Sarah sterns

The launch event welcomed 60 government leaders, traditional medicine practitioners, and other project partners, and featured presentations explaining how the project will change social norms in multiple levels of Vietnamese society. “We support this project as a positive effort to protect the reputation, credibility, and sustainable future development of the traditional medicine sector in Vietnam,” said Dr. Tran Xuan Nguyen, Chairman of Professionalism Department, Vietnam Orientally Traditional Medicine Association. Despite legal protections for tigers, demand for tiger products in Vietnam remains strong, with a TRAFFIC consumer survey from 2017 finding that six percent of Vietnam’s urban population had used tiger products with and that 64 percent of them would recommend tiger products to others. Tiger bone glue was revealed to be the most popular tiger product and will be the focus of the project. “Vietnam has the power to make a huge impact on the future of tigers. This project will not only work to discourage tiger product consumption, but it will also seek to facilitate the country’s leadership on global conservation issues,” said Sarah Ferguson, Director of TRAFFIC’s Vietnam office. The project is being funded by the UK government through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. Thu Hang …

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Top leader orders careful preparations for Army’s 11th Party Congress Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, asked the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission to make meticulous preparations for the 11th Party Congress of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA). He made the statement while chairing a working session between the Politburo and the Central Military Commission’s Standing Board in Hanoi on September 12. Also attending the event were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong. Giving comments on the draft documents and personnel work preparations for the VPA’s 11th Party Congress for the 2020-2025 period, the top leader said he highly appreciated the quality of the documents. He spoke highly of the VPA’s efforts in implementing its entrusted missions, including public mobilisation, foreign relations and successful business operations. However, the army should have better management in land use as well as closer coordination with the police force to outline better strategies to protect the nation, he said, hoping the VPA will make further contributions to the building of the Party and political system. AIPA 41 successfully wraps up after three working days National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaking at the opening ceremony of AIPA-41 (Photo: VGP) The 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41) wrapped up in Hanoi via teleconference on September 10 after three working days. The event, hosted by Vietnam under the theme of ‘Parliamentary Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN’ from September 8 to 10, marks a significant milestone in the 14th National Assembly’s foreign relations during its term as the AIPA chair, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the region and the world. 2020 …

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Lao PM visits Vietnam, co-chairs inter-governmental committee’s session Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith left Hanoi on December 6, concluding his three-day visit to Vietnam during which he co-chaired the 43rd meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee on bilateral cooperation at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. While in Vietnam, the Lao PM paid a courtesy call to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. At the meetings, the two sides reached high consensus on their cooperation orientations for 2021 and over the next five and 10 years. They agreed to focus on effectively implementing major agreements between the two countries, including the Vietnam-Laos cooperation plan for 2021 and deals signed on this occasion. The two sides vowed to continue coordinating closely with and supporting each other at regional and international forums, especially within ASEAN, the Mekong Sub-region cooperation mechanisms and at the United Nations. PM Phuc sends remarks to UN General Assembly’s special session on COVID-19 PM Phuc sends remarks to UN General Assembly’s special session on COVID-19 (Photo: VNA) The General Assembly of the United Nations is holding a special session on the COVID-19 response from December 3-4 in New York. At the special session’s general debate, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in his remarks sent to the event that to win the battle against COVID-19, countries need to uphold the central role of the UN, step up policy coordination, take collective action, and champion international cooperation and multilateral efforts in global governance. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, Vietnam reiterates its support for the UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire, lifting of unilateral sanctions, and provision of humanitarian assistance in the fight …

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