Comprehensive and systematic measures suitable for each region are being carried out by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) to promote equal access to education, said Deputy Director of the MoET’s Quality Control Department Pham Quoc Khanh.

He made the remark while talking to Vietnam News Agency about the recently released Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 results.

The programme on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics, and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. In Vietnam, the 2022 survey covered 6,068 students of 178 schools, representing about 939,500 students aged 15 nationwide.

Khanh said survey results show that students living in better socioeconomic conditions fare better in mathematics than those in disadvantaged areas, with the respective average scores of 93 points and 78 points in OECD members. This occurs in not only Vietnam but also many other countries/economies.

However, about 13% of the students with disadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnam gained high scores in mathematics, compared to the OECD average of 10%.

Aside from socioeconomic conditions, there are also other factors affecting students’ performance. Given this, the MoET has been taking comprehensive and systematic measures suitable for each region to promote equal access to education, the official said.

The PISA 2022 results show that the average score of Vietnamese students in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science ranked 34th of the 81 countries/economies in the list, and was only second to Singapore among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Vietnam stood at the 31st position among the 81 countries/economies in mathematics, 34th in reading, and 35th in science.

Among the countries sharing a similar socioeconomic status, the mathematics score of Vietnamese students was among the highest, only following Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), and the Republic of Korea.

The findings indicate that higher spending on education is linked with better results in PISA mathematical performance, but Vietnam is a typical example of high academic results despite limited investment in education.

Education spending for each student aged 6 - 15 was only about 13,800 USD in Vietnam but reached 75,000 USD in OECD economies. Meanwhile, the average score of Vietnamese students in mathematics was 438 points, one of the highest among the countries/territories with a similar socioeconomic status, according to the survey.

 

Khanh said Vietnam will continue taking part in future PISA surveys.

He added the country has applied the OECD assessment model to students. The Quality Control Department has been providing training in the PISA assessment methodology for education managers and teachers so as to reform the ways examinations are designed to further develop student capacity.

The PISA assessment techniques and methodology feature many strong points suitable for the latest general education programme, issued in 2018. The application will help improve the quality of general education as well as the Vietnamese education’s integration into the world, the official noted.

PM meets with Vietnamese Business Association in Australia

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working session with leaders and members of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia (VBAA) in Canberra on March 9 morning as part of his official visit to Australia.

The VBAA, established in 2010, currently groups about 500 members, including some 100 in Vietnam.

VBAA Chairman Tran Ba Phuc and other members expressed their delight that the homeland’s stature has been increasingly promoted and the two countries have elevated their ties to the highest level – comprehensive strategic partnership, which is a favourable condition for Vietnamese firms to do business in Australia and foster bilateral trade and investment.

Perceiving that opportunities are substantial after the upgrade of the bilateral relations, they put forth some proposals related to the facilitation of green transition, renewable energy, startups, innovation, foreign investment attraction, the utilisation of wisdom of Vietnamese students in Australia, the attraction of Australian tourists, labour cooperation, and exports to Australia.

Appreciating the opinions, PM Chinh highly valued the VBAA’s recent business achievements, which, he said, have contributed to economic development in both countries and helped connect Vietnamese firms in Australia.

He noted that during his visit, Australian leaders spoke highly of the Vietnamese community here, and that he proposed the Australian side consider recognising the 350,000 Vietnamese people in the country as an ethnic minority group.

The PM highlighted the flourishing economic, trade, and investment ties, asking the VBAA and the Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs in Australia to bring into play their achievements and maximise the freshly established comprehensive strategic partnership to further develop bilateral economic links.

PM Chinh expressed his belief that the VBAA and Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs in Australia as well as around the world will develop strongly, practically help with the development of the Vietnamese community, and secure a growing stature, thereby contributing to the development of the host country, the bilateral relations, and the homeland.

PM works with Vietnamese scholars and experts in Australia

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with leaders and representatives of the Vietnamese Australian Scholars & Experts Association (VASEA) in Canberra on March 9 morning (local time) as part of his official visit to Australia.

