Deputy PM stresses need of human resource plan

It is necessary to build a plan for human resource development to ensure the feasibility of socio-economic development plan, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

Deputy PM Nhan gave the guidance while attending a conference on human development plan for the Red River Delta provinces in the 2011-2020 period held in the northern province of Nam Dinh on Dec. 11.

He said the lack of quality human resources has been noticed for many years, but there was so far no effective solution.

The Red River Delta region has better economic strengths in comparison with other regions in the country, coupled with favourable location and conditions for development.

At present, the region has a population of about 18.5 million people with 77 percent of them aged from 15 and above. However, the Red River Delta region also faces challenges from its small acreage and a high population density, low quality of labour and the largest rate of unemployment in the country.

The overall policy to develop human resources for the Red River Delta till 2020 aims to develop education as well as vocational training and get all economic sectors involve in training, so that the rate of trained labourers in the region will increase to 50 percent by 2015 and to 60 percent by 2020.

By 2020, the unemployment rate in the region is expected to be 3.5-4 percent in urban areas and the rate of real working time in rural areas will be raised to 90 percent.

The conference was jointly held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Nam Dinh provincial People’s Committee with the participation of representatives from relevant ministries, sectors, agencies and 11 cities and provinces in the region (Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh)./.

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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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Imbalances create worker shortages

Vietnam has a huge shortage of human resources to cope with pressing urbanisation and climate change issues, a national conference was told on Dec. 6.

The conference, telecast live in Hanoi , Da Nang and HCM City , agreed that the natural resources and environment sector needed to recruit another 800-1000 people each year.

The current figure, as provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, is about 45,600 workers, including those working at State corporations, industrial parks and localities.

The report says there is an imbalance in human resource structure among different sub-sectors. For example, those involved in land management account for 55 percent of the total number while those involved with water resources and hydro-meteorology stay at a low 1 percent.

Under State management, the sector is a newly merged group of seven sub-sectors—land, water resources, geology, environment, hydro-meteorology and climate change, mapping and maritime.

The ministry says these sub-sectors mostly deal with complex and sensitive issues related directly to the rights of people and enterprises.

"While human resources are needed to accomplish the sector's strategies, they are not sufficient to ensure their quality in the future," said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen at the conference.

"There are many shortcomings in training and using the sector's human resources," he added.

According to the ministry's report, most training institutions focus on technology and techniques rather than management's understanding of specific sectors.

Some topics have not been added into training programmes resulting in staff shortages at central and local levels. In addition, there are few cadres trained in advanced science and technology.

The reports also find that co-operation on education and training with other countries remains spontaneous - the country does not yet have an effective way of attracting more young applicants to natural resources and environment courses.

Speaking at the conference, UNDP Country Director Setsuko Yamazaki suggested Vietnam turn the climate change challenges into an opportunity by opting for "green growth" and investing in human resources.

"In order to achieve green growth, the country requires a cross-sectoral and cross-ministerial approach to the human resource development plan," she said.

The 800 or so viewers at the telecast, including representatives of international organisations and central bodies, agreed with five measures for human resource development and training.

They include focusing on training under a modern approach and international integration. There would be policies to encourage students to learn about hydro-meteorology, mapping and mineral geology.

More investment will be poured into developing natural resources and environment training institutions to have more laboratories and libraries. The country hopes to build at least three universities with international standard, specialised facilities by 2020.

The conference's discussions were expected to help the ministry finalise the draft strategy on human resources development and training from now to 2020./.

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Imbalances create worker shortages

Viet Nam has a huge shortage of human resources to cope with pressing urbanisation and climate change issues. Photo shows workers collecting and sorting rubbish in Ba Dinh District. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Ha

HA NOI — Viet Nam has a huge shortage of human resources to cope with pressing urbanisation and climate change issues, a national conference was told yesterday.

The conference, telecast live in Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City, agreed that the natural resources and environment sector needed to recruit another 800-1000 people each year.

The current figure, as provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, is about 45,600 workers, including those working at State corporations, industrial parks and localities.

The report says there is an imbalance in human resource structure among different sub-sectors. For example, those involved in land management account for 55 per cent of the total number while those involved with water resources and hydro-meteorology stay at a low 1 per cent.

Under State management, the sector is a newly merged group of seven sub-sectors—land, water resources, geology, environment, hydro-meteorology and climate change, mapping and maritime.

The ministry says these sub-sectors mostly deal with complex and sensitive issues related directly to the rights of people and enterprises.

"While human resources are needed to accomplish the sector's strategies, they are not sufficient to ensure their quality in the future," said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen at the conference.

"There are many shortcomings in training and using the sector's human resources," he added.

According to the ministry's report, most training institutions focus on technology and techniques rather than management's understanding of specific sectors.

Some topics have not been added into training programmes resulting in staff shortages at Central and local levels. In addition, there are few cadres trained in advanced science and technology.

