Hanoi given facelift for upcoming Lunar New Year hinh anh 1
Hanoi authorities are stepping up urban decorations and tree planting work to beef up the capital’s image and environment, particularly for the upcoming Lunar New Year or Tet – the longest and most important traditional event in Vietnam.

Accordingly, local districts have been urged to accelerate their planting of trees, including ornamental ones.

In the 2021-2025 period, the city aims to plant 3.5 million trees, of which 500,000 will be planted in urban areas.

In addition, attention is being paid to the completion of lighting systems for themed decorations in downtown public places, squares, parks, and roads.

The 2023 Tet holiday will be in late January next year. Under a plan approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, officials, civil servants and workers of public agencies will have a seven-day Tet holiday, beginning January 20 (the 29th day of the 12th lunar month) and ending January 26 (the fifth day of the first lunar month).

Vietnam to host int’l forum on youth development policies

An international forum to share experience in sketching out and implementing youth development policies will take place in Vietnam in both virtual and face-to-face form on November 29.

The information was announced by the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam (NCYV) at a press conference in Hanoi on November 22.

The first event of this kind in Vietnam, the forum is expected to see the participation of representatives from the committees of the Party Central Committee, the NCYV, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCM CYU) Central Committee, and those from other ASEAN member nations, Japan, the Republic of Korea and China. 

It aims to increase exchange and experience sharing in building and implementing policies and laws on youth development between agencies and youth organisations of Vietnam and other countries in the fields of learning, scientific research, labour, employment, startups, health care, culture, sports, and digital transformation. 

Participants will also discuss and forecast the current situation's impacts on the implementation of youth development policies in countries, thus proposing coordination mechanisms in formulating and implementing youth development policies in association with strengthening youth cooperation among countries.

According to Nguyen Thi Nga, General Secretary and Chief of Office of the NCYV, the forum will be made an annual event. The committee will collect experience of other countries and make recommendations related to youth work in the process of building and perfecting youth policies, she said.

MoIT, EU Delegation works with Gia Lai on renewable energy development

A working delegation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the EU Delegation to Vietnam had a meeting with the authorities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on electricity supply for rural areas and renewable energy development.

Ho Phuoc Thanh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said that the Gia Lai still has a lot of potential and investment opportunities for the development of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar, wind, and biomass energy.

Recently, the province has attracted 88 renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 4,362.89 MW.

However, Thanh informed the guests that Gia Lai is a poor province with difficult economic conditions. Its rural grid has yet to be properly invested while investment in power supply for these residential areas still faces many difficulties.

New cold spell hits northern and central regions

A new cold spell has hit the northern region since early November 23, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

It is projected to cause rains and cold weather over the next days with the lowest temperature ranging from 19-22 degrees Celsius in the northern plain, and below 16 degrees Celsius in the mountainous region. 

From November 23-24, northern and central Vietnam will start experiencing rainstorms with the lowest temperature in the plain and mountainous regions ranging from 19-21 degrees Celsius, and 16-19 degrees Celsius, respectively. 

The northern plain and coastal regions are predicted to witness showers and rains, the centre said. 

Meanwhile, heavy rains are forecast to hit the southern area of central Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh provinces in the next two days. The Central Highlands and southern regions will also see showers and rainstorms.

Experts warned of one or two storms or tropical depressions in the East Sea in late November and early December. 

Vietnam moves to conserve critically endangered ungulates

To restore the population of critically endangered ungulates, the Centre for Nature Conservation and Development and the Department for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity jointly held a consultation meeting on November 22 to finalise a project to receive and raise, and restore the populations of Indian hog deer (Cervus porcinus), Rucervus eldii, giant muntjac, and Truong Son (Annamite) muntjac.

In Vietnam, these ungulates, which only live in the central and southern Truong Son mountain range, are in danger of extinction due to illegal hunting and capture and loss of habitat.

However, there have been to date no conservation proposals or intervention measures to restore populations of these species in the country.

They are in danger of quietly disappearing and becoming extinct, if no actions are taken in the next five years, stressed Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, deputy head of the Department for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Nguyen Manh Ha from the Centre for Nature Conservation and Development said that the project aims to build a programme to receive, breed, release and monitor four species of the deer family. From experience collected in the implementation of the project, more lessons are expected to be drawn to apply in the conservation of other endangered species.

Hoa Binh’s street named after French archaeologist Madeleine Colani

A street in Hoa Binh City, the northwestern mountainous province of Hoa Binh, has been named after Madeleine Colani (1866-1943), a French archaeologist who discovered and named the Hoabinhian Culture.

The naming of the street to mark the 90th anniversary of the world recognisation of Hoabinhian (1932-2022) and to honour the female scientist.

Addressing the street-naming ceremony on November 22, Chairman of People’s Committee of the city Bui Quang Diep said the event aimed at popularising and honouring Colani’s contributions and the stone-age culture’s unique archaeological and cultural values.

A statue of the archaelogist was also inaugurated on the occasion.

The Hoabinhian Culture lasted from about 13,000 to 5,000 or 4,000 BCE. It provides archaeologists, scientists, and anthropologists with scientific data on the biological shaping process of modern humans, regarding livelihood and social organisation.

Hanoi pledges to support rep office of Permanent Court of Arbitration

Hanoi will create the best possible conditions for the operation of the representative office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the city, a local official has said.

At a reception for PCA Secretary General Marcin Czepelak in Hanoi on November 22, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hong Son noted that once operational, the office will play an important role for not only the PCA but also Vietnam and its capital city.

For his part, Czepelak, who is on a working trip to Vietnam, expressed his belief that there will be many cooperation opportunities between the PCA office and local agencies.
 
Earlier, the PCA Secretary General met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh who vowed to direct relevant ministries and sectors to provide maximum support and create the best conditions for the operation of the office in line with regulations.

Czepelak said he hopes that the opening of the office as part of his trip to Vietnam will serve as a bridge for increasing collaboration between the sides.

AIPA committees approves resolutions at AIPA-43

The Political, Economic and Social Committees of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA)  approved several resolutions during their meetings as part of the ongoing 43rd AIPA General Assembly (AIPA-43). 

The Political Committee adopted a resolution on promoting peace, solidarity and multilateralism via ASEAN’s centrality proposed by Cambodia. The Vietnamese delegation asked to co-sponsor the resolution and made contributions to its contents to reflect AIPA’s interest and voice in promoting ASEAN’s central role and contribute to peace, solidarity and development in the region.  
    
The committee also passed a resolution on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy on maritime security to enhance stability in Southeast Asia which was proposed by Indonesia. Vietnam and other participants made suggestions to the draft for more balanced content, which emphasised behaviours in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and attention to disadvantaged groups. 

A resolution on parliamentary diplomacy regarding the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar sponsored by Indonesia was also adopted by the Political Committee.

Meanwhile, the Social Committee discussed four draft resolutions. The Report of the AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs’ fifth meeting was adopted with high consensus.
   
Meanwhile, Vietnam and the Philippines asked to co-sponsor a draft resolution on strengthening digital transformation for comprehensive social protection initiated by Cambodia, which was accepted by the host country.

Another draft resolution on strengthening social health protection to address challenges in ASEAN initiated by Thailand also received support from by AIPA members. The Vietnamese delegation proposed three more recommendations which were adopted by the meeting.

The Social Committee also looked into a draft resolution on promoting youth participation for a prosperous, resilient and sustainable ASEAN community proposed by Cambodia.

The Economic Committee’s meeting passed three resolutions. During the discussion of one resolution on promoting parliamentary cooperation for sustainable and inclusive growth in ASEAN through the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach initiated by Cambodia, the Vietnamese delegation made many suggestions and asked to co-sponsor the resolution, earning agreement from Cambodia.

The committee also approved a resolution on empowering micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in digital transformation sponsored by Cambodia, and another on optimising the participation of MSMEs in the tourism industry for economic recovery initiated by Indonesia.

Vietnamese NA co-sponsors AIPA resolution on digital transformation

The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) delegation has been approved to co-sponsor a draft resolution on enhancing digital transformation for comprehensive social protection as part of the ongoing 43rd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-43) in Cambodia on November 22.

The document proposed by the host Cambodia was also co-sponsored by the Philippines. It was among draft resolutions tabled by the AIPA Committee on Social Matters at the session on the day.

Vietnam recommended adding four points to the paper, three of which were agreed by other delegations. The recommendations included encouraging member parliaments to speed up comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable digital transformation processes prioritising the application in social welfare and disease prevention. They also covered increasing digital access for mountainous, ethnic, and remote areas, and monitoring related activities in the field of social protection and welfare serving policy transparency. 

Vietnam and other nations anonymously agreed to a draft resolution on a report by the AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs without any supplements and amendments.

Participants also basically agreed with a draft resolution on strengthening social health protection to address challenges in ASEAN proposed by Thailand, with Vietnam making three recommendations, which were approved by the assembly.

Vietnam said it is necessary to build a system of social security policies that cover the entire population, targeting disadvantaged groups. In the immediate future, it is necessary to research and propose mechanisms and policies to support disadvantaged groups to help them overcome difficulties after the pandemic.

The majority of proposals made at the meeting were approved and included in the final resolution of the committee. At the end of the meeting, the resolutions were adopted with high consensus.

PM commends police for smashing major drug trafficking ring

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has sent a letter of commendation to the Ministry of Public Security’s Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, the Technical Department and the ministry’s overseas representative agency for smashing a major drug trafficking ring.

In the letter, PM Chinh said he was delighted to learn that from September 5-24, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department coordinated with the Technical Department, the ministry’s overseas representative agency, several units and localities to successfully raid a ring trafficking drugs into Vietnam, arresting 19 traffickers, including a particularly dangerous wanted person, and seizing 75kg of drugs. Initially, they admitted selling 1.2 tonnes of various drugs.

He stressed that this is an outstanding feat showing the cleverness, courage, sharpness and creativity of the police in fighting the dangerous and transnational ring while ensuring the safety of forces involved in solving the case. This result also reflects the effective external affairs efforts made by public security forces, creating a solid foundation to protect security and order in border areas.

Vietnam sends condolences to Indonesia over earthquake losses

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 22 cabled a message of condolences to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over human and property losses caused by a recent earthquake.

The same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son also sent condolences to his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

The 5.6-magnitude earthquake on November 21 afternoon killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds of others in Cianjur town, Indonesia's West Java province, according to the town’s authorities.

Resolution on UN-ASEAN cooperation passed

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 21 adopted by consensus a resolution on the UN-ASEAN cooperation, on the occasion of the 55th founding anniversary of the ASEAN and the 11-year comprehensive partnership between the two organisations.

The resolution, which has been approved in every two years since 2002, is co-sponsored by 115 UN members. It aims to affirm and promote the partnership between the two organisations.

The resolution highlights the sound relationship between the two sides and the major achievements of the association, as well as the progress of cooperation and the Plan of Action on the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership between them in the past two years.

The outstanding efforts mentioned in the resolution include the second ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit in October 2022, the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work Towards Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community, cooperation within the network of peacekeeping centres, and collaboration in responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as promoting preventive diplomacy, preventing conflicts and building trust.

The resolution also affirms that the UN and ASEAN will continue to enhance cooperation and share experience in many important areas in the time to come, including sustainable development, strengthening dialogue on regional and global security issues such as conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, disarmament and so on.

Introducing the draft resolution, Ambassador Sovann Ke, Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the UN, highlighted the central role of the ASEAN in the region and its contributions to common efforts to safeguard peace, security, stability and sustainable development of the international community.

He also underlined the significance of cooperation between the ASEAN and the UN, with the organisation of the 12th UN-ASEAN Summit in November 2022 and the implementation of the joint Action Plan for the 2021-2025 period.

Vietnam wins big at Seoul International Invention Fair

Vietnam claimed several high prizes on offer at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2022 (SIIF) which was recently held in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The competition saw the country win one Grand Prize, two golds, two silvers, and one bronze.

Vietnam also won a special prize presented by the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA), the organiser of the fair, along with three international prizes by organisations from Malaysia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

The SIIF exhibition is held every two years by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA), the KIPA, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). This year the event has attracted the participation of 500 inventions from 16 countries and territories across the world.

Better Work Vietnam to expand locations and supporting industries

The Better Work Vietnam programme for the 2023 - 2027 period will be replicated in new locations with new industries involved, alongside other strong industries such as garments, textiles and footwear.

A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed on November 22 to implement the programme for 2023-2027. Signatories to the MoU are representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL), International Labor Organization (ILO), and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Since its inception in Vietnam in 2009, more than 800 businesses and nearly 1 million employees have benefited from the programme which was deployed in 29 provinces and cities through three phases. Currently, there are more than 440 businesses and nearly 750,000 employees are actively participating in the programme.

Addressing the event, MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha emphasised that after 14 years of operation, Better Work Vietnam has met national labour management goals, and supported labour law enforcement in the country.

Co-ordination among stakeholders has contributed to promoting the project’s effectiveness, thereby strengthening the relationship that exists between state management agencies, employers and employees towards building a harmonious and stable working environment, said Ha.

It has also helped transform the country into a responsible supplier of labour and meet the leading codes of ethics in the garment and footwear industries in particular, she noted.

Ingrid Christensen, country director of the ILO for Vietnam, said the programme has helped promote to social dialogue and raise awareness regarding gender equality in the workplace, both of which are key to improving working conditions and increasing incomes for hundreds of thousands of workers in the garment and footwear industries.

Throughout the 2023 - 2027 period the programme will focus on priority issues, including social dialogue, gender equality, inclusive development, occupational health and safety, data and information, as well as promoting labour standards in relation to climate change, productivity, and business performance, according to the ILO country director.

Hanoi nters peak dengue fever season as cases continue to rise

With 1,378 cases reported last week, Hà Nội is entering the peak of the dengue fever season. Cases are expected to keep rising this month and may only begin decreasing next month.

According to a report by the Hà Nội's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), last week's caseload was an increase of 2.6 per cent compared to the previous week. Two more deaths relating to dengue were reported in Chương Mỹ and Hà Đông districts. The city also recorded 31 more outbreaks across the city, with circulating dengue virus types identified as DENV1, DENV2 and DENV4.

Since the beginning of 2022, the city has confirmed 13,437 cases of dengue fever, an increase of 4.2 times compared to the same period in 2021. However, 16 deaths have been reported this year, while there were no deaths in 2021.

Vũ Duy Hưng, Head of Medical Profession, Hà Nội's Department of Health, told Sức khỏe & Đời sống (Health & Life) newspaper that according to surveillance data from 2017 to 2021, on average, Hà Nội recorded about 12,900 cases of dengue each year. In 2018, 35,665 cases were recorded; in 2019, there were 12,225 cases.

So far this year, the city has recorded more than 13,000 cases, exceeding the risk threshold compared to the average number of cases from 2019 to 2021 but still lower than the number of cases in 2017 when there was an outbreak of dengue fever.

Norwegian artists to perform contemporary dances

A duet dance by Norwegian artists will be performed in Hà Nội on November 25 and HCM City on November 30.

Titled "Jakob", Vietnamese Norwegian choreographer Tony Tran will present the contemporary dance performance to Vietnamese audiences for the first time.

This is the work's first premiere in Tony Tran's home country and Asia, together with the launch of workshops on movement and theatre lighting led by Jakob's artists.

The tour welcomes the presence of choreographer/performer Tony Tran, dancer Knut Vikstrøm Precht and lighting designer Tobias Leira.

The tour is partly supported by The Performing Arts Hub Norway, Arts Council Norway and co-organised by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Hà Nội, MORUA, H2Q Art, Vincom Centre of Contemporary Arts (VCCA) in Hà Nội and Sân Khấu Nhỏ Drama Theatre in HCM City, within the framework of celebrations events marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Norway and Việt Nam (1971 - 2021).

Grammy Award-winner Jeff Von Der Schmidtto conduct Ancient - New concert

Grammy Award-winning conductor Jeff Von Der Schmidt will take part in a concert entitled "Ancient – New" on November 23 in Hanoi.

The concert is a storytelling of Vietnamese music, from the heritage of traditional music to contemporary music creativity.

The traditional music stage will see performances of many leading artists with different Vietnamese instruments. In addition, musicians from the Việt Nam National Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra will perform contemporary works by three famous composers, Nguyễn Thiện Đạo, Tôn Thất Tiết and Vũ Nhật Tân, who received noble awards in their careers.

The most highlighted repertoires of the programme are the UNESCO-recognised nhã nhạc (Huế royal court music) and ca trù (ceremonial singing).

The quintessence of music from two ancient imperial lands will be performed by artisans who are heirs of famed nhã nhạc musicians and ca trù artists in the past.

The concert is one of the events of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, organised by the Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter in collaboration with other music groups.

The concert will be held at the Arts and Culture Centre, 22 Hang Buom Street.

American conductor Schmidt will participate as an honoured guest. His wife, violinist Karlin Jan Marsha, also joins the show as a music consultant.

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