Leaders of Quảng Trị Province plant trees outside a sports competition centre in Vĩnh Linh District. — VNA/VNS Photos

Millions of trees are expected to be planted across the country as part of the post-Lunar New Year tree planting festival, contributing significantly to the project of planting one billion trees by 2025.

During the Tết holiday (Lunar New Year) 2024, localities in Quảng Trị central province launched a campaign to plant tens of thousands of trees.

In 2024, the province plans to grow 8,000-10,000 hectares of new production forest.

Over the past three years from 2021 to 2023, the province has planted millions of trees along roads, landfills and barren hills in areas with wind power projects in the mountainous district of Hướng Hóa, Tin Tức (News) newspaper reported.

The prioritisation of tree planting at wind power projects aims to increase coverage and stabilise the ecological environment in areas affected by the construction of wind power projects, contributing to mitigating damage caused by natural disasters.

From 2021 to 2025, the province aims to plant 15 million trees.

Of which, 10.7 million trees will be planted in urban and rural areas, while the remaining 4.3 million trees will be grown in protective forests, special-use forests and production forests to contribute to environmental protection, climate change adaptation and socio-economic development.

Vice chairman of Quảng Trị Province's People's Committee, Hà Sỹ Đồng, said that in implementing the Government's project of planting one billion trees, the province has rolled out many solutions including enhancing awareness about forest management, protection and development, prioritising suitable tree species, applying advanced techniques in forest planting, and mobilising resources.

In Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, the locality strives to plant at least seven million trees, of which, 4.7 million trees will be planted in urban and rural areas, and 2.3 million trees will be planted in protective forests and large-scale timber production forests.

In three years from 2021 to 2023, the province has planted over five million trees.

In 2024, the province plans to grow 1.4 million trees, and in 2025, 1.3 million trees.

Millions of trees have also been planted in many other provinces and cities: 61 million trees in Lào Cai, 52 million trees in Phú Thọ, 45 million trees in Long An, 37 million trees in Gia Lai, and 34 million trees in Nghệ An.

Ministries, agencies, businesses and individuals have also actively participated in the tree planting movement.

According to the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, nearly 770 million trees have been planted nationwide in 2021-23 period, reaching 121 per cent of the plan.

The total funding for implementing the project over the past three years reaches nearly VNĐ9.5 trillion (US$387.5 million). Of which, State budget funds account for 23.8 per cent, and the remainder comes from other sources.

About 492 million trees will be planted in 2024-25 to reach the goal of planting one billion trees by 2025.

However, implementing the project also faces some difficulties due to the increasingly limited land fund for afforestation, which is often transferred to other uses for socio-economic development, as reported by the Forestry Department.

Conditions for afforestation, especially for planting protective and special-use forests, are becoming more challenging, particularly in areas with high and steep terrain prone to erosion.

Land allocation for coastal forest development has also become increasingly difficult.

Management, maintenance and development of urban green spaces have not been adequately addressed. The current urban green space area only accounts for about 1.2 per cent, much lower than urban planning standards.

The development of greenery in some localities still lacks specific planning.

According to the Forestry Department, there is still no specific guidance on the use of budgetary resources to support decentralised afforestation, implementation procedures, or the required documentation for support requests.

The main source of seedlings is individual suppliers, or they are bought on the market, making it difficult to control their origin and quality.

Dr. Ngô Văn Hồng from the Việt Nam Afforestation and Reforestation Society Co Ltd said there needs to be close coordination among local authorities, forest rangers and forest owners to address the difficulties related to land issues, forest planting plan, tree species selection, acceptance, and forest management after planting.

This is a highly complex and costly process, and mistakes at any stage can affect the quality of the planted forest, even violating land and forestry laws.

In addition, policies should encourage people to plant and restore forests with native species to ensure long-term income for local residents while enhancing the forest's resilience.

Transforming short-term planted forests into forests planted with native species for restoration purposes should be eligible for payment for forest environmental services.

Hồng said that the carbon emission reduction programme and carbon credit exchange need to be concretised through specific indices or data, as well as the exchange and trading process of carbon credits, to form a more specific and transparent system.

The establishment of regulations under which business entities are required to accumulate carbon credits and the possibility of exchanging carbon credits must be done, not necessarily through state agencies, but could be carried out through non-state organisations.

At the recent workshop on the three-year review of the project on planting one billion trees in 2021-25 held in Quảng Trị Province, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Quốc Trị proposed a comprehensive assessment of the project's implementation results.

Tree planting should continue according to the approved plan; communication efforts should be made to ensure public understanding of the benefits and encourage participation in tree planting activities; and flexibility and proactivity are required in the implementation of tree planting activities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also urged the Forestry Department and other relevant units to promptly apply the recommendations of local authorities.

The tree planting festival in the Lunar New Year of 2023 saw the nation prepare 170 million seedlings for planting thousands of hectares of forests and millions of scattered trees. 

National programme on protection and pevelopment of aquatic resources approved

Vietnam will investigate and evaluate biodiversity, aquatic resources, and the habitat of aquatic species in Vietnam's waters, including deep sea areas, shallow waters, and underground water areas, under the national programme on protecting and developing aquatic resources until 2030 approved recently by the Prime Minister.
 
The programme requires that 100% of natural lakes, large reservoirs, and main river systems are investigated and assessed for resources and habitat of aquatic species.

Aquatic resource reserves are expected to increase by over 5% compared to the results of the investigation and assessment of aquatic resources in the 2016-2020 period.  
 
Meanwhile, 100% of marine protected areas and artificial habitat areas for marine aquatic species will be managed and operated in line with provisions of the Law on Fisheries; and 60% of localities nationwide will implement co-management in protecting aquatic resources in association with building new-style rural areas and developing eco-tourism.

In recent years, Vietnam’s aquaculture area and output have increased rapidly, creating good products serving domestic consumption and export as well. The aquaculture industry has contributed to increasing income and creating many jobs for farmers.

Statistics show that Vietnam produced nearly 9.27 million tonnes of aquatic products in 2023, and the country’s aquatic export earnings hit an estimated 9.2 billion USD in the year.

Aquaculture, including about 1.3 million ha of inland ponds and 9.5 million cubic metres of offshore cage farming, has a total output of more than 5.4 million tonnes.

However, aquaculture remains scattered, making it difficult to control the environment and diseases. Additionally, farming infrastructure in some places is still not inconsistent, failing to meet development demand.

With practical solutions, the programme aims to conserve, protect, use and regenerate aquatic resources and ecosystems reasonably and effectively.

Attention will be paid to enhancing legal regulations on management, protection and development of aquatic resources; completing and applying policies on changing and diversifying livelihoods for communities living in and around marine protected areas, and fishing communities in coastal areas.

Mechanisms and policies to mobilise and effectively use domestic and foreign resources in conserving, protecting, regenerating, and developing aquatic resources, and restoring aquatic ecosystems will be developed and issued.

The programme also underlines the necessity to support the implementation of co-management in protecting aquatic resources; enhance coordination mechanisms among authorised agencies to effectively inspect, control, detect and handle violations of the Law on Fisheries at sea and inshore areas; and attract international resources and cooperation in sharing experiences and training and developing high-quality human resources to serve the work.

Over 1.4 million people benefit from HCM City’s Tet assistance

Ho Chi Minh City delivered assistance worth nearly 1.3 trillion VND (53 million USD) to over 1.41 million people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, its Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reported.

Funding for the assistance comprised more than 12.7 billion VND from the central budget and 915.1 billion VND from the municipal budget and private sources.

Director of the department Le Van Thinh said that HCM City ensured a merry Tet for all, especially low-income earners, social policy beneficiaries, and those with disadvantages. They included more than 561,000 revolution contributors, people entitled to social protection, poor people, and children with disadvantaged backgrounds, along with over 138,000 civil servants and public employees.

Leaders of the city also visited and presented Tet gifts to 120 outstanding secretaries of local Party cells, 18 units, specific associations, and clubs of pensioners and war veterans, and 37 educational establishments for children with disabilities.

District-level localities spent nearly 40 billion VND sourced from their budgets to present Tet gifts to nearly 45,000 revolution contributors, beneficiaries of social protection, poor people, less privileged children, and others with disadvantages. More than 667,000 gift packages worth over 326.7 billion VND funded by private sources were also handed over to people of target groups on this occasion.

Besides, municipal authorities also paid Tet visits to social protection facilities, drug detoxification centres, educational institutions for disabled children, and specific associations in some other localities like Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces.

Tet celebration held for Vietnamese in Japan

More than 300 Vietnamese people living in the central and southern regions of Japan on February 18 gathered at a festival in Hiroshima prefecture to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet) of the Dragon.

There are over 70,000 Vietnamese people in the central and southern regions as well as the Kyushu region.

Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai said that events held on the occasion of the two countries’ festivals have contributed to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening cohesion between the two peoples.

Member of the Japanese House of Representatives Minoru Terada affirmed that the Japanese government and local authorities treasure their friendship with Vietnam, and hope to receive more students and skilled labourers from the Southeast Asian country.

At the festival, many traditional art performances of the two countries were held such as making Japanese mochi (a type of rice cake), calligraphy, Japanese music and drama, and Vietnamese bamboo dance.

Airlines serve over 1.5 mln passengers during Lunar New Year 2024

Airlines in the country served more than 1.5 million passengers, including 748,600 international and 762,400 domestic, during the recent Lunar New Year 2024 from February 8-14, the Vietnam Aviation Administration (VAA) has reported.

Air passengers and cargo during the period expanded by 11% year on year, it said, adding that although the domestic market saw a downward trend of 13.2%, the international market flourished at 54%.

Cargo transportation also showed a similar trend, with the growth of the total market accounting for 7.3%. The domestic market decreased by 11% but, on the contrary, the international market increased by 10.5%.

During the reviewed period, the number of takeoffs and landings at airports across the country reached 14,500, a contract of 0.7% year on year.

The total transport volume of Vietnam’s airlines landed up at more than 1.1 million passengers, a fall of 2.7%, and more than 2,800 tonnes of cargo, an increase of 16.7% over the same period in 2023.

Bình Phước Province to host 2024 EuroCham High-Tech Agriculture Forum in March

To connect businesses and investors in high-tech development and promote sustainable agriculture, Bình Phước Province's People's Committee, led by Chairman Trần Tuệ Hiền has signed Decision No. 55/KH-UBND on organising the 2024 EuroCham-Bình Phước High-Tech Agriculture Business Forum.

Scheduled for March 12, the forum is the largest international investment forum in the agricultural sector to be held in the southeastern province to introduce and promote its potential, strengths, mechanisms and preferential policies.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and EuroCham, the event will feature 280-320 delegates from various sectors, including government officials, EuroCham member companies, and international investors. Participants will discuss investment trends and share experiences in high-tech agriculture. The forum will also facilitate the signing of cooperation agreements between Bình Phước authorities, EuroCham, and agricultural corporations.

In addition to the main forum, there will be activities such as industrial cluster surveys and product exhibitions. This forum is a significant opportunity for Bình Phước to showcase its agricultural potential and attract international investment.

Vietnam forecasted to see scorching hot summer

Vietnam has been forecasted to face new record high temperatures this summer due to the El Nino phenomenon.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, since the beginning of the year, HCM City and many southeastern localities have witnessed the first heat waves with a highest temperature of 36 degrees centigrade. 

The El Nino phenomenon would persist in Vietnam until July, bringing blazing hot weather, the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said.

In the second half of February, the heatwave would further expand in the southeastern region. Many areas would have temperatures of more than 37 degrees centigrade. The weather would become much hotter between March and early May.

Hot days in the northwestern and central regions would also come earlier than usual.

From March to May, the average temperature nationwide would be between 0.5-1.5 degrees centigrade higher than previous years.

Last year, Vietnam experienced the second hottest year in history, just behind 2019. Average temperatures across the country were 1.09 degrees higher than previous years.

Higashi Hiroshima festival promotes Vietnam-Japan cultural exchanges, friendship

A Vietnam-Japan festival took place in Higashi Hiroshima city of Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture on February 18, featuring a myriad of exciting activities to celebrate Vietnam’s lunar New Year and diplomatic relations between the two countries (1973-2024).      

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai noted the festival marks the start of a score of festive activities and forums to be held this year aimed at strengthening friendship and promote the image of the country and people of Vietnam to the regions of Japan and vice versa.

Through the festival, the organizing board expects Japanese people and international friends to understand more about Vietnam’s development potential, especially in tourism, agriculture, and industry, as well as about the Vietnamese community in the South Central region of Japan and their activities to increase all-round cooperation between the two countries, stressed the diplomat.

On display across dozens of booths were handicrafts, tourism products, and food from both Vietnam and Japan.

Around 300 participants had the chance to make Japanese cakes, experience traditional musical instruments, and watch calligraphy performances.

Vietnamese students from Hiroshima University sang songs praising the love for the homeland and held "Múa Sạp", a traditional bamboo dance that originates from the northwest highland region of Vietnam and is usually performed to celebrate special occasions like the lunar New Year, known locally as Tet.

Around 29,000 drink driving cases detected during Tet holiday

The number of drink driving cases skyrocketed by 277% year-on-year to over 29,000 during the seven days of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, according to the Traffic Police Department at the Ministry of Public Security.

The Traffic Police Department said yesterday, February 14, that the country recorded over 71,400 cases of traffic violations during Tet, up by 220% year-on-year, resulting in fines of VND182 billion.

Among those, around 29,000 cases were related to drink driving, accounting for 41.2% of the total traffic violation cases.

Some localities with a large number of drink driving cases are HCMC with 2,500 cases, Hanoi with 1,200, Dong Nai with more than 1,000, Bac Giang with 975, Nghe An with 880, and Binh Phuoc with 870.

More than 16,700 cases were fined for speeding, nearly seven times higher than last year. The traffic police also discovered 114 cases of driving under the influence of drugs, including 20 in Hanoi, 17 in Dak Lak, and 10 in Dong Nai.

The number of traffic accidents declined sharply, with 541 cases recorded nationwide, which resulted in 214 fatalities and 504 injuries. Compared to the seven-day Tet holiday in 2023, the number of fatalities decreased by 24.38%. 

Book Street Festival in HCMC generates VND10 billion in revenue

The book street festival in HCMC is a resounding success, having attracted over one million visitors and buyers during the week-long Tet holiday. Total book sales surpassed VND10 billion, an 18.2% increase against the previous year.

Themed “Spring of Love, Tet of Togetherness,” the festival took place along Le Loi Boulevard from February 7 to 17, with more than 76,150 books sold. The average daily sales reached VND1.29 billion, according to the HCMC Department of Information and Communications.

This year’s festival saw a notable increase in attendance, with over one million visitors and buyers, an 11.1% rise over the previous year’s figure of 800,000.

In related news, Nguyen Van Binh Book Street had a successful holiday sales period, generating around VND1 billion in book sales and attracting around 20,000 visitors. Similarly, the book street in Thu Duc City welcomed 5,000 visitors and recorded book sales of VND300 million.

7 border gates in Lang Son Province get back to normal operation

The Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board reported that all seven border gates in Lang Son Province resumed operations normally after suspension for the Lunar New Year.

Previously, the Chinese side announced the temporary suspension of customs clearance procedures for goods at border gates in Lang Son and Quang Ninh provinces from February 10 to February 13 for the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, and re-operation from February 14 to February 17 for container trucks performed import and export registration before the Tet holiday.

Additionally, from February 18, customs clearance of import and export goods will return to normal operation.

Up to now, customs clearance for import and export activities at all seven border gates in the Northern province of Lang Son, namely Huu Nghi (Friendship), Dong Dang, Chi Ma, Coc Nam, Na Hinh and sub-border gates Tan Thanh and Na Nua has been resumed simultaneously.

Procedure reform to facilitate people’s renovation of their houses

As per the Strategy for Construction Industry Development, the government will reform administrative procedures to facilitate people’s renovation of their houses.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has just signed a decision approving the Strategy for Construction Industry Development to 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Notably, the strategy clearly states to accelerate the pace of urbanization and improvement of the urban economy including the development of mechanisms and policies to promote the growth of a harmonious urban system to suit the potential and advantages of each region and locality with a focus on satellite urban areas of some large urban areas, especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, the government will synchronously implement policies to decompress and reduce the load for large urban areas, bringing people to surrounding urban areas that have fully formed cultural institutions, technical infrastructure, and social infrastructure.

The development of small urban areas (type V) and peri-urban areas to support rural development through urban-rural linkages will be prioritized while low-density urban development in urban areas of grade II and above will be controlled as the government will focus on in-depth urban development and improve the quality of people's living environment.

Regarding the housing sector, the Government requires administrative procedure reform, creating favorable conditions for households and individuals to build and renovate their own houses in accordance with urban planning and regulations of urban architecture management. The development of high-rise housing in the centers of large urban areas will be closely monitored.

There will be separate mechanisms and policies on investment in housing construction for industrial park workers prioritizing allocating enough land fund to develop housing for workers and other institutions in industrial parks.

Regarding real estate market management, the Government clearly stated the effective exploitation and use of real estate, especially land real estate, to maximize the exploitation of resources from land, houses and structures on land serve the goals of socio-economic development and the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.

A variety of real estate types will be developed to meet the needs of socio-economic development, ensuring the balance of supply and demand of each segment, each locality and in each period.

Ca Mau Airport to receive one million passengers by 2030

According to the People's Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, the Ministry of Transport has approved the task of drafting a plan for Ca Mau Airport for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision for 2050.

Accordingly, the unit that has been assigned to carry out the task must propose an appropriate investment roadmap to meet transportation needs.

Ca Mau Airport is currently a class 4C facility with a capacity of 200,000 passengers per year and a runway measuring 1500 x 30 m accommodating ATR 72 airplanes and similar aircraft.

According to the Master Planning on airport development in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, Ca Mau airport in the southernmost province of Ca Mau will be upgraded to class 4C, able to receive one million passengers a year and three million passengers per year by 2050.

Ministry warns of disease outbreak risks during spring festival season

On February 17, the Ministry of Health reported that during the recent Tet holiday, the country did not document any cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans, including A(H5N1), A(H5N6), and A(H7N9).

However, in Ca Mau, there were 357 cases of dengue fever, 225 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and, unfortunately, one fatality from rabies. As for other infectious diseases, no major outbreaks were reported, and they were generally well controlled.

However, as it is currently the winter-spring season and after Tet is the festive season, which prompts increased social interactions and travel, creating favorable conditions for the potential spread of diseases such as flu, measles, HFMD, and Covid-19.

To combat this, the Ministry of Health advises provincial health departments to intensify the implementation of disease prevention and control plans for 2024 and continue to deploy effective measures such as maintaining cleanliness, ensuring food safety, and enhancing awareness of disease prevention in educational settings.

Additionally, measures should be taken to prevent and control disease outbreaks among livestock and poultry while animal outbreaks should be promptly identified and addressed to prevent the transmission of diseases from animals and food to humans.

Especially, local disease control centers and preventive healthcare units are urged to closely monitor the rise in cases of respiratory-transmitted diseases and severe cases of viral pneumonia and maintain efficient and regular surveillance to promptly detect any cases at border checkpoints.

The Ministry of Health also urges units and local authorities to implement measures ensuring the availability of logistics, funding, medications, vaccines, biological products, supplies, chemicals, equipment, and personnel to effectively combat infectious diseases and prepare response plans for different outbreak situations.

Doctors race against time to perform many organ transplants during Tet holidays

Major General, Professor Le Huu Song, Director of Central Military Hospital 108 in Hanoi said that doctors raced against the clock to perform many organ transplants during the Tet holidays.

Major General, Professor Le Huu Song yesterday informed that after 1 week, all patients who received organ transplants, including heart transplant, liver transplant, kidney transplant, kidney-pancreas transplant, two hand transplants and cornea transplant during the Tet holiday are recovering well. Among these, surgeons of the Hospital 108 carried out heart transplants and kidney-pancreas transplants for the first time.

 
On the evening of February 8, the family of a 26-year-old man who was brain dead due to a traffic accident agreed to donate tissues and organs, the doctors of Hospital 108 were rushed off their feet to perform a series of procedures to remove and transplant 8 organ tissues from brain-dead donors. The hospital mobilized more than 150 staff to participate in the simultaneous removal and transplantation of tissues and organs including heart, lungs, liver, kidney, pancreas, limbs, and corneas in addition to organizing funeral ceremony for brain-dead patients.

Along with taking and transplanting the above tissues and organs, the Hospital 108 also preserved and coordinated the donor's lungs to the Central Lung Hospital for a lung transplant for a young patient with a rare disease whose two lungs are damaged seriously.

After 6-hour surgery, the patient's entire double lung transplant was completed successfully. The patient woke up on New Year's Eve and no longer had to use the cardiopulmonary bypass system (ECMO). On February 10, the patient who underwent the lung transplant was taken off the ventilator and able to talk to the doctors.

Traffic accident victims decrease, explosive casualties increase

Traffic accident victims decreased whereas casualties from fireworks and explosives increased during the Tet holiday (the Lunar New Year), according to the Ministry of Health.
 
Medical facilities across the country examined and provided emergency treatment for 19,673 cases related to traffic accidents, down 12.1 percent compared to the same period during the Lunar New Year 2023, of which there were 8,032 hospitalizations.

The Ministry of Health today sent a report on healthcare work during the Lunar New Year to the Government Office. The Ministry of Health said that by the end of February 13, the number of medical examinations and emergency cases due to firecrackers and explosives continued to increase with 583 cases, a year on year increase of 52 percent, including 1 death and 302 hospitalizations.

Along with that, hospitals also received 82 people who went to medical facilities for examination and emergency treatment of accidents caused by weapons and other home-made explosives, an increase of 60 cases compared to the same period during the Tet holiday including five deaths.

Regarding examination and emergency cases suspected to be caused by traffic accidents, medical facilities across the country received examination and emergency treatment for 19,673 cases, down 12.1 percent compared to the same period last year. Of them, 8,032 people were hospitalized and 2,284 cases were transferred to other large infirmaries for further treatment.

As many as 105 people died including 32 deaths at the hospital and 73 deaths before hospitalization, down 21.1 percent compared to the same period during the Lunar New Year 2023.

Medical examination and treatment facilities under the Ministry of Health and health departments of provinces and cities said that medical facilities received 321,219 patients for examination and emergency treatment, an increase of 30.2 percent over the same period last year. Medical facilities performed 13,095 surgeries, including 2,878 emergency surgeries.

Foreign poets to recite at Vietnam Poetry Day

Foreign poets with a passion for Vietnamese poetry will recite poems in Vietnamese at the Nguyen Tieu Poetry Night at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on the full moon day of the first lunar calendar month (February 24).

Poet Huu Viet of the Vietnam Writers' Association and member of the organizing committee said the highlight of this year's Vietnam Poetry Day (the 22nd edition) is the presence of international poets at the Full Moon Poetry Night.

This is also a stepping stone to the International Poetry Festival in 2025, which will last about a week and bring together poets from 50 countries and territories.

The Full Moon Poetry Night is the main event of the 22nd Vietnam Poetry Day organized by the Vietnam Writers Association on February 23-24 under the theme "Country Symphony."

This year's Poetry Day is inspired by the spirit of great national unity and the poetry of 54 ethnic groups.

The Poetry Night will begin with a gong performance by the Muong ethnic minority from the northern province of Hoa Binh. The program consists of four parts, introducing stories, poems, and epics in the folk literary treasures of Vietnam's ethnic groups.

In addition, poems by 16 Vietnamese and foreign writers will be recited by the authors or artists. Local poets with works at the Poetry Night include Nong Quoc Chan, Duong Khau Luong (Tay ethnic group); Lo Ngan Sun (Giay ethnic group); Po Sao Min (Pa Di ethnic group), Ly Huu Luong (Dao ethnic group), Kieu Mai Ly (Cham ethnic group), Thach Do Ni (Khmer ethnic group), Thai Hong (Hoa ethnic group); Bui Tuyet Mai (Muong ethnic group); Cam Giang, Bac Van Ui, Do Thi Tac, Nguyen Phuc Loc Thanh (the Kinh) among others.

The main events will be held at the Shinto Axis of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Le Quy Duong, author of the overall script of the event and general director, said that the theme of the 22nd Vietnam Poetry Day has the power to evoke and inspire both creators and enjoyers. Patterns, motifs, poems, and national cultural materials will be brought into full play during the Poetry Day.