The reports also find that co-operation on education and training with other countries remains spontaneous—the country does not yet have an effective way of attracting more young applicants to natural resources and environment courses.

Speaking at the conference, UNDP Country Director, Setsuko Yamazaki, suggested Viet Nam turn the climate change challenges into an opportunity by opting for "green growth" and investing in human resources.

"In order to achieve green growth, the country requires a cross-sectoral and cross-ministerial approach to the human resource development plan," she said.

The 800 or so viewers at the telecast, including representatives of international organisations and central bodies, agreed with five measures for human resource development and training.

They include focusing on training under a modern approach and international integration. There would be policies to encourage students to learn about hydro-meteorology, mapping and mineral geology.

More investment will be poured into developing natural resources and environment training institutions to have more laboratories and libraries. The country hopes to build at least three universities with international standard, specialised facilities by 2020.

The conference's discussions were expected to help the ministry finalise the draft strategy on human resources development and training from now to 2020. — VNS

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Spanish agency helps fight human trafficking

The Vietnam Women's Union and Spain's Agency for International Development and Co-operation (AECID) on Dec. 5 launched an information campaign aimed at fighting the trafficking of women and children, in the northern border province of Lang Son.

The launching ceremony drew the participation of over 500 delegates from border provinces of Lang Son, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and Nghe An, as well as donors and international agencies.

On this occasion, photos and documents on experiences of victims of human trafficking, as well as their process of re-integrating into the community were introduced.

Activities to help victims of human trafficking under the project Peaceful House were also introduced.

The campaign called on all sectors, agencies and the community in the country and abroad to join hands to prevent crimes of this kind and help victims.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, there were 1,949 cases of human trafficking reported occurred, involving 4,793 victims from 2004./.

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Mekong youth discuss human trafficking

Five Vietnamese children, together with 25 contemporaries from the Greater Mekong Sub-region countries, are in Bangkok, Thailand for the third Mekong Youth Forum on Human Trafficking and Migration.

The week-long forum aims to inform policy makers and the public about a range of risks children in the region face. Delegates at the forum are also discussing measures to better protect at-risk children and youth from exploitation and trafficking.

Participants from countries, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, will discuss and share their first-hand experiences with migration or trafficking. The five Vietnamese children were selected by 85 delegates at the National Children's Conference in August.

Nguyen Thi Mai An, 15, from the central Highlands province of Kon Tum, told te English-language daily Vietnam News before her departure that she and her friends would walk along the border near her home to disseminate information about human trafficking to local residents.

They provided the local children with information about human trafficking and held talks and spread the slogans: "Listen to the children's cry on the other side of borderline" and "Put traffickers into a prison cell!"

She said that the province was home to several ethnic minority groups, so the communication campaign attached importance to understanding the groups' cultures first.

"Vietnamese children want more information about how to combat human trafficking, as well as how to protect themselves," said An. "We also want to achieve more cooperation to deal with these issues at the regional forum."

At the meeting, the participants are using creative methods to tell their stories, discuss human trafficking and migration, and talk about potential future action plans. Groups of artists will work as co-facilitators to help children prepare their own creative presentations.

According to the organiser, the regional forum aims to institutionalise the participation of children and youth in local, national and regional anti-trafficking programmes.

The forum's results will be discussed by leaders from the region at the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking's official meeting.

Between 2004-09, about 1,600 human trafficking cases were reported, involving 2,900 traffickers and 4,000 victims. Most trafficking victims are women and children.

The forum has been co-organised by the International Labour Organisation, World Vision, Save the Children UK and the UN Inter-agency Project on Human Trafficking./.

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Mekong youth discuss human trafficking

BANGKOK — Five Vietnamese children, together with 25 contemporaries from the Greater Mekong Sub-region countries, are in Bangkok, Thailand for the third Mekong Youth Forum on Human Trafficking and Migration.

The week-long forum aims to inform policy makers and the public about a range of risks children in the region face. Delegates at the forum are also discussing measures to better protect at-risk children and youth from exploitation and trafficking.

Participants from countries, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, will discuss and share their first-hand experiences with migration or trafficking. The five Vietnamese children were selected by 85 delegates at the National Children's Conference in August.

Nguyen Thi Mai An, 15, from Kon Tum Province, told Viet Nam News before her departure that she and her friends would walk along the border near her home to disseminate information about human trafficking to local residents.

They provided the local children with information about human trafficking and held talks and spread the slogans: "Listen to the children's cry on the other side of borderline" and "Put traffickers into a prison cell!"

She said that the province was home to several ethnic minority groups, so the communication campaign attached importance to understanding the groups' cultures first.

"Vietnamese children want more information about how to combat human trafficking, as well as, how to protect themselves," said An. "We also want to achieve more co-operation with these issues at the regional forum."

At the meeting, the participants are using creative methods to tell their stories, discuss human trafficking and migration, and talk about potential future action plans. Groups of artists will work as co-facilitators to help children prepare their own creative presentations.

According to the organiser, the regional forum aims to institutionalise the participation of children and youth in local, national and regional anti-trafficking programmes.

The forum's results will be discussed by leaders from the region at the Co-ordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking's official meeting.

Between 2004-09, about 1,600 human trafficking cases were reported, involving 2,900 traffickers and 4,000 victims. Most trafficking victims are women and children.

The forum has been co-organised by the International Labour Organisation, World Vision, Save the Children UK and the UN Inter-agency Project on Human Trafficking. — VNS

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Law on anti-human trafficking needed, says Minister

Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong stressed the need to promulgate a law on the prevention and fight against human trafficking in the circumstance of human trafficking, especially in women and children has become more complex.

The Minister on October 25 made a report at the National Assembly’s on-going session in Hanoi,  adding that the law will have political significance, both domestically and externally, showing the strong determination of the Vietnamese Party and State in the fight against such crimes.

Minister Cuong also said the law would be considered as an important step in preparations for Vietnam to ratify the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (TOC) and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking of Persons, especially Women and Children.

The Draft Law on P revention and Fight against Human Trafficking has eight chapters with 51 articles, stipulating issues of regulations and orientations for works to prevent and fight against human trafficking.

Besides common regulations, the draft law also has measures to prevent and act against violations, protect and assist victims, and establishes a coordination mechanism among government agencies and international organisations.

It also includes education and dissemination of information to high-risk groups and State management, and management of residents, immigration, marriage and adoption with a foreign factor, and any other areas where human traffickers can take unfair advantage of people.

The Minister said that the Party and State have exerted many efforts in the fight against human trafficking by promulgating many legal documents to protect human rights, including the Law on Marriage and Family, the Penal Code, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control and the Ordinance on Prostitution Prevention and Control. Especially, the Prime Minister approved the Action Plan on preventing and combating the trafficking of women and children for the 2004-2010 period.

Many economic, social and dissemination measures have been taken in the community to contribute to fighting this crime and to help victims to reintegrate into the community.

In addition, Vietnam has boosted cooperation with other countries and international organisations like China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) to carry out joint activities in this area. Vietnam has also signed bilateral cooperation agreements on fighting human trafficking with Cambodia, Thailand and China.

The Draft Law on P revention and Fighting against Human Trafficking is the first among nine laws to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration at this session./.

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Da Nang aims for hi-tech city status by 2015

The central city of Da Nang is striving to become a hi-tech city by 2015 with IT human resource growth of 5-10 percent and the number of software businesses increasing by 30 percent.

These targets were revealed at a conference on Da Nang city’s master plan on IT human resource development, held in the city on October 20.

The city has also set a target of earning around 50 million USD per annum from software exports by 2015.

However, participants at the conference pointed out Da Nang ’s shortcomings in IT human resource development, including lack of experienced IT experts and weak planning capacity.

They also put foward objectives and strategies for the city’s IT human resource development, focusing on meeting the personnel demands of State agencies and businesses.

Conference participants said the city should firstly concentrate on developing the capacity of e-government and software technologies, as well as building an open IT system and strengthening standards, systems and networks.

In the 2010-2020 period, Da Nang should prioritise four major aspects to give its IT development a strong foundation, including e-service, e-government, strategic management of IT and boosting the software industry./.

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More to be done to reduce poverty

HA NOI — Viet Nam's efforts to combat poverty have been largely successful but more could be done for vulnerable groups, an official from the United Nations said in Ha Noi yesterday.

Magdalena Sepulveda, an expert on human rights and poverty, has been on a nine-day visit to Viet Nam at the invitation of the Government.

She has so far visited poor communities in Ha Noi and Bac Kan and Quang Nam provinces.

The Government needs to employ innovative strategies to reach minority groups who remain in poverty, Sepulveda said.

She said that as Vietnamese cities develop, greater strain would be put on public services and infrastructure.

"Several barriers that prevent ‘unregistered' migrants from coming to cities also prevent them from gaining accesses to social services, which undermines their human rights," she said.

She said local authorities should not only focus on urban development but on eliminating barriers to social services.

Sepulveda praised Viet Nam's new social protection strategy for 2011-20, but said the Government should boost support for social assistance programmes.

"Despite commendable efforts to expand the coverage of free health insurance cards and subsidies for education, most of these benefits are taken away because of user fees," she said.

She also emphasised the need for transparency and accountability when it came to social protection.

"The Government must immediately strengthen and implement effective and accessible mechanisms for complaints and adopt appropriate legislation to guarantee access to information, among other things," she said.

Sepulveda praised Viet Nam's engagement with international mechanisms for protecting human rights.

"The invitation of various human rights experts to the country opens space for promising dialogue. Viet Nam may further express this commitment through the ratification of human rights treaties such as the Convention against Torture," she said.

The national poverty rate is now 10 per cent, in comparison to 56 per cent in 1995. — VNS

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