Workshop talks experiences in preventing sexual abuse against women, girls

Experts share ideas at workshop on sexual violence against women and girls 

Women are more reluctant to report incidents of sexual assault against them and seek support than physical violence, Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha told a workshop in Hanoi on December 5.

The workshop, entitled “Sexual violence against women and girls: Gaps in legislation and supporting services”, was co-held by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Though no specific studies have been published on violence against women and children in Vietnam, it is estimated that over 50 percent of women have experienced at least one form of violence – be it physical, sexual, and psychological violence – at some point in their lives. Violence against women and children come in many forms and occur in different spaces, from within the family to among the community. 

Ha said Vietnam has taken many steps to ensure social welfare, protect human rights, particularly of women, and promote gender equality.

The MoLISA has set up community-based shelters, support centres, and gender equality consulting services for gender-specific violence victims. It has also promoted violence-free, friendly schools and safe cities for women and children to raise public awareness of the issue and reduce potential risks for women and children, she noted.

However, the deputy minister admitted that it is more challenging to tackle and intervene in sexual assaults against women and girls compared with other forms of violence, with victims often facing lengthy processes for their cases to be taken on or settled, which has further raised public discontent.

During the workshop, speakers discussed a range of violent acts against women and girls and exchanged views on policy gaps on the issues. They also talked about the support services available for sexual violence survivors in Vietnam and shared some of the best practices in preventing and responding to sexual violence against women and girls both at home and in foreign countries.

Do Thi Thu Ha from the UNFPA pointed out the fact that sexual violence and harassment are often viewed as a sensitive topic that is difficult to share and discuss in public. Furthermore, prejudices against victims of sexual abuse have prevented them from being fully supported, not to mention negative judgments they could face for speaking out or seeking justice. 

She further noted that victims are often blamed for violent acts against them and people are often skeptical of what a victim has to say. Many turn their backs on victims, and as a result, these women and girls have been conditioned into believing that they themselves are responsible, she said, adding that this culture of victim blaming is a global concern, causing survivors of sexual violence to stay silent against their abusers. 

To address the issue, participants suggested launching high-quality support services for victims that cover different aspects from healthcare and psychology to legal consultancy, and that these services must be friendly and easy to access. 

They also stressed the need to change people’s attitude on gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence and harassment. At the same time, relevant governmental agencies must collect comprehensive national statistics on sexual violence against women and girls and improve the current legislation on this issue.

Vietnam – Thailand fine arts exhibition opens in Hanoi

A Vietnam – Thailand contemporary fine arts exhibition is ongoing at Hanoi University of Architecture. The event is part of a programme that aims to promote culture and art cooperation among ASEAN countries.

One display at the exhibition are more than 100 arts pieces by instructors and artists from Hanoi University of Architecture of Vietnam and Bunditpanatasilpa Institute of Thailand.

The artworks highlight the daily lives of the Vietnamese and Thai people as well as typical culture of Southeast Asian countries. 

The exhibition marked the start of a cooperation programme between Hanoi University of Architecture and Bunditpanatasilpa Institute, under which both sides will set up an exchange forum for their lecturers and artists.

In addition to the exhibition, Thai and Vietnamese instructors and students have engaged in creative activities at popular Vietnamese localities of Hanoi and Ninh Binh.

Da Nang city promotes tourism in France

The central coastal city of Da Nang has held a workshop in Paris to promoting tourism and introducing the Da Nang – Doha – Paris air route.

The event drew the participation of representatives from travel agencies in France who were provided with information on Da Nang’s tourism potential.

Da Nang is a tourist attraction in central Vietnam as it is located near three heritage sites, namely the former imperial city of Hue, the ancient town of Hoi An and My Son Sanctuary. Qatar Airway service that will be launched on December 19 will facilitate the linkage between Da Nang and Europe.

During the event, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding on economic cooperation with Sens, among others.

Vietnam Airlines to add flights to Malaysia to serve football fans

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will operate more flights from the country’ major cities to Kuala Lumpur on December 11 to serve football fans who want to travel to Malaysia to cheer on the Vietnamese national team in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup final.

Vietnam Airlines to operate more flights from the country’ major cities to Kuala Lumpur on December 11 to serve football fans

The carrier will run an additional one or two flights for each route linking Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang with the Malaysian capital.

Together with one normal flight for each route, Vietnam Airlines will provide a total of more than 1,100 seats on flights from Vietnam to Malaysia on this day.

The added flights, using Airbus A321 planes, are scheduled to depart from Vietnam in the morning and return in the evening of the same day.

The carrier will work with several travel agents to devise travel packages on the day, which will include flight and match tickets, a tour guide and transport to the stadium.

Vietnam entered the finals of the ASEAN Federation Football (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2018 after defeating the Philippines 2-1 in the return leg of the semifinal, which took place at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on December 6.

The squad beat the Philippines 2-1 in the first leg held in Bacolod city of the Philippines four days before.

The final first leg between Vietnam and Malaysia will take place in Kuala Lumpur on December 11, and the return leg will be held four days later at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium.

Fourth Pan-Asian Biomedical Science Conference opens

Participants at the conference (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

The 4th Pan-Asian Biomedical Science Conference convened in the central city of Da Nang on December 6, gathering some 200 delegates from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.

Themed “Biomedicine in the 21st century: Insight from Asia”, the conference aims to boost awareness of the importance of biomedical studies in healthcare and clinical practices.

Participants discussed topics related to clinical applications and medical individualism, risk assessment, biomedical technique, big data and traditional medicine.

They also reported the latest findings in the fields of cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and artificial insemination.

Two passengers detained for threatening Vietjet flight attendant

Two passengers have been detained by Hanoi police for threatening and attempting to attack a female attendant on budget carrier Vietjet Air’s flight.

The two men whose names have yet to be released were on flight VJ212 on HCM City to Vinh City on Wednesday.

When the captain announced that the plane had to make an emergency landing in Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport due to bad weather in Vinh, some passengers became angry and the two men insulted and physically-threatened a flight attendant.

After landing at Noi Bai International Airport at 8:40 am, the captain refused to allow men to continue on the flight. They continued using foul language and then bang their hands on the aircraft.

Security ejected them from the flight and they were handed over to police.

Fireworks set to light up the sky across Quang Ninh

Quang Ninh province will host a short display of fireworks in Ha Long City to celebrate National Tourism Year 2018 in Ha Long and Quang Ninh on December 15.

The site for the firework show will be on the hill area of FLC Ha Long Bay Golf Club & Luxury Resort.
In total the display is scheduled to last for 15 minutes and the total  budget for the display has been raised by local enterprises.

The event is  organized by the provincial Military Command, the People's Committee of Ha Long city and other relevant groups.
Toyota Vietnam launches painting contest for children

Toyota Vietnam, in collaboration with Nhi Dong newspaper, have launched an international painting competition titled ‘Toyota Dream Car Art Contest’ in Hanoi.

The contest is open to all children throughout the country who are under the age of 16. The competition first made its debut in Japan back in 2004 and has since attracted the participation of students from 82 nations and territories from around the globe with a total of 5.3 million of paintings being entered since the first competition.

The competition was first implemented in Vietnam from the 2011-2012 academic year and has received 3.2 million entries since its inception. Vietnamese students have also won international prizes in the past with a gold prize in 2014 and a silver prize in 2012 as well as a bronze prize and four consolation prizes. 

The deadline for submission of the entries is January 25, 2019. Contestants can show their creativity in drawing an original dream car.

The nine most outstanding paintings at national level will be selected for the international contest in Japan in August 2019. 

Sea turtle rescued from waste poisoning

  

The turtle's health condition has improved

A hospital in the central city of Danang has rescued a sea turtle that had digestive problems after eating different kinds of waste.

The turtle from Cu Lao Cham Marine Park weighs 8.3 kilos and is around 4-5 years old.   

On November 20, the animal was found so exhausted it couldn’t swim. After one week treatment with antibiotics, there was little improvement.

According to X-rays, the turtle’s digestive system contained many pieces of plastic, sponge and fishing net. This had caused digestive problems for it. So the animal was taken to Family Hospital in Danang for an operation.

The two-hour endoscopy removed roughly a tenth of the rubbish in the turtle’s digestive system, mostly small things.

Doctors said that they will conduct another endoscopy to remove the remainder, including bunches of net stuck in the turtle’s large intestine in the days to come.

The animal’s health has improved a bit and it can now swim.

Flight attendant attackers to face high fines

A new decree on aviation which will take effect next year stipulates that assaults on air crew-members may face fines of up to VND20m (USD861).

Resolution 162 will take effect on January 15, 2019. It states that anyone who was found insulting, threatening and attacking crew members or other passengers at the airport but it is not serious enough to be criminal offences will be fined from VND3m (USD129) to VND5m. Those who cause disorder, do not follow procedures or insult the staff and other passengers on the plane will be fined from VND7m to VND10m.

A fine of VND15m (USD646) to VND20m will be applied to those who board the plane illegally, attack staff or the passengers, transport flammable devices or weapons used in sports into restricted areas but are not serious enough to be criminal offences.

Several assaults against the flight crew were reported this year.

In November, three passengers were prosecuted after attacking a staff member at Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa Province after the staff member refused to take part in a photo. In July, a passenger was fined VND15m (USD644) after hitting a Jetstar Pacific flight attendant before take-off of a Vinh-HCM City flight. He couldn't find empty space on the shelf for his three pieces of luggage near his seat and became annoyed.

Dak Lak collaborates with WWF on animal protection

An elephant is found dead in Yok Don National Park

The authorities in Dak Lak Province have co-operated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to start a project to protect wild animals in the area from poachers.  

This project is a response to the Wildlife Conservation Day on December 4. The Dak Lak Forest Protection Department and WWF also held a conference about protecting wild animals in the Central Highlands on December 2.

Van Ngoc Thinh, director of WWF Vietnam, said over a decade ago, the Central Highlands was highly regarded and among world's 200 areas with the richest biodiversity. But now visitors can hardly hear any sounds of the birds or frogs. 

The Central Highlands used to have thousands of elephants but only 70 are left in the Yok Don National Park. Tigers have disappeared and many other species are near extinction because of poaching. In 2010, the last rhino in Cat Tien National Park was killed.

Many of the animals were hunted down for meat. They were sold for restaurants in the Central Highlands as well as other provinces across Vietnam. Do Quang Tung, head of the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, suggested making plans to raise awareness among tourists and state officials.

Such restaurants are easily found and have operated openly for years. 

According to the WWF Vietnam, at the end of October, they had funded VND860m (USD37,100) and worked with the forest rangers in Dak Lak to start an anti-poaching and trading of wild animals.

The project will train local officials on how to monitor wild animal trading in Vietnam and the world, collect information, detect products made from ivory, and punish violators. The local forest rangers will get support to gather information and deal with restaurants that buy, store and sell animals.

Thinh said, "We hope all commitments will be realised and Buon Ma Thuot will be the first city in Vietnam that doesn't trade products illegally made from animal parts."

Viettel to take mobile number portability to customers’ doorstep

     

To better serve customers opting for mobile number portability and switching to its network, Viettel will send staff to their homes.

Customers can register by calling 18008098 or at viettel.vn/chuyenmanggiuso or the My Viettel application.

They can also complete the procedure at around 1,000 Viettel stores in the country.

Two weeks after making the announcement that customers of other companies can switch to its network, the military company has received thousands of applications.

Others like Vinaphone and MobiFone have yet to announce portability.

Cao Thu Huyen, deputy general director of Viettel Telecom, said: “[Portability] is not a contest between mobile service providers to lure away others’ customers, but it is a chance to improve quality.”

In the latest test, Viettel reached an average download speed of 28.22 Mbs and upload speed of 13.56 Mbps for a score of 26.21.

The average score is 14.65 points in Thailand, 14.98 in the Philippines, 22.91 in Cambodia, 14.65 in India, and 21.79 in Russia.

Viettel has the largest 3G/4G infrastructure coverage in Viet Nam with 100,000 base transceiver stations covering 95 per cent of the population.

It has 70 million mobile phone suscribers and 33 million using data.

The portability offer is first for postpaid subscribers and prepaid subscribers can avail the service next year.

The Viettel executive’s claim notwithstanding, portability is certain to increase competition between telecom enterprises while protecting consumers from being short-changed by service providers.

Portability is one of the measures Viet Nam has committed to under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.

According to statistics from the Viet Nam Telecommunications Authority, as of last May the country had approximately 124 million mobile subscribers, 5 per cent of them postpaid subscribers. 

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to adjust master plan     

Vung Tau Beach is an attractive tourism area in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. 

The authorities of Vung Tau City in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau have approved adjustments to the city’s development plan to 2035.

The plan aims to convert Vung Tau City into an environmentally friendly city and centre for national tourism, finance and trade, with a developed maritime economy.

The adjustments were made to resolve the conflict between economic development and preservation of environmental resources.

The plan focuses on various areas, including urban planning, land funds, urban design, strategic environmental evaluations and response to climate change and rising sea levels.

A public transport system and urban underground system, as well as new urban lighting system, will also be built or upgraded.

In addition, the plan includes proposals on eco-farming and high-tech centres.

To meet its goals, the provincial government will establish investor-friendly reforms in many areas.

It plans to increase investments in distribution networks, technology transfer, skill development, and funding for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The four key sectors in the province include seaport logistics, high-tech industrial production, tourism and high-tech agriculture.

Other areas of opportunities for investors include food processing, shipbuilding, traffic infrastructure and metallurgy-mechanical engineering.

Vung Tau City has a total area of 15,000 hectares.

To attract more visitors, the authorities will offer new eco-tourism services, including visits to mangrove forests and aquaculture breeding areas.

The province have large areas of mangrove forest, which is the home of endemic wildlife such as black tigers and parrots and many fertile river mouths ideal for breeding marine species are now the key to a master plan for developing green community tourism integrated with cultural activities.

Under the plan, the province targets 8.6 million visitors by 2025, an annual average growth rate of 11 to 13 per cent, at least 16,000 high-standard hotel rooms, and 38,000 new jobs.

In the first half of this year, the province welcomed 6.5 million tourists and earned VND2.8 trillion (around US$123 million) from tourism activities, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.

Besides tourism, city authorities are also making efforts to develop high-tech agriculture that would produce high-quality products at high yields.

About 50 companies have submitted proposals to invest in high-tech agricultural projects on a total of 5,000ha.

The province has asked district authorities and other officials to help investors set up their projects.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, which has a 305km-long coastline, is one of the leading tourism hubs in Viet Nam. With a cool and dry temperature year round, it is an ideal place for sea sports tourism and the development of deluxe seaside resorts.

Vung Tau City, lying on a peninsula of the same name, is the commercial and tourism centre of the province.

Hải Dương promotes tourism at recognised heritage sites

The nine-storey lotus tower symbolising nirvana at Giám Pagoda.

The northern province of Hải Dương will promote tourism based on national cultural heritage and historical relics, according to deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phạm Thị Kim Nhung.

In the coming years, the provincial tourism administration will focus on recognised sites such as Văn Miếu Mao Điền, a Confucian temple located in Cẩm Giàng District and the second largest Confucian temple in Việt Nam after the Temple of Literature in Hà Nội. It will also highlight Côn Sơn Kiếp Bạc Complex, the serene Buddhist and historical site listed as a national relic in 1962 and as a special national relic in 2012, and Giám Pagoda with its nine-storey lotus tower symbolising nirvana, the state of enlightenment that Amitabha inhabits.

The 300-year-old lotus tower, made from wood, was recognised as a National Treasure in 2015. The eight-metre tower was built to rotate. Buddhists pray and rotate the tower at the same time with the hope that their prayers will be heard by the Buddha and the gods though they are far from the heavens.

The provincial authorities have targeted developing tourism to contribute to the national budget and develop the local economy.

Nhung said there are 160 accommodations in the province.

“Despite the huge tourism potential, including beautiful landscapes, rich culture and heritage, local tourism has not fully developed,” Nhung said. “The leadership planned a strategy to develop tourism in the next year and agreed to focus on remarkable tourist sites including national relics which have been recognised.”

A trip gathering travel agents and press was organised on November 29, taking delegates to significant destinations in the province. A seminar will be held at the end of the trip to gather suggestions to promote the local tourism industry and solve its problems.

In 2017, Hải Dương received 3.7 million tourists. In the first half of this year, the province welcomed two million.

Hải Dương is located in the Red River Delta, 57km west of Hà Nội. 

HCM City seeks ways to preserve historic buildings

Vương Đình Huy, a representative of the Institute for Development and Research, said at a conference on Thursday that a balance between historic preservation and urban development must be ensured. 

 

The national Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) programme could help resolve the conflict between urban development and historic preservation in HCM City if new regulations were passed, according to the Institute for Development and Research (HIDS).

Under the programme, landowners in areas of valuable agricultural, natural and cultural resources are financially compensated if they do not develop some or all of their land. 

The landowner, under municipal zoning regulations, can legally sever “development rights” to their land and sell these rights to another landowner or real estate developer for use at another location.

Phạm Trần Hải of HIDS conducted a study which found that owners of historic buildings were not allowed to rebuild but they could sell or transfer the rights to an individual or organisation capable of preserving and developing them.

However, the transfer of development rights is currently not addressed by any law or regulation, which has weakened preservation activities. A regulation concerning this issue is now being discussed but it has not been officially presented to any legislative body.

Vương Đình Huy, a representative of HIDS, said at a conference on Thursday in HCM City that local officials must take more proactive measures to ensure a healthy balance between development and historic preservation.

In HCM City, there are about 1,300 old villas built before 1975 which have architectural, artistic, cultural and historic value. They were mainly built by the French before 1954.

Startup forum held for Vietnamese students in Czech

A forum updating information related to startup, innovation, investment and business in Vietnam was held by the Startup Vietnam Foundation (SVF) and the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic on December 5 in Prague. 

The event attracted the participation of representative from the Vietnamese community, and nearly 100 Vietnamese young entrepreneurs and students working and studying in the republic. 

Speaking at the event, Pham Duy Hieu, Vice Chairman of the SVF said this is the first forum held by the foundation in the European country, with the aim of supporting the building of startup ecosystem, creating an opportunity to boost connection in the field. 

With their knowledge, understanding and open thinking, Vietnamese students in the Czech Republic and other countries can give new and creative ideas, thus building startup projects, Hieu stressed. 

The orgaisation of startup events like this in different countries will help access young and dynamic people and entrepreneurs abroad who have great potential for startup opportunities.

A number of startup projects of Vietnamese young people in the Czech Republic such as Quickjobs, VietJobs and Nulisec were introduced at the event. Of this, Quickjobs and Vietjobs focus on providing free job, law and culture-related information in the country, while Nulisec concentrates on technology towards building a globalization economic environment to create connectivity between Vietnamese firms and Czech partners as well as those in Europe. 

Participant appreciated these projects, and discussed and shared their startup experience.

Ship for SEA and Japanese Youth Programme leaves for Japan

At the farewell ceremony 

The 45th Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) left Cat Lai port, Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, continuing its trip to Japan till December 12. 

The ship carried 326 young delegates from 10 ASEAN countries, including 29 from Vietnam.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony, Vice Secretary of the municipal chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Nguyen Viet Que Son said the trip has left a fine impression on the minds of the participants on culture and lifestyle of youths in Southeast Asian nations, including Japan and Vietnam, contributing to raising their mutual understanding. 

Preposi Le Marc Balcita from the Philippines said the delegation has a chance to stay in Vietnamese families, visit Cu Chi Tunnel and War Remnants Museum during the five-day stay in the city. 

The SSEAYP is an annual youth exchange programme sponsored by the Japanese Government and supported by the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1974, during which participants have an opportunity to live together on board the Nippon Maru Ship for over 50 days.

The journey aims to promote friendship among the youths of the participating countries, broaden their perspectives of the world and strengthen their spirit and skills for international cooperation.

This year’s SSEAYP, which takes place from October 23 to December 13, will visit four of the ASEAN nations, namely Brunei, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, and Japan.

It is expected to help youths exercise leadership skills in various fields and contribute to society in youth development. The participants have been engaged in vibrant discussions on social and youth matters, eye-opening cultural exchanges as well as sports, recreational and club activities. 

At each port of call, they are provided chance to interact with the local youths, pay courtesy calls on leaders, visit local institutions, get involved in community service and experience unique homestay programme.

Photo exhibition on Kazakhstan’s beauty opens in Hanoi

Kazakh Ambassador to Vietnam Beketzhan Zhumakhanov speaks at the event 

A photo exhibition entitled “Undiscovered Kazakhstan” opened in Hanoi on December 5 to mark the 20th founding anniversary of its capital city of Astana. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kazakh Ambassador to Vietnam Beketzhan Zhumakhanov said that Astana has become a symbol of independence and a major factor in Kazakhstan’s development. The capital city has recorded dynamic growth with high competitiveness in the Eurasian region, he noted.

The photos are expected to introduce a new angle of Kazakhstan, especially the country’s landscapes to local visitors. On display are works capturing the modern look of Astana with an array of architecture in the city that has only been built over the past two decades.

Sergey Tokhtarov, Director of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan-Elbasy’s representative office in Almaty, voiced his belief that the event will hold a significant meaning in the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan.

Melodies and songs of the Central Asian nation were also performed at the event.

Vietnam makes efforts to join ILO’s collective bargaining convention

Ha Dinh Bon, Director of the MoLISA’s Department of Legislation, speaks at the seminar

Ideas on the possibility of ratifying and applying the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (Convention No. 98) in Vietnam were collected a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Vietnam has so far participated in 21 ILO conventions, including five out of the eight most fundamental ones. The three remaining are the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No. 105), the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention (No. 87), and Convention No. 98.

Ha Dinh Bon, Director of the MoLISA’s Department of Legislation, said that Convention No. 98 is of significance in ensuring the rights of labourers and the development of civilization, democracy, openness, and transparency. It aims to protect employees and trade unions from being discriminated against, interfered with, and manipulated by employers, he said.

Vietnam’s participation in the right to collective bargaining is to implement a compromise agreement mechanism, one of the most important issues in the labour relationship of a market economy, so that a trade union can conduct more effective collective bargaining so as to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of employers, Bon stated.

Deputy Director of the Department of Legislation Nguyen Van Binh said that joining the convention on the basis of amendments and supplements to the Labour Code confirms Vietnam’s strong commitments as a member of the ILO, while contributing to completing the country’s pledges towards participating in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Sarah Galeski, Co-Chair of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham)’s Human Resources and Training Sector Committee, voiced her support for Vietnam’s decision to ratify the convention, which, she said, will help consolidate labourers’ rights in the country and speed up the ratification of the EVFTA in the European Parliament (EP), thus contributing to fostering economic growth and improving social welfare for Vietnamese labourers.

The country’s ratification will show its strong commitment to protecting employees’ rights and follow obligations related to labour within the EVFTA framework, she stated.

Member enterprises of the Eurocham are willing to support works related to the ratification and enforcement of the convention in relevant countries, she added.

Delegates at the seminar stressed the need for Vietnam to take action to demonstrate its vigorous efforts in the convention’s participation and strive to ratify it in early 2019 so that the EP can consider the country’s next move in March 2019.

Vietnam attends medical tourism expo in India

The advantage healthcare fair and an international conference on value of medical tourism opened in India’s Uttar Pradesh state on December 4.

Organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the event drew more than 200 international businesses, mainly from Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

Representatives from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, hospitals, medical establishments, tourism trade promotion centres, and travel companies participated in the fair.

On display were equipment, technologies, and services for both medical research, teaching, and examinations, as well as for manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

A roundtable conference between delegates and businesses of participating countries and the Indian Minister of Health will be held as part of the event to discuss the value of medical travel and its prospects.

It also presents an opportunity to sign cooperation agreements between Indian agencies and enterprises with foreign partners.

International delegates will also have an opportunity to visit some hospitals in India to study their infrastructure and quality of medical examinations and treatment.

Medical tourism has been emerging as one of the fastest growing fields in the tourism sector. 

According to a report by the FICCI and IMS Health – an American company that provides information, services, and technology for the healthcare industry – India is one of the most attractive medical travel destinations in Asia with the treatment of over 500,000 foreign patients.

India could gross 9 billion USD in revenue from this segment in 2020 and its government is aiming to turn the country into a global healthcare hub.

Contech Vietnam 2018 gathers top construction brands

Contech Vietnam 2018, an international trade fair geared towards the construction, mining, and transportation sectors, kicked off in Hanoi on December 5.

This year’s event has attracted world famous brands such as Soilmec (Italy), Nippon (Japan), JFE (Japan), Eirich (Germany), Hyundai (the Republic of Korea), and Podem (Bulgaria), along with Vietnamese exhibitors like Fecon, VRO, and Phan Vu.

The fair pulls relevant groups together to share information and update each other on the latest advancements in the industries’ machinery and technology, thus opening up partnership opportunities for both domestic and foreign businesses.

As part of the exhibition, the Vietnam Mining Science and Technology Association will hold a seminar on the application of resource-saving exploitation technologies for coal mines in Quang Ninh province. The event will share the latest findings on such technologies and discuss the possibility of using them in Vietnam’s mining industry.

Meanwhile, many ministries, sectors, localities, construction enterprises, universities, and research institutes will also be gathering at a workshop to hear information on the local construction sector.

Another workshop on green and energy-saving building materials will also take place as part of Contech Vietnam 2018.

Tran Dinh Thai, General Secretary of the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations, said that amidst international development and competition, Vietnamese contractors have had strong improvements in multiple aspects, especially in terms of technology, and construction and management capacity.

Statistics show that the Vietnamese economy was valued at over 5 quadrillion VND in 2017, 74 percent of which was contributed by industry-construction and services. The construction sector has continuously been one of the industries with the fastest growth, over 15 percent annually.

More modern projects are requesting that constructors apply more advanced machinery, Thai added.

Contech Vietnam 2018 at the National Exhibition Construction Centre in Nam Tu Liem district will last through December 8.