The program was held on the day of a full moon, so the moon was chosen as the theme for the art space. The Poetry Gates are new moons on their way to becoming full moons. Passing through the Poetry Gate, there is a Poetry Street decorated with colorfully stylized young leaves in ethnic Vietnamese costumes. A total of 54 verses are written on the leaves, representing as many ethnic groups.

This year, the organizing committee continues to build the Memory House space, a place to display memorabilia, artifacts, and works of 12 typical poets, centered on President Ho Chi Minh, who is also a great poet. The Memory House resembles a traditional long house of the Central Highlands people.

The 22nd Vietnamese Poetry Day was organized by the Vietnam Writers Association in cooperation with the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center. Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers' Association, presided over the event. Poet Tran Dang Khoa, Vice President of the Vietnam Writers' Association, is in charge of the content. Director Le Quy Duong is responsible for the script and staging. Poet Huu Viet, member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Writers' Association, wrote the literary script for the Poetry Night. Photographer Duong Minh Long is the designer of Poetry Gate, Poetry Street, and Poetry Tree, while the Vietnam Museum of Literature takes care of the Memory House.

Hanoi to promote people-to-people diplomacy in 2024

In 2024, Hanoi will persist in pushing forward people-to-people diplomacy, aiming to bolster the city's development and ultimately contribute to the nation's prosperity, as stated by President Nguyen Ngoc Ky of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations.

In this regard, Ky expected the union to continue innovating its thinking, developing a strategic vision, and adopting new methods to build and implement medium and long-term people-to-people diplomatic programs and plans.

“The union would increase the scale of organizing peace, solidarity, friendship, and cooperation events and strengthen the capacity and efficiency of their personnel and member units. Additionally, it will continue to promote outreach efforts and engage foreign governments in a manner consistent with the city's socio-economic development direction and ensuring foreign security and safety,” said Ky.

Le Thi Thu Hang, Secretary of the Tay Ho District Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam - South Korea Friendship Association in Hanoi, believed that in the context of globalization and increasing international integration, culture is being used  by many nations as a potent tool of "soft power." For developing countries like Vietnam, cultural diplomacy plays a crucial role in disseminating cultural values, promoting the country's image, strengthening its position and voice internationally, and generating momentum for development.

In the economic sphere, cultural diplomacy also plays a significant role in attracting investment, said Hang.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh, Chairwoman of the Hanoi Peace Committee, emphasized the critical role and responsibility of every Hanoian in preserving and promoting traditional values, spreading peace values, and promoting Hanoi's image at home and abroad.

Thanh noted that in 2024, the Hanoi Peace Committee will organize numerous activities related to major anniversaries of the capital and the country, such as the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 25th anniversary of Hanoi being recognized by UNESCO as the City for Peace.

Last year, the successful implementation of the Politburo's  Resolution No. 15-NQ/TW, which emphasizes boosting foreign affairs, international integration, development cooperation, and elevating the position and prestige of Hanoi, contributed greatly to the city's overall diplomatic achievements.

The Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations successfully organized its annual activities, leaving a positive impression on international friends and resonating widely among the capital's populace.

Some notable activities highly regarded by international friends include the International Art Exchange "Welcoming the New Year," the Spring Friendship Exchange, traditional Tet celebrations with several Asian countries, an international art exchange to commemorate the 56th anniversary of ASEAN and 78 years of Vietnam’s National Day, the international painting competition "I Love Hanoi - City for Peace," a bicycle ride for Hanoi's green environment, and a Latin American music night.

Additionally, commemorative activities in even-numbered years have also made a strong impact and left a favorable impression on international delegates. For instance, the Peace Tree Planting Ceremony at Hoa Binh Park to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam; the Vietnam-Australia Friendship Exchange; a symposium entitled "Vietnam - Cuba: Special Solidarity Relationship" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of leader Fidel Castro’s visit to Vietnam and the liberation of Quang Tri Province; and the planting of 110 cherry blossom trees to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen noted the people-to-people diplomatic activities in the capital in 2023 significantly contributed to the city's overall diplomatic achievements. Despite the myriad challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Hanoi has diligently maintained its growth momentum, particularly in the field of people-to-people diplomacy, achieving numerous noteworthy accomplishments, he noted.

Quyen suggests that in 2024, to further innovate and respond to the demands of the new period, the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations should work closely with the Municipal Party Committee's Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs to meticulously plan and execute specific, scientific, and robust programs.

He expected that these efforts would further promote the image of the city and its people to international friends, thereby fostering cultural and economic exchanges and enhancing mutual understanding between Hanoians and the international community.

“This initiative aims to showcase Hanoi's millennia-old cultural heritage, its status as a City for Peace and Heroic Capital, its dynamic development, and its integration into the international community,” Quyen added.

Second Country Report on implementation of Convention against Torture approved

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has signed a Decision approving the Second Country Report on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).

Viet Nam became the 158th member state of the Convention in 2015. The country has adopted several measures to implement the Convention, showcasing its determination and consistent policy in ensuring human rights.

Many regulations on preventing and punishing acts related to torture in the CAT Convention have been integrated into Viet Nam's 2015 Penal Code and the 2015 Criminal Procedure Code (revised in 2021), the 2015 Law on Organization of Criminal Investigation Agencies, the Law on Enforcement of Custody and Temporary Detention, the Law on Denunciations, the Law on Amnesty, and the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments.

In addition, hundreds of guiding documents have been issued to standardize processes to prevent acts of torture and protect those at risk of torture; better support victims of torture during the process of resolving complaints, investigations, detention, prosecution, trial, execution of criminal sentences, and compensation.

Viet Nam submitted the First Country Report to the Committee Against Torture in 2017, presented and defended the information and data in the First Country Report before the Committee Against Torture in 2018.

In fact, the nation has established the Central Judicial Reform Steering Committee and the Judicial Reform Steering Committee at the provincial level nationwide to promote a clean, strong, democratic, and strict judiciary, and so protecting and gradually modernizing justice to serve the people, including the right to not be tortured.

On February 14, 2023, Viet Nam issued a plan to strengthen the effective implementation of the Convention and promote the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee against Torture.

Party official meets new heads of representative agencies abroad

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia extended congratulations to new Vietnamese Ambassadors and Consul Generals for the 2024-2027 tenure during a working session in Hanoi on February 19, saying that their appointment is both a great honour and a significant responsibility entrusted by the Party, State and people.

Nghia hailed the Vietnamese representatives agencies abroad for fulfilling their role as bridges between Vietnam and the world, serving as a fulcrum for the overseas Vietnamese community, and reflecting the national responsibility toward fellow Vietnamese.

Amid complex and uncertain developments in the region and the world, he proposed that overseas diplomatic agencies thoroughly grasp the Party and State's viewpoints and guidelines on external relations and information for external service.

He emphasised the need for a proactive approach in renewing and diversifying external information services, and enhancing the operational efficiency of Vietnam's cultural and information centres worldwide. Additionally, he urged leveraging resources from the Vietnamese community overseas, especially the younger generation and students, to amplify positive narratives about Vietnam among international friends.

Nghia wished that heads of diplomatic missions abroad would navigate through challenges with determination, uphold their exemplary role, and foster close collaboration with the host authorities to protect Vietnamese citizens and provide unwavering support to overseas Vietnamese.

At the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang provided a comprehensive overview of the recent appointments, highlighting the designation of 18 heads and leaders across units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and the Presidential Office. These appointees will represent Vietnam in 58 countries and international organisations.

Furthermore, ambassadors and heads of representative agencies abroad engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of their external information services.

Lunar New Year gathering held in Sweden

The Vietnamese Cultural Association and the Vietnamese Women's Association in Sweden held a Lunar New Year gathering in Malmo city on February 18.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Tran Van Tuan extended his best New Year wishes to the Vietnamese community across Sweden as a whole, and those in Malmo city and its surrounding areas.

Highlighting the indispensable role played by the Vietnamese community abroad, including over 22,000 in Sweden, in the country's overall development, he committed that the embassy will actively help the overseas Vietnamese maintain the culture and language of Vietnam, toward building an united and strong community.

Participants at the event were treated to music performances staged by the Vietnamese artists based in the European country.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden also presented sets of Vietnamese-language books to Vietnamese children residing in Malmo and adjacent areas.

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