Cultural exchange ship docks in HCM City

Japanese youths taking part in a cultural exchange tour alight in HCM City to be greeted by a welcoming ceremony organised by their Vietnamese peers. — VNS Photo Van Dat

HCM CITY — The Fuji Maru carrying more than 320 youngsters from the 10 ASEAN member countries and Japan arrived in HCM City for the final leg of the Southeast Asian Youth trip yesterday, before it returns to Japan on December 15.

The ship berthed in HCM City's Saigon Port to begin its eleventh visit to Viet Nam.

At the port, Vietnamese youths and Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's HCM City Chapter held a ceremony before the delegations left to take part in cultural exchange activities at the city hall.

During a press briefing on board just a few minutes before the welcoming ceremony, Phan Thi Thuy Tram, leader of the Vietnamese delegation, said they had already taken part in various cultural exchanges on board with the other delegations as well as in the countries they had visited.

They had discussed topics including youth participation in social activities, promoting cross-cultural understanding, climate change and international relations, among others, he added.

The activities aimed to promote mutual communication through the pursuit of common concerns and interests.

On Saturday evening, Viet Nam Night featuring Vietnamese ao dai and martial arts was held, Tram said, adding that participating youths from other ASEAN countries had really enjoyed the programme.

"I have learned a lot from other countries during the trip," Tram said.

The Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) 2010 delegation, which includes 29 Vietnamese youths, left Yokohama in Japan by ship on a 52-day journey through six countries that will see the youths return to Tokyo on December 15. Some 170 families in the city have volunteered to house the guests during their three-day stay which will expose them to Vietnamese culture. The city dwellers are eager to take part in the programme and several families have done this on more than one occasion.

The participants will learn Vietnamese culture from attending cultural and social activities covering the environment, international relations, education, health, food, and community development.

This year, the ship travelled to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Viet Nam.

Started in 1974, SSEAYP is a joint initiative by Japan and the five founding ASEAN members — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. More than 10,000 youths from the ten ASEAN countries and Japan have travelled on the ship.

It seeks to strengthen friendship, co-operation, and understanding between Japanese and Southeast Asian youths to help build a peaceful, stable, and developed region.

Viet Nam joined the programme in 1996. — VNS

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Poor nations make faster development gains: UN

GENEVA — Most developing countries made dramatic yet often underestimated progress in health, education and basic living standards during the past 40 years, with many of the poorest nations posting the largest gains.

The progress was outlined in the 2010 Human Development Report.

The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development was launched on Thursday by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said: "The Human Development Reports have changed the way we see the world. We have learned that while economic growth is very important, what ultimately matters is using national income to give all people a chance at a longer, healthier and more productive life."

People today are healthier, wealthier and better educated than they were 40 years ago, according to the report. Life expectancy climbed from 59 years in 1970 to 70 in 2010, school enrolment rose from 55 per cent for all primary and secondary school-age children to 70 per cent, and per capita GDP doubled to more than US$10,000. People in all regions shared in this progress, though to varying degrees. Life expectancy, for example, rose by 18 years in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 135 countries studied are home to 92 per cent of the world's population.

The "Top 10 Movers" highlighted in the 2010 report- countries that posted the highest gains on the human development index (HDI) scale during the past 40 years – were led by Oman, which invested its energy earnings into education and health care.

The other nine "Top Movers" are China, Nepal, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Tunisia, South Korea, Algeria and Morocco.

"One important finding from several decades of human development experience is that for lasting improvements on the quality of life of citizens, economic growth alone does not automatically bring improvements in health and education," said Jeni Klugman, the lead author of the report.

On the HDI list of 169 countries, Viet Nam was ranked 113th, which denotes that the nation has made medium improvement in human development standards. — VNS

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Technology transfers debated

HCM CITY — Legal and trade experts from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand, the United States, Viet Nam and the World Trade Organisation began a three-day conference in HCM City yesterday to discuss transfer of technology between developed and developing countries.

Sustainable Technology Transfer is being jointly organised by the Ha Noi University of Law, HCM City University of Law, Sweden's Lund University, Japan's Nagoya University, and Britain's Suffolk University.

The conference has been discussing and analysing the restrictions and hurdles to sustainable technology transfer and come up with solutions based on international accords like the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which requires developed countries to support developing countries with technology transfer.

The conference focuses on health, environmental issues, and energy.

The delegates discuss the responsibilities of developed countries in the technology-transfer process, the laws related to transferring technology, and technology transfer in the fields of healthcare and environment.

Mai Hong Quy, rector of the HCM City University of Law, who chaired the conference, said: "Technology plays an important role in economic development not only for developed but also developing countries in a knowledge-based global economy.

"Access to technology helps developing countries like Viet Nam succeed in industrialisation and modernisation."

Participants agreed that technology is a key factor in economic development, especially for developing countries which import technologies. — VNS

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Labour inspectors of ASEAN hold talks

QUANG NINH — More than 100 representatives from labour inspection agencies in the 10 ASEAN member countries gathered in northern Quang Ninh Province yesterday to share experiences and seek co-operation.

At the two-day meeting, participants discussed ways of enhancing labour laws, the scope and standards for training labour inspectors.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Bui Hong Linh said labour inspection was vital for State management.

Director of the International Labour Organisation office in Viet Nam Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard said any Government's policies and programmes on health and safety, discrimination and basic labour conditions aimed to cover the millions of workers in thousands of workplaces in a broad range of industries. Conditions within those workplaces varied enormously, even within a single industry.

"Trade unions, seen in many countries as the traditional allies of government regulation when targeting and conducting inspections, do not have the full representation needed to cover all sectors, work places and geographical areas," she said.

"This is a pattern seen in many economies and countries. The vast challenge for all government labour inspectorates is to have sufficient budgets and staff to provide services to all work places."

She added that new types of business, inappropriate legal and policy frameworks, increasing competition and global economic integration contributed to the challenges that modern labour inspection must address.

Chief Inspector of the Vietnamese Labour Ministry Nguyen Van Tien said the limited number of inspectors and lack of training were two problems faced in Viet Nam. He said the number of businesses was increasing rapidly - along with labour law violations.

Vietnamese representatives suggested improving co-operation among inspectors of member countries. This included setting up a forum for them to exchange information and experience.

They also suggested using the ILO labour-inspection treaty as a standard for ASEAN countries to build framework regulations on labour inspection. — VNS

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VN, Chinese heads laud nations' youth

HA NOI — The tradition of friendship between Viet Nam and China is a precious possession held in common by both nations, wrote Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in a letter to the Viet Nam-China Youth Festival.

The relationship had been fostered by the late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong and generations of revolutionaries and people in both countries, the letter said.

The tradition of friendship was manifested in the comprehensive strategic co-operation and partnership forged by the two countries under the motto of ‘friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation, long-lasting stability and looking towards the future' and in the spirit of ‘good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners,' Manh wrote in the letter.

In his own letter to the festival, Chinese President and Party leader Hu Jintao said China was committed along with Viet Nam to constantly boosting co-operation in every field and deepening exchanges and friendship between the two countries.

He reaffirmed the importance of exchanges between young people, which would help boost mutual understanding and bring the friendship closer to the hearts of all people in both countries. The future of the two countries and of the relationship belonged to the younger generations, he said.

The festival, taking place in Guangxi, China, is celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and China. — VNS

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Vietnam-China Youth Festival held in Guangxi

The Vietnam-China Youth Festival has been held in China’s Guangxi province, making it an outstanding event in the Vietnam-China Friendship Year 2010.

At the festival, which was held on August 28, youth from both countries received congratulatory letters from the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Nong Duc Manh, and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Hu Jintao.

In his letter, General Secretary Manh reminded the young generation of the time-honoured relationship between China and Vietnam, founded and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and President Mao Zedong.

The relationship is a very important factor on both countries’ road to socialism, he said, adding that it is manifested vividly in comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership.

He expressed his hope that the young generation of both countries will make great efforts to strengthen the ties.

In his letter General Secretary Hu Jintao said he hoped the two countries’ youth will contribute their strength to national constructions, writing glorious histories on development of friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperate partnership between Vietnam and China .

Addressing the event, Ho Duc Viet, Politburo member and Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation, emphasised that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people considered the festival to be one of the most important activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic ties and the Vietnam-China Friendship Year 2010 and said it would strengthen the Vietnam-China relationship.

More activities will be celebrated by Vietnamese and Chinese Youth Unions to nurture the ties between the young generations of both countries, Viet added.

Li Yuanchao, Politburo member and Head of the Organisation of Department of the CPC Central Committee, expressed his belief that the festival would help contribute to further strengthening, tightening the friendship between two peoples, particularly young generation.

Participants had the chance to enjoy a gala night with a performance of traditional folk music by artists from both countries.

The warm and friendly festival concluded with a fireworks display and a performance of the Vietnam-China friendship song./.

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