Human services council

The Hanoitimes - The UN Human Rights Committee notes Vietnam’s efforts to comply with its Covenant obligations, but incompatibility still remains between its legal framework and the Covenant. Vietnam has announced its postulation to the UN Human Rights Council as ASEAN candidate for the 2023-25 term. Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh at the UN Human Rights Council's session on February 22. Photo: Baoquocte Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh told an online high-level meeting of the Geneva-based Rights Council’s 46th Regular Session held this week. He claimed that the state fully protects “human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Human rights and freedoms can be protected and promoted only when a country defends itself against the Covid-19 pandemic, Minh said. He argued that protecting people in the pandemic is the best way to ensure that each and every member of the society can fully enjoy their human rights. Minh stressed that the country continues protecting and promoting all human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people, even in this most difficult of times. The application will place Vietnam in competition with candidates from other countries in the UN’s Asia-Pacific representational grouping. The UN Human Rights Committee in March 2019 issued its “concluding observations”, making recommendations to Vietnam on how it can strengthen its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The concluding observations were made after Vietnam submitted its third report to the UN Human Rights Committee, the body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the treaty. The Committee examined the report and engaged in a constructive dialogue with Vietnam in Geneva, Switzerland. The Human Rights Committee has requested Vietnam to report within two years on the steps it has taken to implement the recommendations. …

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Under the pilot plan, the city would organize pedestrianized spaces around Hau River Park and Ninh Kieu Wharf, its top tourist attractions, as well as develop night markets combined with pedestrian streets. In addition, bars and restaurants in Ninh Kieu District would be allowed to stay open until 2 a.m. while some tour services taking visitors to watch dawn on Hau River or visit Cai Rang floating market can operate overnight. Outdoor activities would be held on weekend nights. Currently, shopping and entertainment services are only allowed to operate from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at night markets in Ninh Kieu District. After one to two years of piloting, Can Tho will implement night-time services across many parts of the city in an effort to bolster its tourism sector and boost socio-economic development. Can Tho, with an estimated population of 1.61 million, is one of Vietnam's five centrally-managed cities, alongside Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and Da Nang, It is not the only locality in Vietnam that has been boosting night-time economy development. In July 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a master plan for night-time economy development in the country, allowing major cities like Hanoi, HCMC and Da Nang as well as other tourist destinations like Hoi An, Hue, Da Lat and Phu Quoc to pilot night-time services from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. In September, authorities in Hanoi sought feedback for a pilot scheme to allow recreational establishments in the Hoan Kiem area to stay open past midnight. Under the scheme, catering, entertainment and shopping services in Hoan Kiem District, the busiest area in the capital, would be allowed to operate overnight every day while outdoor activities, historical relics and heritage sites would remain open until midnight. Last December, Khanh Hoa authorities said they were working on a plan to develop the central province's night-time economy centered around the famous beach town of Nha Trang. Quang …

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Thuc said a joint resolution of the NA Standing Committee, the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee and the Government stipulates that the credit of candidates is among major criteria to take into account in sorting out the candidates. Those who have low level of credit at their residential areas and workplace will be expelled, he said. “We find that the negotiation process has been implemented in a tighter manner. Thanks to the high responsibility of agencies, organisations and individuals, candidates who fail to meet the requirements of eligibility have been detected. Meanwhile, the issues on nationality, income and asset are also focused in evaluating the eligibility, with clearer regulations, stated Thuc. He underlined the major new feature of the upcoming general elections is the specification of relevant legal regulations, such as the regulation requiring that a candidate must win the confidence of over 50% of voters in his residential area. A candidate to the NA must have at least 10 meetings with voters, while candidates to the People’s Council at all levels should have at least five, so that people will have chances to get better understanding about them, he said. Thuc said that the VFF is currently working hard for the preparations to perform its supervision role in the upcoming elections, which are slated for May this year. In order to prepare for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in the 2021-2026 tenure, the VFF has recently held an online training conference on the supervision and inspection of the elections, he said. The VFF is responsible in engaging in this process to ensure that the elections take place in a democratic, fair and successful manner, he said, stressing that this is one of the important tasks of the VFF in the building of the administration. The affairs that the VFF engages in include popularizing and guiding election contents, holding three rounds of negotiation …

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