Vietnam is playing an important role in the global efforts in response to climate change, affirmed Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart.

Making his statement at a December 21 meeting with Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, Hart wished the Southeast Asian nation to continue sharing its experience and success lessons on energy transition.

Giang, for his part, asked the special adviser to convey the Vietnamese Government’s thanks to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN for their active support for the country in establishing a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with international partners and in implementing its commitments made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

The diplomat wished the UN will continue accompanying Vietnam in mobilising resources serving its full implementation of the JETP.

Vietnam is ready to engage in the preparation for the Climate Ambition Summit initiated by Guterres for the next year in contribution to related joint efforts, Giang stated.


The UN will continue to work closely with Vietnam and international partners in implementing the agreement, the special adviser stressed.

Vietnam named Asia’s best culinary destination

The third World Culinary Awards has listed Vietnam as Asia’s Best Culinary Destination in 2022.

The Southeast Asian nation has surpassed many other destinations such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand, to earn the accreditation.

Rina van Staden, Director of the annual awards, said that the results were based on a year-long search for the world's top culinary brands, with experts and the public joining related voting.

Winners of the 2022 edition are those that have strived to elevate the culinary excellence around the world, she added.

Vietnamese cuisine has been highly valued in prestigious competitions and by ranking organisations in the world. The country was ranked 5th among the top 10 countries globally with the best food by readers of the Canadian magazine The Travel last October.

On December 1, Michelin, for the first time, announced Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the latest destinations joining the international selection of the MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN inspectors will present their list of restaurants selected in June 2023.

National Assembly to convene 2nd extraordinary session next month

The 15th National Assembly (NA)’s second extraordinary session is scheduled to open on January 5 and conclude on January 9, 2023, NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong said at the 18th meeting of the NA Steering Committee in Hanoi on December 21.

Cuong said that the second extraordinary session will consider and decide on the National Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; and discuss and approve the draft Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (amended).

Lawmakers will also scrutinise and make decisions on several financial and budget issues, and the continued implementation of some policies related to COVID-19 prevention and control mentioned in Resolution No.30/2021/QH15 of the 15th NA’s first session.

Report spotlights Vietnam’s efforts in realising SDGs

The provincial sustainable development index (PSDI 2021) report, which was announced at a workshop on December 21 in Hanoi, reflects clearly efforts of Vietnamese localities in implementing sustainable development goals in the context of difficulties and geopolitical conflicts in the world.

The workshop was organised by the Academy of Policy and Development (APD) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Under the index, the northern provinces of Hung Yen and Ha Nam, and the southern province of Binh Duong were among 13 localities that performed well sustainable development goals (SDGs) with big leaps from 2020.

Da Nang continued to be the leading locality in the country with 65.28 points, followed by Hai Phong (64.09 points), Quang Ninh (63.10 points), Hanoi (62.46 points) and Hung Yen (62.43 points).

The average point for all localities across the country in 2021 reached 51.38, showing that localities need to be more active in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the country’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

The 17 global SDGs have been nationalised by Vietnam in the national action plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for SDGs (SDG NAP) with 115 specific goals to match conditions and development priorities of the country.

Basically, general guiding policies to concretise the implementation of SDGs have been issued synchronously and fully, significantly contributing to implementing SDGs in Vietnam.

Vietnam, Cuba seek ways to further bolster ties

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had a telephone talk with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel on December 21, during which the two sides discussed measures to further promote the bilateral ties in the future.

The Cuban leader briefed Party General Secretary Trong about the overall situation in the Latin-America region and Cuba, as well as difficulties and challenges that Cuba is facing due to the impact of the world economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and conflicts in Europe as well as the embargo and hostile activities.

He affirmed that Cuba has stayed firm and implemented measures to boost economic recovery and development and ensure the living conditions of local residents.

Cuba is implementing the Resolution of the 8th CPC National Congress, focusing on three major tasks of boosting economic development, promoting peace, and safeguarding the CPC ideological foundation, he said.

He also informed the Vietnamese side about the outcomes of the 10th session of its 9th parliament and the fifth session of the CPC Central Committee, as well as preparations for the second national conference of the CPC that is slated for October 2023. He reiterated the central role of the CPC in the discussions on important issues of Cuba and in making decision on measures to deal with current difficulties and challenges.

Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and expressed belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Vietnamese people will continue to reap greater successes in the implementation of set targets.

Party General Secretary Trong congratulated Cuba for it attainments in overcoming difficulties and stabilising the country’s situation and advancing to socialism. He affirmed that Vietnam always follow closely on Cuba’s situation and shares difficulties with the Cuban Party, State and people, and expressed belief that under the leadership of the CPC, Cuban people will overcome difficulties to gain greater achievements.

He also briefed the Cuban leader on Vietnam’s efforts in COVID-19 control and socio-economic recovery and development as well as the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the outcomes of the CPV Central Committee’s sessions. The leader affirmed that Vietnam will continue to pursue the external policy of peace, self-reliance, and diversification and multilateralisation of relations.

Vietnam always accompanies the just revolutionary cause of Cuban people, and forever remembers Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s saying “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed blood,” Trong said, reaffirming that Vietnam opposes the embargo against Cuba.

The two leaders shared delight at the positive progress in the relations between the two Parties and countries.

They agreed to work to strengthen mutual understanding and mutual support, while maintaining the exchange of delegations at high and all levels, continuing to sharing theoriesand practical experience, effectively implementing agreements in areas of each other’s strengths and demands such as agriculture and health care, and fostering their coordination and mutual support at international forums.

Miguel Díaz-Canel said he hopes Vietnamese businesses will increase investment in Cuba, especially in areas of food and commodity production, retail and wholesale.

Party General Secretary Trong invited Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel to visit Vietnam. Miguel Díaz-Canel accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Foreign NGO aid mobilisation yields positive results: conference

With the efforts of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Committee for Foreign Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Affairs and the support of ministries, agencies, localities and foreign NGOs, the foreign aid mobilisation has recorded positive results despite uncertainties in the region and the world.

About 500 foreign non-governmental organisations provide Vietnam with about 220-250 million USD in aid each year in areas of need, heard a conference in Hanoi on December 21 reviewing the national programme on strengthening cooperation and mobilising foreign NGOs’ assistance for the 2019-2025 period.

Head of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee under the VUFO Nguyen Ngoc Hung said the event aimed to conduct a mid-term review of the programme and suggest measures to improve its efficiency for the 2023-2025 period.

Ties between foreign NGOs and Vietnam’s agencies and partners have been strengthened while projects and programmes are becoming more effective.

Hung said in the coming time, the VUFO will continue working closely with ministries, agencies and localities to effectively mobilise NGOs’ assistance toward fulfilling targets set in the programme.

Photo contest launched to promote tourism

A photo contest themed “Amazing Vietnam” was launched in Hanoi on December 21, aiming to promote the country’s tourism industry post COVID-19 as well as to attract more domestic and international tourists.

The contest, which is being organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is open to professional and amateur photographers who are Vietnamese citizens living at home or abroad, as well as expats living or working in the country. Entries should be sent to www.anhnghethuatdulich.com no later than June 6.

Contestants are encouraged to capture images of tourism activities, thereby contributing to raising public awareness of the role played by tourism as well as attracting international tourists to Vietnam and promoting domestic tourism.

The award ceremony and photo exhibition are scheduled for July 2023 in Hanoi on the occasion of the 63rd founding anniversary of the Vietnamese tourism sector (July 9, 1960).

Tet gifts delivered to Truong Sa soldiers, people

Navy Region 4 ships carrying officers, soldiers, journalists as well as New Year gifts departed from Cam Ranh military port in the central province of Khanh Hoa on December 21 for Truong Sa (Spratly). 

As scheduled, the vessels will dock at islands and islets in the district, delivering supplies and gifts to people and soldiers stationed there on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet).

The gifts include essential goods and traditional food for Tet donated by organisations and businesses.

Earlier, on December 20, 100 gifts were presented to personnel and policy beneficiaries at the Navy Region 4 High Command, as part of an annual programme run by the online newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnam People's Navy High Command.

Sustainable sand management helps reduce climate change impact on Mekong Delta

About 40 per cent of the Mekong Delta will disappear by 2100 due to a lack of sediment, and overexploitation of sand is to blame.

The alarming data was shared by experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Việt Nam at a recent seminar titled "Sustainable sand management in the Mekong Delta and solutions to the scarcity of sand in the Mekong Delta" in the city of Cần Thơ.

According to the WWF, overexploitation of sand has exacerbated the effects of climate change and the rise in sea level, especially in the face of riverbank erosion.

On average, each year, the Mekong Delta loses about 500ha of land. In the three years from 2018 to 2020, landslides caused more than VNĐ200 billion (US$8.4 million) in damage to the provinces of An Giang, Đồng Tháp, Cần Thơ, Vĩnh Long and Cà Mau.

The main cause of landslides is the overexploitation of groundwater and the construction of a series of hydroelectric dams upstream, especially the increasing exploitation of river sand. Excessive sand mining also increases the depth of the river bed. 

According to Hà Huy Anh, Project Manager of Sustainable Sand Management in the Mekong Delta of the WWF in Việt Nam, currently, the volume of sand poured into the Mekong Delta is about 6.18-7 million tonnes per year and about 6.5 million tonnes of sand is poured into the East Sea.

Meanwhile, the amount of sand extracted from rivers in this area is between 28-40 million tonnes per year. This means, every year, the Mekong Delta is experiencing a sand deficit from 27.5 to 39.5 million tonnes. Unsustainable sand mining is having a significant impact on the morphology of the two main rivers in the Mekong Delta, namely the Tiền and Hậu rivers.

Nguyễn Nghĩa Hưng, Deputy Director of the Southern Institute of Irrigation Science, said that riverbed sand is a particularly necessary resource for socio-economic development needs. In particular, in the Mekong Delta, riverbed sand is exploited and used mostly to make construction materials and level the ground. However, at present, the problem of sand mining in this area is facing challenges involving climate change and overexploitation.

VN Fire and Rescue Association inaugurated

The Viet Nam Fire and Rescue Association (VFRA) was formally inaugurated at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi.

Attending the ceremony were leaders of the Ministry of Home Affairs, agencies of the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Defence, other Ministries and agencies, leaders of relevant agencies of the Party and National Assembly, leaders of professional fire and rescue forces at the central and local levels, major associations and leading corporations in Việt Nam, along with representatives of diplomatic missions and international organisations in Việt Nam.

The Việt Nam Fire and Rescue Association was established by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Central Highlands wooden statues on display at flower festival

More than 100 wooden statues created by ethnic artisans in Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) are on display in Đà Lạt City in Lâm Đồng Province.

The exhibition, which is part of the on-going Đà Lạt Flower Festival, is taking place in a pine forest within the grounds of Lâm Đồng Provincial Museum.

The displaying venue also has been adorned by more than 1,000 flower pots which bring out further the rustic features of the Tây Nguyên wooden statues.

Among the statues are the ones related to the ritual customs of Jarai and Ba Na ethnic people in Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces. 

Many records set at National Sports Games

Many national and Games records have been set at the National Sports Games.

In the women’s 10,000m event, Nguyễn Thị Oanh proved her invincibility in this division. She finished first with a time of 33:13.23, breaking the national record of 34:02.59 set by Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ at the national championship last year.

Oanh’s result is considered the best female 10,000m running parameter in Southeast Asia over the past decade. It also broke the Games record of 35:10.17 set by Phạm Thị Huệ in 2018.

While on the men’s side, veteran Nguyễn Văn Lai showed his strong sprint to take gold medal with a time of 30:36.86. His result broke the record of 30:46.21 of Nguyễn Chí Đông set 20 years ago at the 2002 National Sports Games, to nearly 10 seconds.

Athletics saw Lê Thị Tuyết, who weighs just 37kg and is 1.40m tall, breaking the Games record in the women’s marathon. She finished with a time of 2:47.3, breaking the record of 2:48.00 set by Phạm Thị Bình in 2014.

SEA Games 31 champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh not only won the men's marathon gold medal with a time of 2:25.02, but also broke the Games record of 2:26.32 of Bùi Thế Anh in 2014.

Elsewhere, Ngần Ngọc Nghĩa also impressed in the men's 100m race with two special records.

He successfully completed the category after clocking a time of 10.35sec, breaking his own national record of 10.40 set at the 2020 national championship. At the same time, he broke his own Games record of 10.47 set in 2018.

In the women's heptathlon, Nguyễn Linh Na achieved 5,440 points, breaking the Games record of 5,277 points set by Nguyễn Thị Thu Cúc in Đà Nẵng in 2006. Na also made her new national record when she broke her own national record of 5,415 points set at the 31st SEA Games in May.

Nguyễn Trung Cường, who won the 2018 Asian Youth Championship's bronze medal and silver medal at the 30th SEA Games, bagged gold medal in the men's 3000m obstacle race.

Cường completed his race in 8:58.35 to surpass the Games’ record of 8:59.06 set by Đỗ Quốc Luật in 2018 in Hà Nội

In the men’s 5,000m race, Cường also beat 36-year-old runner Lai to take gold and set a new Games record with a time of 14:33.54. The previous Games record of 14:38.92 was set by Lai in National Sports Games 2010.

Cường has come back strong and powerful because just eight months ago, he failed to win a place to attend the 31st SEA Games and he only finished fourth in the National Athletics Championship in 2021.

In other news, Bùi Thị Nguyên, the 31st SEA Games champion won gold and broke the Games record in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 13.38, breaking the old Games record of 13.49 set by Bạch Phương Thảo in 2010.

In the men’s long jump, Nguyễn Tiến Trọng won gold medal and and set a new Games record with a jump of 7.77m, surpassing the old record of 7.70m set by Phạm Văn Lâm at the National Sports Games 2018. Trọng is still holding the national record of 7.98m performed at the 2019 national championship.

The National Sports Festival takes place every four years. 43 sports are held in 11 cities and provinces but the main host is Quảng Ninh Province.

The athletics sports attracted the participation of 502 athletes, competing for 50 events. 

Hue pedestrian street project behind schedule

The Hai Ba Trung pedestrian street project in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s Hue City is behind schedule due to its stagnant implementation.

The VND97 billion (USD4 million) project was initially slated to be put into use before the Lunar New Year Tet holiday.

The 850-metre street is located by the south of Huong River and Hoang Thanh night street.

The project focuses on paving the street, planting trees, building a parking lot and developing services to serve tourists along it. Some facilities of the park which is opposite the Parkview Hotel will be upgraded, including an improved lighting system.

However, the project has proceeded at a snail’s pace. For instance, work on the electricity system and the paving of the street has not yet been finished.

Vo Le Nhat, chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee, said that the project was started in September this year. But the project had slowed, partially due to the unfavourable weather.

Winner of logo contest promoting Australia-Vietnam relations awarded

Tran Van Trung, the winner of a logo design competition on Australian-Vietnamese relations, has received a prize and certificate from Australia’s Consul-General, Sarah Hooper and a representative from Bamboo Airways, Dang Thi Phuong Thao, who part-sponsored the competition.

The winning logo was selected by Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski and Vietnam’s Ambassador to Australia, Nguyen Tat Thanh, from over 70 entries. The logo creates a 5-point Vietnamese star using the boomerang, an internationally recognised symbol of Australia. It will be used in colour as well as a gold version, which aligns with Australia’s green and gold national brand identity.

Australia will celebrate the 50th anniversary in Vietnam throughout 2023 with a programme covering all aspects of Australian-Vietnamese relations – from education, agriculture, trade and investment, and tourism to climate co-operation, skills, innovation and equality. Highlights include a music showcase featuring artists from Australia and Vietnam, the Walking Through a Songlines digital art installation, a CSIRO innovation showcase and Taste of Australia events.

Numerous festivals to be held in Binh Dinh to attract tourists during Tet

There will be many festivals and attractive tourism stimulation activities, in the south-central coastal province of Binh Dinh from January 7 to February 21, 2023, to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet), according to the Provincial Department of Tourism.

Accordingly, 8 cultural and art activities will be organised at the provincial scale, while three festivals and more than 35 cultural and sports activities will be held by districts, towns and cities in the province.

Specifically, Binh Dinh will organise festivals such as the first An Nhon Golden Apricot Festival 2023, inaugurating the mascot of the year of the Cat 2023, decorating the campus of the Nguyen Tat Thanh - Nguyen Sinh Sac monument and a photo exhibition on socio-economic achievements of Binh Dinh province in 2022, a traditional Tet cake making contest and a contest on building the traditional Tet celebration, among others.

HCMC’s District 3 inaugurates Nguyen Thuong Hien food street

The People’s Committee of District 3 on December 21 inaugurated Nguyen Thuong Hien food street to attract visitors after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 as part of socio-economic recovery and development.

The food street section between Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Dinh Chieu streets features numerous food and drink stalls. Eateries and beverage shops offer Vietnamese-English bilingual menus to help foreign tourists choose dishes.

The food street section on Nguyen Thuong Hien Street located between Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Dinh Chieu streets is around 368 meters long and well-known as the "snack mecca" in HCMC. Cars will be banned from traveling in the section from 7 pm to 11 pm. Motorbikes are allowed to move in one direction down the road. The local authorities have allocated parking spaces for customers.

Price of waste treatment services only meets 1/10 of treatment cost : Minister

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha acknowledged that the price of waste treatment services currently only meets 1/10 of the treatment cost.

Minister Tran Hong Ha made the statement at the explanation session on the implementation of policies and laws on waste management organized by the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment on December 19.

He added that to meet the requirements of environmental protection, localities have been quite confused as they must necessarily spend huge money on waste treatment technologies for the disposal, recycling, storage, or energy recovery from different waste types.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai said at the session that there is no effective solution to financial problems related to domestic solid waste treatment.

According to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai, the waste treatment industry in general and domestic solid waste, in particular, should be treated like an industry and must operate according to the market mechanism.

The roadmap to convert fees into prices is mandatory, and then it is necessary to build a price on domestic waste treatment to offset the costs of recycling and garbage collection. The State only supports those who need support, and the operation of the waste treatment industry must follow the principles of a market economy following the ‘polluter pays’ principle - the commonly accepted practice that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment.

Tuition fees at Vietnam's public schools remain unchanged

Schools must maintain tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year unchanged from the previous year.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, on December 20, signed a resolution on tuition fees of public education and training institutions for the 2022-2023 school year.

Accordingly, public educational institutions should keep tuition rates unchanged for the 2022-2023 school year to timely support students from low-income families and disadvantaged households, as well as to stabilize prices and control inflation for the country's economic recovery.

Specifically, educational institutions that have not yet been able to cover their recurring expenses will be required to keep the tuition fees for the 2022-2023 school year equal to one for the previous school year.

Provinces and cities that have already raised tuition fees for the 2022-2023 school year will have to pay for the increase with funds from the local budget.

Self-financed educational institutions may set tuition fees. The fees shall be submitted to the provincial People's Council for consideration and approval.

Precious documents and artifacts of Vietnam’s first university exhibited

An exhibition of "Quoc Tu Giam - The country's first university" is underway at the Hanoi-based Temple of Literature from December 20, 2022, to January 20, 2023.

The month-long exhibition showcases more than 200 valuable documents and artifacts from Vietnam's first university to give viewers an insight into the country's education system, in which two different education systems coexisted: Confucianism and Western education under French rule.

The exhibition is divided into two spaces: static and dynamic, indoor and outdoor. The indoor exhibition transports viewers to Quoc Tu Giam through each historical milestone, starting from the Ly dynasty (1009-1225), then the transformation under the Nguyen dynasty, and the rebirth of the monument in the contemporary era. At each stage of development, Quoc Tu Giam is marked by cultural celebrities or typical university events.

The outdoor exhibition is in the garden area behind Dong Vu House. This space narrates the life of a Confucian student in the countryside who passed the examination in the capital with flying colors and then returned to his homeland to honor his ancestors.

Hanoi to host fireworks displays at 31 venues on Lunar New Year's Eve

Hanoi will hold a series of fireworks shows at 31 venues in the capital on the upcoming traditional Vietnamese New Year's Eve, the country's biggest and most important national holiday.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, chairman of the Hanoi People's Council, the 31 venues include six with large-range shows and 25 with smaller-range shows, each lasting 15 minutes.

The high-range firework will light up the sky at the Hoan Kiem Lake in Ba Dinh District, Thong Nhat Park in Hai Ba Trung District, Lac Long Quan Flower Garden in Tay Ho District, Van Quan Lake in Ha Dong District, and My Dinh National Stadium in Nam Liem District.

The fireworks will be launched at two locations by Hoan Kiem Lake, namely in front of the Hanoi Post Office and the headquarters of the Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) Newspaper. Traditionally, Hoan Kiem district has been the scene of the largest and loudest fireworks show on Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter, the capital's historic center.

Campaign against illegal trade and smuggling launched

The National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Counterfeit Goods (National Steering Committee 389) has launched a campaign ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

This is part of plan 115/KH-BCD389 signed by Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh as smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeit goods often increased before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2023.

Specifically, ministries and local administrations were tasked to identify smugglers, routes, areas that smugglers transport goods and commodities that contrabandists usually hawk in order to deter them from illegally bringing commodities into Viet Nam.

The campaign focuses on hot spots for smuggling, commercial frauds and counterfeit goods, while intensifying inspections at border gates, seaports and airports. 

"Installation art for marine environment" festival opens in Hoi An

The Quang Nam Tourism Association, the  UNESCO Office in Hanoi, and the Tan Thanh Beach Tourism Community on December 22 opened a special event entitled "Installation Art for Marine Environment" in Hoi An city.

Chairman of the central province of Quang Nam's Tourism Association Phan Xuan Thanh said that the event – part of activities marking “National Tourism Year 2022: Quang Nam – A green tourism destination”, aims to connect tourism business, the local community, and tourists, particularly foreigners who are living and working in Hoi An city.

Held along Tan Thanh Beach, the three-day festival aims to raise public awareness of waste reduction and marine preservation, with 18 installations made of daily waste that harms the marine environment displayed.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes