UN backing aids democratic progress in Vietnam

Vietnam will continue to strengthen its public governance and develop mechanisms to better engage the public and other stakeholders in improving policymaking, anti-corruption and citizens' access to justice, especially those from vulnerable groups.

This statement was made on November 14 by Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien at a meeting convened by the United Nations in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Government.

The United Nations in Vietnam launched the Delivering as One in 2006 with six mutually reinforcing pillars - one plan, one budget, one leader, one set of management practices, one voice and one UN house – to avoid duplication and improve coherence and coordination to help UN agencies work more effectively together.

As part of the initiative, the Vietnamese Government and 17 UN agencies signed the One Plan 2012-16 in March last year which aims to promote inclusive, equitable and green growth, people's access to quality social services, and stronger governance and participation.

At the meeting, Lien applauded the support of UN agencies, noting that the mechanism has helped the country and the agencies to maximise resources and jointly address pressing issues in Vietnam.

For example, in-depth research on key amendments to the Constitution include local governance, human rights provisions, the change from four months to six months maternity leave in the Labour Code and a new ban on advertising breast milk substitutes for children aged below 24 months in the Law on Advertising.

UN agencies also helped speed up the introduction and adoption of laws including the Law on the Handling of Administrative Violations, the Law on the Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking, and the Law on Persons with Disabilities.

The UN annual report, titled "Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index", captured public opinion about the country's administrative performance through their own experience.

Director of Criminal and Administrative Laws under the Justice Ministry Nguyen Kim Thoa said that Vietnam wants to put human rights at the heart of any policymaking process to develop the legal system.

She noted that there was gap between laws and regulations and law enforcement in the country, and that UN support helped translate and implement laws more effectively.

Thoa said that limited funding and experience are major challenges for the country to overcome.

As a Co-chair of the Focus Area Coordination Group 3 of the One Plan 2012-2016 on Governance and Participation, the country manager of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Zhuldyz Akisheva, said the UN has a unique role to play in helping the Government to leverage resources, using its convening power and normative role to ensure resources are utilised effectively in the interests of the ultimate beneficiaries – the Vietnamese public.

Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, a governance adviser from the UK Department for International Development, said that as Vietnam became a middle income country, donor assistance may fall or be redirected from capacity building to policy making and technical aid.

However, she said so far, State agencies has still been hesitant to seek advice from civil societies and organisations. She said the UN agencies should create forum in which civil societies could join.-

China, Vietnam boost security cooperation

Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Dang Van Hieu on November 14 received a visiting delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security led by deputy director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

The two sides highlighted the results of growing friendship in recent years and pledged to expand their cooperation in the future.

Lieutenant General Hieu told the Chinese guests that their visit will help strengthen cooperation ties between Vietnam and China.

He emphasized that both sides will work more closely together to ensure national security in each country.

He proposed promoting the exchange of visits and cultural and sports programmes, as well as sharing information and experience in anti-terrorism, internet security and capacity building in order to successfully fulfill the tasks of socio-economic development in each country.

Vietnam, Cuba aspire to intensified ties

Vietnam’s new Ambassador to Cuba Duong Minh has sought the host Government’s continued support for the two sides’ businesses expanding partnership in agriculture, energy, telecommunication, bio-technology and pharmaceuticals.

While the friendship is growing, economic and trade relations between the two countries remain under par, Minh said at a reception following his presentation of credentials to Vice President of the Cuban State Council Salvador Valdes Mesa in Havana on November 14.

He highly valued the achievements the host country has reaped during the course of updating its economic model while voicing his belief in more accomplishments to be made in the coming time.

The diplomat pledged to spare no effort to reinforce the two countries’ comprehensive cooperation.

At the meeting, the host leader kept Minh updated with the progress of the economic model update and reiterated his hope for both countries to continue linkages in the fields of their strength.

He said he hopes that the Vietnamese diplomat will make practical contribution to the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba .

On this occasion, Ambassador Duong Minh laid wreaths at the memorials of Cuban hero Jose Marti and President Ho Chi Minh in Havana. -

Vietnam, Australia eye new progress in defence cooperation

Vietnam’s defence cooperation with Australia has progressed and is hoped to be further intensified following the visit to Vietnam by Vice Chief of Australia's Defence Force Mark Binskin.

Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) Do Ba Ty made the remarks at a reception for the Australian senior officer in Hanoi on November 14.

For his part, Mark Binskin thanked Ty for his warm welcome and briefed him of the outcomes of his talks with Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the VPA Lieut . Gen . Vo Van Tuan.

At the talks in Hanoi on November 13, the two sides reached a consensus on addressing disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of strictly abiding by international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper.

They agreed that bilateral defence cooperation has been developed in many fields since the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Defence Cooperation signed in 2010.

In the coming time, Vietnam and Australia will effectively bring into play their dialogue mechanisms at all levels and promote delegation exchanges and education and training while sharing experience in anti-terrorism, search and rescue, UN peacekeeping activities, and others.

Vietnam marks 15-year membership of APEC

November 15 this year marks 15 years since Vietnam became a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a move which has proved greatly beneficial to the country’s international integration policy.

The decision to join APEC, the largest economic cooperative mechanism in the region, was part of Vietnam’s external policy of multilateralisation, diversification and economic integration.

As an APEC member, Vietnam has actively participated in the forum’s activities by proposing new ideas as well as implemented joint initiatives in trade, investment, emergency response, health care and anti-terrorism.

The country has undertaken several key positions in APEC, serving as vice chairman of the committee on trade and investment and chairman of the working group on Small and Medium Enterprises in 2006, chairman of the budget and management committee in 2007, vice chairman of the health working group in the term of 2009-2010 and chairman of the working group on emergency preparedness in the 2012-2013 tenure. In particular, Vietnam successfully assumed the role as APEC Chair in 2006, hosting the 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the 18 th APEC Foreign and Economic Ministers’ Meeting and more than 100 related events. During these meetings, APEC set out the long-term outlook towards forming an Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, issued the Hanoi Plan of Action on implementing the Bogor goals and overall reform measures, creating new impulse for APEC cooperation.

This year, Vietnam has proposed and implemented an initiative, the first of its kind in APEC, on search and rescue at sea. The country hosted several APEC events, including the 40th meeting of APEC experts on new and renewable energy in April, a seminar on hydro and renewable energy electricity integration into grid also in April, and a seminar on business continuity planning for disaster resiliency in May.

Vietnam has submitted its bid, and received support from most APEC members, to host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2017.

APEC will continue to be an important cooperative mechanism for Vietnam, as the Asia-Pacific region has close connections with the country’s development in all fields from economics, external relations, to security and development. Most leading economic-trade and strategic partners of Vietnam are APEC members. APEC member economies account for 65 percent of foreign direct investment and 75 percent of international arrivals in Vietnam. APEC markets also consume 60 percent of the country’s exports and supply 80 percent of Vietnam’s imports.

However, economic connectivity in the region in general and within APEC framework in particular is shifting into a new period on broader scale and stronger commitment, posing challenges to countries at lower development level including Vietnam. It is urgent for the country to make more efforts to strengthen domestic capacity, enhance social consensus as well as promote the involvement of the business sector, in order to reap the most from international economic integration and serve the nation’s socio-economic development.