Women's rights top ASEAN meet

HA NOI — Strategies for the protection and promotion of women's rights topped the agenda at an ASEAN seminar here yesterday.

Delegates suggested their rights could be best protected by using ASEAN mechanisms and educating people about human rights in ASEAN nations – and in Viet Nam in particular.

They emphasised the important role of mass organisations in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children. They said all people were entitled to have their rights protected by international and national laws.

According to the delegates, human rights-related issues have become more important to ASEAN in the past 20 years, especially since the term "human rights" was placed on the agenda of the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in 1993.

ASEAN has approved several documents regarding human rights, including the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region, the ASEAN Declaration against Trafficking in Persons, Particularly Women and Children, and the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

The Vientiane Action Programme also underlined the need to establish an ASEAN commission on the rights of women and children.

Since its accession to the United Nations in 1977, Viet Nam has joined a wide range of human-rights conventions and has played a growing role in forming ASEAN mechanisms for the protection of human rights.

Co-hosted by the Institute of Human Rights under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the UN Development Fund for Women and the Canadian International Development Agency, the seminar marked World Human Rights Day tomorrow. — VNS

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Seminar seeks ways to promote women’s human rights

Strategies for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights topped the agenda of a consultation seminar entitled, “ASEAN and women’s human rights” which was held in Hanoi on Dec. 8.

Delegates discussed and put forward effective solutions to protect women’s rights through ASEAN mechanisms and measures to effectively educate about human rights in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in Vietnam in particular.

Delegates emphasised the important role of mass organisations in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children. They also affirmed that human rights are the rights of all people and are prescribed and protected by international and national laws.

According to the delegates, human rights-related issues have become more important to ASEAN over the past 20 years, especially since the term “Human rights” was placed on the agenda of the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings in 1993.

ASEAN has approved a number of documents regarding human rights, such as the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region, the ASEAN Declaration against Trafficking in Persons, Particularly Women and Children, and the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

The Vientiane Action Programme also underlined the necessity of incorporation of human rights mechanisms in ASEAN member nations; the education of human rights and the rights of women, children and migrant workers; and the establishment of an ASEAN commission on the rights of women and children.

Since its accession to the United Nations in 1977, Vietnam has joined a wide range of human rights conventions. The country has also played a growing role in forming ASEAN’s apparatus and operations, including mechanisms for the protection of human rights.

Co-hosted by the Institute of Human Rights under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, the UN Development Fund for Women and the Canadian International Development Agency, the seminar aimed to celebrate World Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) and perfect ASEAN mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, and women’s rights in particular.

Close to 100 delegates, including leaders, managers and employees working in the fields of justice, labour-invalids-social affairs, children, human rights, youth union and education, representatives of international organisations and several embassies in Hanoi attended the event./.

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ASEAN steps up cooperation in police training

Representatives from the diplomatic corps, ASEAN police agencies, INTERPOL and ASEANAPOl, as well as observers from other countries are gathering in Hanoi for the first ever conference on cooperation in police training between ASEAN countries.

During the opening the session on December 8, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam, stressed on the urgent need for countries in the region to fight crime, including non-traditional crimes.

“This requires more cooperation in controlling crime,” he said, adding that the traditional relations between ASEAN countries enable regional police forces to link up to combat crime, ensuring stability and peace in each regional nation.

He underlined ASEAN’s efforts in joint police training in the region, such as the exchange of cadets between police training colleges, short-term training courses and training programmes with partner countries.

Major-General Nguyen Xuan Yem, Director of the People’s Police Academy, said that Vietnam has made great efforts, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in 2010, to promote cooperation between the region’s countries, including security and defence, which is one of the three pillars that will enable the creation of an ASEAN Community.

The conference, initiated by Vietnam, aims to strengthen cooperation amongst the region’s police forces and offers an opportunity to increase cooperation in ASEAN.

It also serves as a forum for ASEAN nations to present their police training methods, share their experiences, achievements and challenges in the area, which will help to improve police forces across ASEAN and meet the demand for more action against crime throughout the region.

During the two-day conference, the participants are scheduled to take part in an exchange programme at the People’s Police Academy, the country’s leading police training college and visit several interesting places around the country./.

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Stamp collection issued to mark Vietnam’s ASEAN Chair

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information and Communication held a ceremony to launch a special stamp collection themed “ Vietnam in the ASEAN Community” in Hanoi on October 27.

Attending the ceremony were ASEAN General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and ministers of nine ASEAN countries.

The issuance of the stamp collection, initiated by the Ministry of Information and Communication, is one of the activities during the 17 th ASEAN Summit, which is taking place in Hanoi .

The special stamp collection features the national flags of the ten ASEAN member countries arranged in the shape of an ascending dragon implying the rising role of a united ASEAN. The design is created by artist Nguyen Du from the Vietnam Stamp Company, who won the first prize at a contest organised by the Vietnam Postal Corporation.

At the ceremony, Deputy PM Khiem and ASEAN General Secretary Surin Pitsuwan presented a certificate to the winning artist./.

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PM calls on women to play greater role in regional growth

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meets the heads of delegations to the ASEAN Council of Women's Organisations General Assembly which opened in Ha Noi yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam

HA NOI — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday called on Southeast Asian women to maintain their prominent role in helping develop their countries and the regional community.

The Government leader made his statement at the opening of the ASEAN Council of Women's Organisations (ACWO) General Assembly in Ha Noi yesterday.

The ACWO's contribution to the advancement of regional women over the past 30 years was praised by the Prime Minister, in which the council has successfully promoted gender equality andthe involvement of women in the development of their countries and the region as a whole.

"The participation and contribution of women in the creation and development of ASEAN is greatly significant," said Dung at the two-day meeting which has drawn more than 200 participants from the region and international organisations.

The Prime Minister asked the Council to develop ideas and measures to make the most of women's potential and creativeness, further promoting women's advancement and their contribution to the building of the ASEAN Community in general, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community in particular. Dung took the opportunity to call on regional governments to prioritise and maintain their support for programmes and activities promoting gender equality and female empowerment.

The ACWO's 14th General Assembly, with the theme "Enhancing women's effective participation toward a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable ASEAN" is focusing its discussions on a wide range of issues to find solutions to increasing the role of regional women as well as promoting their advancement and gender equality.

Dung confirmed in his speech that Viet Nam always attached importance to the promotion of its female population and ensuring their rights.

"The contributions of Vietnamese women to the development of the country have been increasing and they are taking on more important roles in all walks of life," said the PM, who emphasised that the government always gave favourable conditions to women to make their best contribution to the country's development.

Dung committed to regional women's representatives that Viet Nam has been and will be making every effort to work in close co-ordination with regional countries to achieve the ASEAN targets of promoting women's advancement, gender equality and their role in building the ASEAN Community. The regional community is expected to be built by 2015.

The conference, being held in Ha Noi under the chair of the Viet Nam Women's Union (VWU) which is the ACWO President from 2008-10, provides a forum for women to share their insights on women-related issues.

The conference will adopt a resolution to promote the participation and contribution of women to the development of their countries and the region, as well as the commitment of regional governments on the promotion of women's advancement and gender equality, said VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa at the opening yesterday.

The role of women in response to the financial crisis and climate change and the promotion of women's advancement and gender equality by ASEAN governments are being discussed at the conference which concludes today. The participants have also been exchanging information on other issues including poverty alleviation, food security and safety, migrant workers, and the prevention of domestic violence against women and children, according to Hoa.

A ceremony to hand-over the ACWO Presidency to Indonesia, which will take the chair of the Council from 2010 to 2012, will be held later today. — VNS

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ASEAN Labour Inspection Conference opens

The first ASEAN Labour Inspection Conference opened in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Oct. 13.

The conference saw the participation of over 100 labour inspection representatives from ASEAN, partner countries, the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

IALI President Michele Patterson attended the conference, which provided an opportunity for ASEAN countries and its partners to share experiences in organisation and operation, and to agree on recommendations to boost the capacity and coordination of regional labour inspection agencies as part of the strategy to build an ASEAN community of strength and development.

The conference was expected to contribute to enhancing the capacity of labour inspection agencies in inspecting the implementation of labour legal regulations, especially on working conditions, salaries, working time, labour hygiene and safety as well as protection of the three parties in labour relations.

Within the conference, discussions addressed the role of labour inspection in developing healthy labour relations and development of human resource and work skills in the ASEAN plan of action./.

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ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum opens in HCM City

The ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 29 under the theme of challenges and opportunities for investment in ASEAN tourism sector.

The forum drew around 250 government officials as well as representatives from international and ASEAN companies and organisations.

Debates at the forum focus on ASEAN tourism investment framework, opportunities and incentives for tourism investment in ASEAN countries, and potential tourism areas for investment in those countries.

Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said that tourism has played an important role in promoting socio-economic development in ASEAN countries in the past years.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese government creates favourable conditions to encourage domestic and international investors to increase investment in tourism.

On behalf of the ASEAN Secretariat, Somsak Pipoppinyo spoke highly of the accomplishments of ASEAN tourism sector in the past few years, which helped promote growth and promote the image of ASEAN to the world community.

In 2009, ASEAN as a whole welcomed over 62 million visitors, up 59.7 percent over 2000despite impacts of the global economic crisis./.

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ASEAN looks to people-centred community

The sixth ASEAN People’s Forum is due to take place in Hanoi from Sept. 23-26 under the theme, “Solidarity and Action for People-Centred ASEAN”.

As many as 700 delegates have registered for the event, including over 370 from key people’s organisations of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Permanent Deputy President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, Tran Dac Loi, said at a press briefing on Sept. 22 that the forum aims at exchanging information and experiences while strengthening solidarity and cooperation between social movements and people’s organisations in ASEAN member countries.

Also high on the event are innovations and constructive measures that coordinate action among ASEAN People’s organisations to cope with common challenges emerging from the building of an ASEAN community.

The workshop also aims to increase public involvement in the policy-making process of ASEAN. To this end, people are encouraged to take part in the campaigning process and supervision, as well as to put forwards recommendations to the grouping’s leaders to build a people-centred ASEAN.

The ASEAN People’s Forum is an opportunity for regional people to better understand host Vietnam and promote cooperation between the Vietnamese people’s organisations and their ASEAN partners./.

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Students compete in quiz to test ASEAN knowledge

HA NOI — Sixty-four high school teams took part in a contest to test their knowledge of ASEAN organised in Ha Noi yesterday.

The event was one of several activities to promote students' knowledge about ASEAN jointly held by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ha Noi Department of Education and Training and other relevant agencies.

The contest was expected to provide young students with useful information about ASEAN member countries and an opportunity to make new friends, said Education and Training Deputy Minister Tran Quang Quy.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dao Viet Trung said that with proper knowledge about ASEAN, students as the country's future could offer policy makers recommendations for the further development and increased solidarity of the ASEAN community.

Each team was made up of five students who competed in a contest by answering a 10-question package. Sixteen teams took first prize in their respective heats.

Do Thi Uyen, a 12th grader at Tran Hung Dao High School, said her group had started researching for the contest from July.

Relevant ministries have provided 80 high schools in the city with basic knowledge about the institution to facilitate the studies of students . — VNS

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Vietnam sets up wildlife crime agency

Vietnam has established a national committee for the prevention of wildlife crimes like poaching, trafficking, and captive breeding of endangered species.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, together with the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, launched Tuesday the Inter-agency Executive Committee for Vietnam Wildlife Enforcement, which has members of the Vietnam Wildlife Enforcement Network (Vietnam-WEN) on it.

Vietnam-WEN is headed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hua Duc Nhi and has a committee comprising nine members.

“Vietnam-WEN is an essential requirement, which demonstrates the government’s efforts to strengthen collaboration with other countries in the region and worldwide for more effective response to wildlife crimes,” Nhi said.

Manop Lauprasert, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit, said: “This progress demonstrates ASEAN member countries' commitment and collaboration to mutually fight the illegal wildlife trade that is robbing our region of irreplaceable flora and fauna.”

Vietnam is the sixth ASEAN member to form a national wildlife enforcement agency under the regional ASEAN-WEN after Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

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Vietnam sets up wildlife crime agency

Vietnam has established a national committee for the prevention of wildlife crimes like poaching, trafficking, and captive breeding of endangered species.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, together with the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, launched Tuesday the Inter-agency Executive Committee for Vietnam Wildlife Enforcement, which has members of the Vietnam Wildlife Enforcement Network (Vietnam-WEN) on it.

Vietnam-WEN is headed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hua Duc Nhi and has a committee comprising nine members.

“Vietnam-WEN is an essential requirement, which demonstrates the government’s efforts to strengthen collaboration with other countries in the region and worldwide for more effective response to wildlife crimes,” Nhi said.

Manop Lauprasert, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit, said: “This progress demonstrates ASEAN member countries' commitment and collaboration to mutually fight the illegal wildlife trade that is robbing our region of irreplaceable flora and fauna.”

Vietnam is the sixth ASEAN member to form a national wildlife enforcement agency under the regional ASEAN-WEN after Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

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