped improve patients and their relatives’ satisfaction with the healthcare services. It is vital in improving the quality of examination and treatment.”

But these divisions face a shortage of staff trained in social work in the health sector, and this renders their services ineffective, he said.

Vietnam learns France’s experience in managing public organisations

A delegation from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) led by its Director Nguyen Xuan Thang visited France from June 12-14 to learn the country’s experience in managing the transparency of public organisations.

During its stay, the delegation worked with representatives from the French National School of Administration (ENA), the French Government’s Supreme Council on the Management of Public Organisations’ Transparency, the National Academy of Arts and Occupation (CNAM) and the Court of Auditors.

The delegation also held discussions with members of the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts in France on increasing the efficiency of the Government.

Previously, the HCMA and ENA signed a cooperation agreement on training for 2007-2011. At the working session, the two sides showed their desire to intensify relations via a new agreement for 2017-2022 expected to be signed in late 2017.

At the Court of Auditors, whose functions are similar to the State Audit Office of Vietnam, the delegation was introduced to measures to assess the use of public assets in order to prevent waste and corruption.

The Vietnamese delegation also learned from the French Government’s supreme council on how to increase the efficiency and uprightness of public institutions and the CNAM’s experience in leadership studies.

Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in France, Thang said that the HCMA, as an office training high-ranking leaders of the Party and State, wants to study other countries’ experience to improve its training programmes.

Learning from France’s experience is necessary and useful in the context of Vietnam implementing political and Party-building reforms, he added.

Danang Summer Fest offers 9 days of fun and free activities

The Danang Summer Fest is a wonderful opportunity for visitors to explore exhibitions in an interactive way, meet with local artists and actively participate in a wide range of fun and free activities.

The 9-day extravaganza will see a bevy of activities throughout the metropolitan area June 17-25, the Ministry, Culture, Sports and Tourism told reporters at a news conference on June 14.

The activities include outdoor concerts at the My Khe Beach 7:30pm-8:30pm June 17-18 that will feature traditional and contemporary Vietnamese music as well as a variety of blues, ragtime, jazz, pop and rock music.

A bicycle race around the Son Tra Peninsula is set for 7am-11:30am June 25 and a Son Tra Adventure Run 6am-9am June 18 are also on the agenda and promise to be an event the whole family will want to enjoy.

Other activities include a food festival 4:30pm-8:30pm June 22, paragliding festival along Tien Sa Beach 8am-5:30pm June 23-25, beach side folk games in Danang 3:30pm-7:30pm June 17-18, and Flashmob Bikini 5pm June 17.

For more information and a complete rundown on all the activities please visit https://tourism.danang.vn/en/.

New plan to improve healthcare personnel

A new training programme to improve the quality of healthcare employees will be set up by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Deputy Minister of Health Le Quang Cuong said that laws on education, higher education, and health exams and treatment would be amended to meet the real needs of training, including more emphasis on practical application.

Cuong, who spoke at a recent conference on training healthcare staff by Hong Bang International University in HCM City, said that it was also important to audit the training programme.

Dr Tran Diep Tuan, rector of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said that by 2020 medical training establishments that do not have audits of quality would not be allowed to be on the list of the World Federation for Medical Education.

Salaries for doctors who study for six years would be raised, according to Cuong.

The Ministry of Health will also create new standards for human resources capacity in the sector, he said, adding that medical doctors who want to practise will have to take tests from a national medical council as other countries do.

According to Nguyen Minh Loi of the Science, Technology and Training Department under the Ministry of Health, the country has 196 universities, colleges and vocational schools that provide training in healthcare.

Their enrollment quotas are around 16,500, which will meet demand for human resources in this sector until 2020.

Tuan said that hospitals and other facilities had not closely worked with training facilities.

Many training facilities offering healthcare majors were teaching outdated medical knowledge, he said.

New training programmes would be needed to meet the challenges to provide quality healthcare services in the 21th century.

Red Cross, FrieslandCampina sign deal for communication campaign

The Vi?t Nam Red Cross Society yesterday signed a three-year agreement with FrieslandCampina Vi?t Nam for a communication project on nutrition education and physical strength development in children.

This year the project will focus on a survey of the health and nutrition of 50,000 children aged from three to 11 at 100 schools in Hà N?i, H?i Phòng and the provinces of H?i Duong, Nam Ð?nh, and Thái Bình.

It will include campaigns on communications and training, guidance on health, nutrition and physical development for teachers, students and their parents and members of the Red Cross.

Free milk will be provided to students at the schools adopted by the project.

At the signing ceremony, Nguy?n Th? Xuân Thu, chairwoman of the Vi?t Nam Red Cross Society, said the project would be useful to children and also contribute to achieving important targets in the Government’s programme entitled School Milk-For Vi?t Nam’s Stature which aims to improving the nutrition and height for  kindergarten and primary students by 2020.

By 2030 the rate of child malnutrition in Vi?t Nam would be reduced to below the global and regional average, she said.

The country would also limit the increase in obesity and overweight among kindergarten and school children, she said.

Arnoud van den Berg, managing director of FrieslandCampina Vi?t Nam, said children need sufficient nutrition and two glasses of milk every day along with proper exercise for physical and brain development.

Height development for Vietnamese should start with proper nutrition and exercise for children at an early age, he added.

The agreement is a part of the Campaign called Drinking Milk- Exercising-Healthy initiated by FrieslandCampina based on the concept of daily diet, nutrition and exercise affecting a child greatly.

According a survey on nutrition in Southeast Asia conducted by the Ministry of Health’s National Institute of Nutrition, more than 50 per cent of children under 12 lack calcium and vitamins A, B1 and C and iron in their daily meals and drinks.

A shortage of vitamin D persists though the country gets a lot of sunshine.

While rural areas faced malnutrition and shortage of micronutrients, obesity and overweight are seeing an upward trend in urban areas.

School age is the time for children to rapidly develop their physical strength, brain gender as well as personality.

Since 2012 FrieslandCampina Vi?t Nam has worked with the Red Cross to carry out charity activities such as donating cows and giving gifts to poor people and victims of Agent Orange.

Heritage festival closes with flair in Hoi An

The 6th Qu?ng Nam Heritage Festival showed off the precious values of the central province and introduced domestic and international visitors to traditional lifestyles and heritages, the festival’s Vice President Ð?ng Th? Ng?c Th?nh said at the closing ceremony in H?i An last night.
She said the festival – themed ‘Qu?ng Nam – Connecting Cultural Heritage Journey’ – drew thousands of artists, craftsmen, sportsmen, researchers, scientists and businesses from 33 countries and territories in an exciting week of cultural exchanges in Qu?ng Nam Province cities and districts.
“The festival successfully introduced traditional Qu?ng Nam trades, including silk, pottery, ginseng, cultural performances of ethnic groups, local cuisine and world heritages of H?i An, M? Son Chàm Island to the global community,” Th?nh said.
“This year’s festival saw the involvement of community and friendship among hosts and visitors during a week of festivity. It’s really a favourite rendezvous for cultural exchanges among countries and friends,” she said.
The festival, which is held every five years, hosted 35 cultural events in H?i An, mountainous areas and beaches from June 7-14.
The festival was a prelude to the Financial Ministers Meeting of the 2017 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) Summit this October.
According to the festival’s organisers, nearly 1 million visitors flocked to destinations in the province during the festival.
The central province hosted 4.4 million tourists, of which 2.3 million were foreigners, in 2016, and target for 5 million tourists in 2017.
The province, 800km south of Hà N?i, has attracted 110 tourism projects since 1997. The tourism industry contributes around 10 per cent of the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The provincial tourism industry created total revenues of VNÐ6.8 trillion (US$302 million) in 2016.

Khánh Hòa beat Cao Bang at futsal champs

Sanatech Khánh Hòa came from behind to beat Cao B?ng 4-2 in the second leg of the National Futsal Championship yesterday.

“The turning point of the game was the penalty in the 32nd minute. We thought that if we scored a goal in this situation, we would win. We were lucky that my player shot successfully,” said coach Tr?n Duy Hi?u of Khánh Hòa.

Coach Hector Souto of Cao B?ng said that a dearth of experience caused Cao B?ng have to blow their lead after dominating the match and having many chances to score. However, Souto said his players played well.

With 26 points after 13 matches, Khánh Hòa rank second, behind Thái Son Nam’s five points.

In the other match, Sài Gòn FC defeated Hoàng Thu Ðà N?ng 3-1.

With this win, Sài Gòn are near to their goal of staying in the tournament. They rank fifth with 18 points. Meanwhile, with four losses in a row, Ðà N?ng are at the bottom of the rankings.

Ðà N?ng played attack from the first minutes of the match and Van An soon opened the score for Ðà N?ng.

After the break, Van Nghia levelled the score for Sài Gòn from a quick attrack in the right wing.

Sài Gòn continued taking full advantage of errors of Ðà N?ng’s defenders to score two goals more.

“We set out to play attack, but when the game started, captain Hoàng Nam met injury so we changed our tactics. Fortunately, our players adapted quickly and got the best out of our chances,” said coach’s assistant Phan Tr?n Tu?n Anh of Sài Gòn. 

Giang upsets Nam in Thailand tournament

In a major upset, Tr?nh Linh Giang defeated his teammate Lý Hoàng Nam in the second round of men’s singles at the Thailand F2 Futures tennis tournament in Thái Lan yesterday.
Giang, world No 1,630 beat Nam, world No 599, 6-3, 3-6 and 6-3.
Nam earned a wild card to compete in the main round, while Giang had to play from the qualifying round.

Giang’s next opponent is Harry Bourchier of Australia, world No 668.

Earlier, in the first round, Giang beat Canada’s Kelsey Stevenson 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Nam beat Kittiphong Wachiramanowong of Thailand 6-2, 6-1. 

Quang Ngai releases 33,000 fish into Ngang Mountain Lake

The Plant and Animal Breeding Center of Quang Ngai province under the Agriculture and Rural Development Department in collaboration with the People’s Committee of Ba To district yesterday released 33,000 fish into Ngang Mountain Lake.
The fish are variety of types as Grass carp, Rohu, Chitala ornate. 

Total expense for the event costs VND 70 million.
The action aims to not only help local residents increase income but also rehabilitate fisheries resources in the region. 

HCMC welcomes local,foreign economic sectors to develop infrastructure

HCMC is now calling on both domestic and foreign companies to invest in the city’s infrastructure, meeting integration and development of the city as its budget can afford for 20 percent of demand. 
The statement was made by deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee Le Van Khoa yesterday.
Mobilization of other capital sources is inevitable amid limited budget funds, Mr. Khoa said at a conference hosted by the Department of Planning and Investment on capital attraction for infrastructure development under Public Private Partnership (PPP) form.
At the conference, chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said that PPP has been estimated as a good investment model in the world.
The capital demand for development investment of the city is estimated to reach VND850 trillion (US$34.46 billion) in the phase from 2016-2020 while the city budget is able to meet 20 percent of the number.
Of these, environment, traffic and anti-flooding infrastructures need VND500 trillion which the budget can supply only 31 percent. Therefore, the city must take the initiative in calling for investment to meet capital demand.
Mr. Phong required the Department of Planning and Investment to build norms for each type of PPP projects to choose investors lawfully and ensure benefit balance among investors, management agencies and residents.
The department should publicize the city’s public investment demand on its website and specific information about the list of PPP projects calling for investors.
At present, HCMC is doing investment procedures of over 130 projects under PPP model with the total capital estimated to reach VND381 trillion ($16.79 billion). Of these, traffic, environment and urban planning and development fields have 93 projects.
Commerce-services has two projects, education four, health 14 and sports and culture 17 projects.
In the phase of 2017-2020, the city continues calling for investment in 116 PPP projects with capital expected to reach VND136,714 billion.
Reporting at the conference, deputy director of the Department of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa said that before 2015 when the Government had not issued Decree 15 on PPP investment attraction, HCMC attracted 18 projects under BOT, BT, BTO and BOO forms with the total funds of VND59.2 trillion ($2.61 billion).
Of them, there were 15 traffic projects, one environment project and two parking lots. Projects that have been built and opened to traffic comprise Phu My bridge with the total capital of VND2,914 billion and Saigon 2 Bridge with VND1,827 billion.
After the Decree was issued allowing localities to use their land fund in return for PPP investors, HCMC has implemented five PPP projects with VND11,902 billion.

Quang Binh Cave Festival 2017 set to open Friday

Quang Binh Cave Festival 2017 will take place from June 16 to 25, featuring a wide range of cultural and artistic activities in an effort to promote the potentials and strengths of Quang Binh Province, well known for beautiful caves as well as its unique cultural and historical features, local media reports.

The opening ceremony of the festival themed “The Kingdom of Caves – Wonder and Legend” will be held at 8 p.m. on June 17 at Bao Ninh Square, Dong Hoi City in Quang Binh Province. The ceremony will feature art performances, with the presence of local famous singers such as My Linh, My Tam, Anh Tho, Trong Tan and Duc Tuan. The festival will be aired on VTV1 channel.

In addition, Son Doong Cave in the province will be given recognition as the world’s largest natural cave by the World Record Association and World Records Union on the opening night. 

The festival, held every two years, is aimed to promote the beauty of the cave system in Quang Binh Province, which has been famous for its more than 300 mysterious and breathtaking caves, and introduce cultural and spiritual values of the stunning tourist site to local and international tourists with an aim to strengthen the tourism development of the province.

Vietnam ensures green growth, safe labour migration

Vietnam attaches significance to green growth, safe labour migration and sustainable development, contributing to achieving economic development sustainable employment goals. 

Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Tran Thanh Hai made the statement at the ongoing 106th International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 12-16. 

Hai underscored the contribution Vietnamese guest workers have made to Vietnam.

Between 80,000 – 90,000 Vietnamese labourers have worked abroad or undertook apprenticeships each year since 2007. Many completed their contracts and returned home with occupational skills, experience and knowledge.

The VGCL has pushed policies to create a legal framework for Vietnamese guest labourers. The organisation has also signed deals with its counterparts in receiving nations to support and protect Vietnamese labourers, Hai said.

On June 12, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan underlined Vietnam’s interest in the ILO General Director Guy Rider’s report on employment amidst climate change and green initiatives.

Vietnam, one of the nations most at risks from climate change, has worked to adapt to climate change at various levels to protect vulnerable groups and promote green growth, Lan affirmed.

The Government of Vietnam has launched numerous programmes on vocational training while promoting social welfare and expanding social insurance coverage.

Vietnam has made efforts to complete a legal framework and policies on labour and employment, as well as implementing the rights of labourers, ensuring social welfare for people, particularly women, children, the disabled and the elderly.

The country has looked to consolidate the state management mechanism on labour relations and vocational education to improve labour relationships and human resource quality.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Vietnamese delegation met with ILO General Director Guy Rider and Secretary General of the World Federation of Trade Unions George Mavsikos, and leaders of trade unions of Australia, Singapore, Laos, Belarus, Cuba, Sweden, Switzerland, the US, and China.   

The annual event, taking place from June 5 saw the participation of 4,000 representatives from governments, trade union organisations and employers from 187 ILO member nations.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE