Canada assists Vietnam’s training project    

The Canadian Government will provide non-refundable aid of 20 million CAD to the Vietnam Skills for Employment Project.

A memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese and Canadian Governments to that effect was signed by Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh and Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Chatsis in Hanoi on August 29.

The six-year project which will last until 2016 aims to improve vocational training and technical education management, as well as provide opportunities particularly for ethnic minorities, adolescents and rural residents to access skills training programmes.

It is intended to meet Vietnam’s requirements for a strong knowledgeable human resource base as the country is further pushing its international economic integration.

Vietnam and Canada established development cooperation relationship in 1990. At present, Vietnam is among 20 nations prioritised for Canadian Government aid. Canada provided 23 million CAD to Vietnam in the 2009-2010 financial year and 27 million CAD in the 2010-2011 financial year.

Canada’s aid for Vietnam mainly focuses on sustainable economic development, increasing agricultural productivity to assist with food security and facilitating training for farmers. Fighting climate change is also considered a priority for bilateral cooperation.

Thousands of people to be moved from landslide area

Nearly 1,500 households are in danger of landslides and need to be moved from the sides of the Tien River, says the southern Dong Thap Province Flood and Storm Steering Committee.

The committee asked the State to grant VND37 billion (US$1.8 million) to help the residents resettle as soon as possible.

The committee reported that flood encroachment and riverside erosion had occurred in 10 districts and cities of the province and was expected to worsen in September and October when rainfall peaked.

Statistics showed 50ha of land and many houses had already been inundated by floods or slipped into the river since last year, causing damage worth VNDD3 billion ($3.5 million).

One of the latest cases occurred in An Hiep Commune, where 3.4ha of land including four large ponds of fish and gardens worth more than VND2.6 billion ($125,000) were lost. No deaths or injuries were reported but six households had moved away while five remained.

Deputy director of Dong Thap Agriculture and Rural Development Dang Ngoc Loi said local authorities had zoned flood-prone areas and asked people to move but it was not easy for residents who earned money from the area around the river.

Phan Thi Lien, a Tan Binh Commune resident, said slips and erosion had occurred in front of her house.

"Local authorities have asked us to move but we want to live here because it's comfortable for us to do farming," he said.

Chairman of Tan Binh Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong said new settlement areas had been arranged for people far from their production and cultivation areas and if necessary local authorities would evict them.

Vietnam hosts global conference on food security

The second Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change will take place in Hanoi from September 3-7.

The event will be attended by global leaders, practitioners, scientists, civil society organisations and the private sector, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture as a driving force for green growth.

The conference aims to call on countries to apply best practice and technologies in climate-smart agriculture and food security. It will highlight the importance of government-led partnerships with non-state agencies in building strategies, policies and appropriate market-based approaches to promote climate-smart agriculture.

Delegates will also discuss measures to boost public private partnerships (PPPs) in support of climate-smart agriculture.

Other priority activities that will be highlighted during the conference include the streamlining of climate-smart agriculture into national and regional strategies, identification of new financing opportunities and the expansion of research and training initiatives.

They will also examine the promotion of risk management and implementation of new measurement methodologies.

Trade fair promotes sea tourism

A trade fair on sea tourism opened on Aug.29 in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan, as part of the first hot air balloon festival, scheduled to open on August 31.

The six-day fair has around 170 booths with various products, plus an area with local and international food dishes, including specialties of Binh Thuan province.

The fair also includes an exhibition of products and services of hotels and resorts, including in Mui Ne, a tourist destination for international visitors.

Among other events are photo exhibitions promoting tourism and displays of water and flying sports equipment, including hot air balloons, paragliders, paramotors, gliders and ultralight aircraft.

The Viet Nam International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will take place from August 31 – September 2 with the participation of more than 20 balloons and 50 balloon experts from 12 countries and territories and is expected to attract thousands of local and foreign visitors.

UN promotes legal access for poor

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Viet Nam Lawyers' Association yesterday launched a three-year project to promote legal empowerment for poor and vulnerable groups in Viet Nam.

The project, funded with $1.2 million by the UNDP, will support the association and its associated Legal Consultancy Network and civil society organisations in raising people's legal consciousness.

It is also intended to help them participate in the country's legal and judicial reform progress.

Vietnam-RoK forum in Hanoi

A forum themed ‘for the future of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), was held in Hanoi on August 29 to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The forum was organised by the Korea International Exchange Fund and Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

The focus of discussion was on diplomatic ties and trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, as well as cultural exchanges, which are beneficial for the people of both nations, which are home to around 100,000 of each other’s citizens.

Aside from this event, the 7th ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Forum is being held on August 29-30, by the Asian Research Centre of the Seoul National University and Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to discuss RoK-ASEAN cooperation, immigration, labour, tourism and regional security.

Hanoi to host WHO meeting for western Pacific

The capital city will be the venue for the 63rd session of World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, scheduled to take place from September 24-28.

According to Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, the meeting is a good chance for international organisations and other countries to understand more about the country’s healthcare services.

The event also offers an opportunity for Vietnamese and international policy makers and experts to share experience.
The opening ceremony is expected to welcome Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, WHO Director General Margaret Chan and WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Shin Young-soo, together with senior officials and 500 delegates.

The session will discuss rising health issues in the region, make policies and adopt WHO action plans in the coming years with the aim of improving healthcare services in the region.

Among the topics to be reviewed are the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, violence and injury prevention, neglected tropical diseases, tobacco control, malaria and artemisinin resistance, HIV prevention and treatment, measles elimination, the health-related Millennium Development Goals and health financing.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA