United nations conference on sustainable development

Farmer weaves lotus silk in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo The International Union for Conservation of Nature Viet Nam (IUCN) in cooperation with An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta has launched a project on developing a sustainable value chain of products from lotus silk, with the financial support of The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF). The organisation has recently held a workshop to introduce the project to relevant stakeholders, focusing on the role of flood-based agriculture, the value chain for flood crops such as lotus and, in particular, the added value that can be developed from lotus silk. The project's goal is to promote flood-based livelihoods using lotus cultivation to support flood retention areas and restore some of the four billion cubic metres of water retention that was lost between 2000 and 2011 in the Mekong Delta. It will develop lotus silk making as a sustainable occupation for local communities, especially women. The project … [Read more...] about An Giang seeks to develop value chain of products from lotus silk

The program was jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Association of Victims of AO/Dioxin, the Green Leaf Charity Fund of Dong Cao Pagoda (Thai Binh province), Thai Nam Property Management and Development Joint Stock Company, and the Associations of AO/Dioxin victims in Hai Duong and Thai Binh provinces. In Hai Duong, the organizing panel presented 100 gift packages, worth VND 700,000 each, to AO victims in the districts of Binh Giang, Thanh Mien, and Gia Loc while in Thai Binh province, the organizers gave 100 gifts to AO victims in Thai Thuy and Kien Xuong districts. At the event, local authorities and benefactors expressed their hope that in the coming time, there would be more enterprises and individuals accompanying the program to support AO victims and needy people to stabilize their lives. * On the same day, the Lam Dong provincial Military Command held a ceremony to start the construction of a gratitude house for the family of a national contributor in … [Read more...] about Various activities held for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims and national contributors

VCCI Vice Chairman Nguyen Quang Vinh speaks at the forum. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A Child Rights and Business Forum was organised in Hanoi on May 30 by UNICEF Vietnam and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( VCCI ), emphasising the need for responsible business practices that respect child rights and prevent adverse human rights impacts. “Children are both the present and the future, and business practices cannot be sustainable if they do not account for their impact on children”, said Rana Flowers, Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam. “It requires children to be a key consideration in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assessments – where impacts and risks are assessed objectively, and key practices identified that can minimise those risks and create a positive impact for children. It will improve competitiveness and sustainability, it will win the support of stakeholders, especially investors, who are socially conscious and looking at ESG risks … [Read more...] about Responsible businesses for Vietnam’s thriving next generation: forum

Ninh Thuan to set off firework s to welcome grape – wine festival (Photo: VNA) Ninh Thuan (VNA) – The south central province of Ninh Thuan will hold a 15- minute firework display to welcome the Grape - Wine Festival 2023 and the ceremony to receive a certificate from UNESCO recognising the pottery-making art of the Cham ethnic minority people as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Long Bien said that the festival, running from June 13-18, are an important and meaningful event for Ninh Thuan to attract more tourists, thereby turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector with sustainable development in the coming years. Themed “Ninh Thuan – The land of convergence of different values”, spectators will have a chance to enjoy a low-range firework display in the opening night of the festival which is slated for June 16, 2023 at April 16 Square. According to Nguyen Van Hoa, Director … [Read more...] about Ninh Thuan to set off fireworks to welcome grape – wine festival

Hanoi will apply many solutions to improve the efficiency of enforcing food safety regulations in 2023 and the future. The Hanoi People's Committee has issued a plan to ensure food security for ten million people in the capital by 2030. The plan, signed by Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen, aims to strengthen the responsibilities of local governments and socio-political organizations to ensure food safety and security in Hanoi in all circumstances. The plan also aims to promote the resources of all economic sectors and support from the State to develop agriculture in a sustainable way. A farmer introduces a new rice variety in Hanoi’s outskirts. Photo: Lam Nguyen/The Hanoi Times According to the plan, by 2030, Hanoi will have approximately 55,000 hectares of rice production with an annual output of at least 660,000 tons of rice. In addition, the city has set targets to increase food consumption, reduce the rate of … [Read more...] about Hanoi to ensure food safety for ten million residents

The National Assembly (NA) will discuss the VAT reduction from the existing 10 per cent rate to 8 per cent on June 1 before receiving an approval from NA deputies in a resolution slated for June 24, the last day of the ongoing fifth session. The VAT cut proposed by the government is set to be applied from July 1 to the end of 2023 for all types of goods and services currently subject to a 10 per cent VAT rate. The initiative is part of Resolution No.43/2022/QH15 released early last year on fiscal and monetary policies supporting the Programme on Socioeconomic Recovery and Development. Consumers of many types can benefit from VAT cuts, photo Le Toan Under Resolution 43, the 2 per cent cut was applied last year for goods and services subject to a 10 per cent rate, except for various goods and services such as telecommunications, IT, financial and banking activities, securities and insurance, trading of real estate, metal and precast metal products, mining products … [Read more...] about Support to continue in form of VAT cut

Border guards of Ca Mau province examine a fishing vessel. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – In efforts to persuade the European Commission to lift the “yellow card” warning, localities in the Mekong Delta have been taking strong and concerted measures to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and help the fisheries sector develop sustainably. In Soc Trang province, the Sub-department of Fisheries said it has coordinated with the provincial Department of Information and Communications to step up checking vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installed on fishing boats and asked VMS suppliers to make timely repair if there are any breakdowns. So far, all fishing vessels over 15m long in Soc Trang have been equipped with smoothly operating VMS. The province’s Border Guard Command has also ordered local border guard posts to intensify the dissemination of the 2017 Law on Fisheries and others to fishermen. As a result, 368 vessels operating in deep-sea … [Read more...] about Localities in Mekong Delta augment efforts against IUU fishing

Thanks to the Party and State’s ethnic policies, over the past years, the living quality of the ethnic groups has been improved. However, the hostile forces always try to divide and destroy the great bloc of national unity and make use of land disputes to cause instability. In order to conduct the ethnic work in the areas, Division 330 has directed its affiliated units to work with the local authorities to grasp local situations. One of the measures that they have taken is gradual mass mobilization work. Therefore, all troops are well aware of the importance of the task. Especially, troops tasked with mass mobilization work have good knowledge of ethnic groups. “This is the core force in implementing mass mobilization work among ethnic groups,” affirmed Political Commissar of Division 330 Colonel Duong Cong Sang. Accordingly, the troops have focused on disseminating information about the guidelines and policies of the Party, State and military on ethnic groups, hostile forces’ … [Read more...] about More practical activities to help ethnic people

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Vietnam's GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP) stood in 25 th position globally in 2022, ranking just below countries such as Australia, and Poland. Specifically, Australia's reached approximately $1.63 trillion, securing 20 th position worldwide, while Poland's stood at around $1.64 trillion, placing it 19 th . The IMF also estimates that by 2023, Vietnam is expected to secure fourth position in Southeast Asia with a forecast GDP PPP of approximately $1.45 trillion. Looking further ahead, by 2026, Vietnam is estimated to have surpassed Thailand, propelling it to the second spot in the region with a figure of around $1.87 trillion. By 2028, Vietnam's economy is anticipated to have reached approximately $2.21 trillion, placing it among the top 20 economies globally. The top 20 economies in 2028, according to the IMF, are predicted to include China, the United States, India, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, … [Read more...] about Vietnam projected to become 20th largest global economy

On display are over 20 publications chosen among more than 1,000 works published during the first development stage of Quoc Ngu in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, that the University Library of Languages and Civilizations (BULAC) has collected so far. The exhibition, entitled "Chu Quoc ngu, a fundamental factor in the renewal of Vietnamese culture from 1860 to 1945," will run until May 31. The exhibits include the first novels of Vietnam written in Western style such as “Thay Lazaro Phien” (Teacher Lazaro Phien) by Nguyen Trong Quan which was published in 1887, or “Chuyen doi xua” (The story of old life), which was released in 1866; and translated versions of some well-known Chinese and French works such as "The Story of Three Kingdoms" (1909) and “The Miserable” (1926). There are also the first issues of Gia Dinh newspaper published in July 1865 or Nam Phong magazine (1923). According to Nguyen Thi Hai, who is in charge of the exhibition, BULAC's … [Read more...] about Old Vietnamese publications in romanized script on display in Paris