VASEA was formed in 2023 by gathering Vietnamese intellectual clubs across Australia. These clubs were founded in 2018, shortly after the two nations upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership.

The association aims to leverage the knowledge and experience of its members and the network of connections with Australian scientists and experts to contribute to Vietnam’s development, particularly in such emerging fields as digital transformation, green transition, innovation, support for small- and medium-sized enterprises, and workforce training, stated VASEA Co-founder and President Professor Nghiem Duc Long from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

VASEA and its members can act as bridges, promoting Australian partners to provide more and better scholarships for Vietnamese students.

At the working session, PM Chinh stressed that the framework of the freshly established Vietnam-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership offers favourable conditions for the nations’ friendship associations to step up cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and contributions to the growth of the bilateral relations.

He affirmed that the Party and the State consider overseas Vietnamese an integral part of the Vietnamese community, with a desire for Vietnamese intellectuals and experts abroad to actively apply the expertise and technology acquired internationally to the specific conditions in Vietnam, promoting science, technology, and innovation and making practical contributions to the country’s development through specific programmes and projects.

The Government leader recommended VASEA to maximise the role of Vietnamese scholars and experts in Australia, further connect with Australian research institutions, training facilities and businesses, and cooperate with Vietnamese ministries and sectors to boost cooperation in the areas of science-technology, education-training, economy-trade- investment, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, deep processing of minerals, green transport, and carbon credits. Vietnam also needs support for farmers, agricultural economic development, and climate change response, especially in the Mekong Delta region, he noted.

The PM took this occasion to assign the Ministry of Education and Training to work directly with VASEA to promote bilateral engagements in human resource training. He hoped Australia will increase scholarships for Vietnam in the fields of digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, and sharing economy.

PM Chinh tasked the Ministry of Science and Technology with studying the organisation of sci-tech awards honouring overseas Vietnamese, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with developing a project on holding a forum for overseas Vietnamese scholars and experts in Vietnam.

The working session was the PM’s final activity in Australia. Following this event, the leader, his spouse, and a high-level Vietnamese delegation will depart Canberra for Auckland for an official visit to New Zealand from March 10 to 11.

Vietnam Road Administration takes action to enhance road safety

The Vietnam Road Administration has issued a directive to various stakeholders to enhance the management, maintenance and safety of road networks amid increasing traffic accidents on certain routes.  

The directive emphasises the need for proactive measures to identify and deal with potential hazards on the roads, such as accident-prone areas and traffic organisation issues. 

It comes just days after five people were killed in a collision between a sleeper bus and a container truck in the northern province of Tuyên Quang on Tuesday.

The fatal accident occurred at around 1.40am on National Highway 2 in the province’s Yên Sơn District, when the sleeper bus was travelling into Tuyên Quang from neighbouring Hà Giang Province and the truck was driving in the opposite direction.

As stated in the directive, contractors are urged to swiftly implement projects aimed at eliminating these risks, ensuring both timely completion and quality. Furthermore, the administration calls for innovative solutions and improved project planning to address underlying factors contributing to accidents. 

They stress the importance of assessing existing infrastructure and providing recommendations for enhancement.

To address infrastructure issues and traffic organisation problems, road management agencies, investors, and maintenance contractors need to take corrective actions. 

Concerning traffic order and safety issues caused by illegal encroachments on road shoulders, sidewalks, or safety lanes, road management units, Transport Departments, must take decisive steps. 

They should formally request district-level People's Committees to enforce removal of the violations if the offenders refuse to comply.

The Vietnam Road Administration is sounding the alarm, calling on all units to ramp up their efforts in inspecting, maintaining roads, and patrolling to swiftly tackle traffic issues and revamp traffic organisation.

Relevant agencies are also urged to ensure regular maintenance, clear up roadsides, and optimise road markings while keeping an eye on visibility-blocking trees. 

They're also tasked with promptly fixing road damages like potholes, cracks, and ensuring proper installation of safety measures like speed bumps, signs, and signal lights. 

Foreign workers contribute to improving Việt Nam’s labour productivity

Foreigners working in Việt Nam have contributed significantly to improving the country’s labour productivity and efficiency of production and business activities.

Lê Văn Thinh, director of the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said this at a dialogue on recruitment and employment of foreign workers in Việt Nam, held in HCM City on March 6.

With the participation of nearly 200 enterprises, the dialogue aims to help enterprises using foreign employees deal with difficulties and obstacles.

Thinh said foreign workers have contributed to providing human resources with expertise, management experience, and professional working skills that meet international standards.

HCM City has nearly 30,000 foreigners licensed to work at the city’s agencies, organisations and businesses.

“They help improve the city’s labour quality and create new career opportunities for locals,” he said.

In recent years, Vietnamese legal regulations related to foreign workers have changed many times, aiming to create favorable conditions for foreign workers working in Việt Nam, including loosening the visa policy for foreigners, creating more favourable conditions for foreigners coming to the country, and no limit on the ratio of foreign employees working in organisations and businesses in Việt Nam.

However, there are still inadequacies and shortcomings in the implementation of the regulations.

The participants discussed issues related to licensing; entry, exit and temporary residence procedures; personal income tax calculation; and payment of social and health insurance for foreign workers.

Representatives of the municipal Taxation Department, the Social Insurance Agency, and the Department of Public Security’s immigration unit answered participants’ queries, helping them address problems. 

Over 5,000 people join ‘Ao dai’ parade in HCM City

Over 5,000 people clad in "Ao dai" (Vietnamese traditional gown) joined a parade in Ho Chi Minh City on March 8 as part of the city’s ongoing 10th Ao Dai Festival.

Head of the city Women’s Union Nguyen Tran Phuong Tran said that the annual festival has been held for a decade on the occasion of the International Women’s Day (March 8), with an aim of honouring the traditional costume as well as the beauty of Vietnamese women.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung expressed his belief that the women movement will develop further, helping the city successfully fulfil its socio-economic and cultural targets.

Held from March 7-17, the festival includes a variety of unique activities such as an art programme themed “Ao Dai – Colours of Ho Chi Minh City”, an Ao dai exhibition and interaction space, and an online competition.

Ministries make greater efforts to bring laws, resolutions to life

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vương Đình Huệ on Thursday requested agencies to make greater efforts, determination and responsibility to quickly bring the NA's decisions to fruition.

Speaking at the second national conference on implementing laws and resolutions of the 15th NA’s sixth session and fifth extraordinary session, NA Chairman Huệ acknowledged ministries and localities for proactively and firmly implementing laws and resolutions in recent years.

He emphasised a number of key tasks that need to be focused on in the coming time.

The NA Chairman assigned NA committees to review, give opinions, and verify reports of the Government on implementing laws and resolutions, and report to the NA for consideration and discussion in case of necessity.

He required concerned organisations to soon issue documents detailing laws and resolutions, and arrange resources and conditions to ensure missions are completed on schedule.

NA Chairman Huệ requested the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the State Audit and central agencies to contribute opinions on the development and promulgation of documents detailing laws and resolutions.

They should educate people about the laws in appropriate forms, and encourage people from all walks of life to strictly follow the laws and resolutions.

The Law on Land 2024 has many important new and groundbreaking contents that contribute to the goal of perfecting policies, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of land management and use, said Chairman of the NA's Economic Committee Vũ Hồng Thanh.

Thanh said that this year, it was planned to issue decrees implementing the Land Law on different contents such as Regulations on basic land surveys; Registration and issuance of land use rights certificates, Ownership of assets attached to land and land information system; Regulations on compensation, support and resettlement when the State recovers land; and Regulations on land development funds.

The Economic Committee, the Ethnic Council, and other NA committees within their respective fields of responsibility will supervise the promulgation of decrees and circulars detailing the assigned contents in the law.

The decrees and circulars must ensure stability and development of the land legal system. They must have consistency and synchronisation with documents detailing the Law on Housing, Law on Real Estate Business and the legal system.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Lê Minh Ngân said that the Law on Land 2024 had a number of new contents such as land planning and use; recovery, compensation and support for resettlement; land allocation, land lease and permission to change land use purposes; issuance of land use transfer certificates; land policies for ethnic minorities; and land database.

According to the Prime Minister's Decision, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) was assigned to compile six decrees and four circulars.

The ministry urgently established a drafting committee and an editorial team.

It has collected opinions from affected organisations and individuals, and at the same time organises conferences in regions to receive comments on the draft documents.

The documents will be submitted to the competent authority for consideration and approval in May this year.

The Decree on Sea Reclamation Activities will be submitted this month following simplified procedures to take effect from April 1 this year.

The MONRE will preside and coordinate with concerned ministries and units to develop a project on commercial housing through agreements on receiving land use rights and submit it to the competent authority as soon as possible to ensure progress. 

Mai wins stage, takes lead at Bình Dương International Cycling Tournament

Nguyễn Thị Thu Mai won the second stage and took the leading position of the Bình Dương International Women's Cycling Tournament on March 7.

Mai, a member of Lộc Trời Group, completed the 143km stage from Thủ Dầu Một City to Bình Phước and back in a time of 3hr 31.36min.

Mai was among the cyclists in the lead pack and her strong sprint 5km from the finish helped her successfully leave behind strong opponents such as Natalia Frolova (Biwase Bình Dương), Khairunnisa Aleeya Saifulnizam (Malaysia national team), Maneephan Jutatip (Thailand national team) and Urara Kawaguchi (Gerbera) to take the stage win.

Frolova came second followed by Saifulnizam.

After two stages, Mai is at the top of the overall ranking with a time of 5:54.00 and will wear the yellow jersey, taken from Jutatip, who won the first stage, to start the next stage.

Although she failed to keep the yellow jersey, Jutatip, in second place overall, still held the blue jersey as the rider with the most points on classified climbs over the race. The Thai was the first to reach the two out of three intermediate sprints of this stage.

In the team's ranking, Lộc Trời Group are No 1, Malaysia is in second place and Biwase Bình Dương third.

The third stage will be 109km from Định Quán District of Đồng Nai Province to Bảo Lộc  City of Lâm Đồng Province.

The 9.5km Bảo Lộc Hill will be a tough challenge for the cyclists but it seems to be a favourite stage of Russian Frolova, who is really good at hill climbing.

The annual Biwase Cup is being held from March 6-15 and gathers the strongest riders of 11 local clubs along with those from nine international teams.

Cyclists will race in 10 stages covering 1,158km starting from Bình Dương, past Đồng Nai, Lâm Đồng, Khánh Hòa, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận and Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu, before returning to Bình Dương. 

Fresh hand-foot-mouth disease infections rising in Hanoi

The capital of Hanoi has scrambled to stamp out new outbreaks of the hand-foot-mouth disease, with the number of infections increasing considerably.

The city recorded 37 infected cases last week alone, an increase of 19 cases compared to the previous week, a representative of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said on March 8.

Most child infections were logged in Nam Tu Liem district (12), Ha Dong district (5), Long Bien and Thanh Tri districts (3 each). Notably, the disease broke out at the Social Protection Center No. 3 in Nam Tu Liem district.

So far this year the city has documented 125 children with hand-foot-mouth disease, an increase of 1.8 times compared to the same period last year, said the Hanoi CDC representative.

The city may record more cases in the coming weeks as the weather is changing between winter and spring that sparks outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles, chickenpox, hand-foot-mouth disease, and whooping cough, warned the CDC representative.

The municipal CDC recommended that relevant agencies closely monitor and early detect and effectively handle clusters of cases, especially at health stations, preschools, and elementary schools, in order to prevent the virus spreading across the wider community.

The centre also reminded parents to take children to vaccination points and get enough shots in time.

Vietnam and Denmark promote healthcare cooperation

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde paid a visit to Vietnam on March 5-6 to further strengthen the bilateral health cooperation, especially on primary health care and non-communicable diseases.

Vietnam is in a transition where socio-economic development, urbanization and an ageing population are changing the disease patterns and increasing the demand for health services. Statistics show the country has experienced an increase of non-communicable diseases from 46% of the disease burden in 1990, to 74% in 2017.

Many Vietnamese national indicators, especially in communicable diseases, malnutrition and infant and maternal health, show impressive progress and improvements, demonstrating that Vietnam has done extremely well in translating economic growth into concrete benefits for its citizens, enhancing both social and human development. National averages, however, still mask inequities – in particular for ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups who do not have equitable access to health care services.

During a meeting with the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, Løhde noted that primary health care is crucial in ensuring equal access to health and tackling the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

“I hope that our cooperation can serve as inspiration for the development of a strong Vietnamese model for ensuring equal access to basic health care, reducing out-of-pocket spending and helping patients live their lives to the fullest despite diseases,” said the Danish Minister.

Meeting with Nguyen Thuy Anh, chairperson of the Vietnam National Assembly’s Social Affairs Committee, the two sides explored opportunities to strengthen Vietnam’s primary healthcare system and discussed how to enhance equal access to health services for disadvantaged communities in the country.

The Danish Minister also made a field trip to Thai Binh province, where training activities and joint research are being carried out. She also engaged with Vietnamese partners in an effort to curb anti-microbial resistance, a killer of more than 1.3 million people globally in 2019, during a call at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Phase three of the cooperation, which consolidates the results gained during phase one and two and further advances the cooperation in primary health care and non-communicable diseases, is expected to commence later this year.  

Løhde’s trip was the first Danish high-level visit to Vietnam following the signing of the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) last November, in which both Vietnam and Denmark reaffirm mutual commitment to the continued cooperation in the healthcare sector, one of five bilateral Strategic Sector Cooperation programs.  

The Strategic Sector Cooperation between Vietnamese health authorities and Danish health authorities started in 2016. It aims to strengthen primary health care in Vietnam for prevention, detection and treatment management of non-communicable diseases through policy dialogue, technical exchanges and training. The Strategic Sector Cooperation includes activities at policy level with the Ministry of Health as well as the local level, including the Department of Health and 30 commune health stations in Thai Binh province.

In addition to the Strategic Sector Cooperation, Denmark supports Vietnam through the Danida Fellowship Center (DFC) training courses and joint research projects, promoting the transfer of knowledge, expertise and experiences between health-workers and experts of the two countries. Currently, the Vietnamese DFC alumni in health has more than 120 people, who have studied in Denmark for either short courses, master degrees or PhDs.

Vietnam responds to International Day of Action for Rivers

Together with countries around the world that are making efforts to protect and restore rivers, the Government of Vietnam has been implementing many important policies and practical actions to protect and revive the Earth's source of life and respond to the International Day of Action for Rivers (March 14), according to insiders.

Data of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment show that Vietnam has 3,450 rivers and streams with a length of 10 km or more. They are located in 108 river basins spreading across the country with a total basin area of about 1.16 million sq.km, of which only 330,990 sq.km, or 28.3%, are located within Vietnam's territory.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on February 6 signed a decision approving a plan to implement the master plan on water resources for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

According to Director of the Department of Water Resources Management Chau Tran Vinh, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will coordinate with ministries, sectors, and People's Committees of provinces and cities to manage and organise the implementation of the master plan. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities will direct relevant organisations and individuals to review and adjust operation procedures for irrigation systems, irrigation and hydropower reservoirs and ensure the effective and multi-purpose use of water sources.

This year, the MoNRE is working with management and operation units of downstream irrigation works to closely monitor hydro-meteorological developments, and forecast, calculate and develop scenarios for reservoir operation and regulation, while providing information and data of inter-reservoir operation procedures, and ensuring safe water supply requirements for downstream river basins till the end of 2024’s dry season.

Ambassador highlights fisheries cooperation, development of ASEAN, Việt Nam

Ambassador Mai Phan Dũng, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations in Geneva, on March 7 affirmed the importance the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attaches to fisheries cooperation and Việt Nam's achievements in developing this sector.

He delivered speeches while attending an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

On behalf of ASEAN, Dũng stated that the bloc always attaches importance to fisheries cooperation and considers this as one of the economic integration priorities that plays an important role in ensuring food security, promoting the economies, and boosting livelihoods across the region.

He also shared many initiatives of the regional grouping aiming to assist small-scale producers, including the Strategic Plan of Action on ASEAN Cooperation on Fisheries (2021-25) that identifies strategic priorities such as enhancing the fisheries and aquaculture sector’s resilience to climate change and natural shocks, and helping small-scale producers improve productivity and competitiveness.

The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises, adopted last September, emphasises the commitment to facilitating fishermen’s access to finance to improve the long-term resilience and sustainability of fisheries, the diplomat noted, adding it also stresses the necessity to utilise available resources in ASEAN for food production, especially for small-scale farmers, fishermen, and other groups vulnerable to food insecurity.

Delivering the speech of Việt Nam, Ambassador Dũng highlighted the country’s efforts and achievements in fisheries development and gave a brief presentation of Việt Nam's strategy for fisheries development by 2030, with a vision to 2045.

He affirmed that Việt Nam will continue promoting and protecting the rights of workers, especially women, in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It will assist them to access finance, market information, capital, and suitable technology while ensuring stable-income jobs and safe network for them.

Earlier, at the dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Minister Counsellor Cung Đức Hân, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, noted the country’s commitment to enhancing cultural rights and inclusive participation in science.

The Constitution of Việt Nam protects all people’s right to scientific or technological research and literary or art creation, and their entitlement to benefits from those activities, he went on.

Echoing the UN Special Rapporteur’s recommendations that aim to boost the effective engagement of vulnerable groups, Hân said that under the socio-economic development strategy for 2021-30 with a vision to 2045, Việt Nam has carried out many initiatives to remove barriers and open up more opportunities for exploration, reform, and sustainable development. 

Kon Tum plans to hold Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival

The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum is set to organise the Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival 2024 in April.

Scheduled for April 26-30 at 16 March Square, the festival will feature an exhibition of Ngoc Linh ginseng plants and other medicinal herbs, highlighting tourism development and the lifestyles of local ethnic communities.  

A culinary medicinal herb competition is also on the agenda, where participants will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for 100 delicious dishes using medicinal herbs.

Ngoc Linh ginseng businesses are expected to sign cooperation agreements during the festival.

The Kon Tum Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will host a Ngoc Linh Mountain Run and a music show featuring ethnic music groups from the Central Highlands region.

Discovered on Ngoc Linh Mountain on the boundary between Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces in the late 1960s, Ngoc Linh ginseng is a rare medicinal root containing 52 saponin compounds beneficial to health, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

By 2030, Kon Tum aims to become one of the three biggest Ngoc Linh ginseng-producing provinces.

Binh Dinh promotes model of fishing boats collecting plastic waste on sea

The Binh Dinh Province Fisheries Department yesterday informed that the provincial People’s Committee has just issued a procedure to manage ocean plastic waste from fishing vessels. 

Accordingly, Binh Dinh Province sets a goal that in the two years of 2024-2025, 70 percent of its fishermen receive proper propaganda and training on correct acts and management to reduce plastic waste on the sea; 50 percent of fishing boats participate in collecting plastic waste during their trips to recycle inland later.

By 2030, all of its fishing vessels and fishermen will have taken part in this movement of collecting plastic waste on the ocean and bringing it back to gathering points on shore for recycling purposes.

At present, the province applies this regulation to fishing boats with a length of 15m and above. The collected plastic waste will be transported to the fishing ports of Quy Nhon, Tam Quan Nam, and De Gi. There will be suitable infrastructure constructed here, fully equipped with human resources for plastic waste recycling.

In the long term, Binh Dinh Province will adopt more regulations so that fishermen take more responsibilities in the fight against ocean plastic waste.

So far, the province has piloted this for 200 fishing vessels to gather plastic waste at Quy Nhon fishing port. The collected waste was weighed and exchanged with money before being transported to a factory for categorizing and pressing via modern equipment. The processed waste will then be sold to environmental businesses which are in charge of turning it into useful items for consumption.

Mekong Delta region succeeds in artificially produce fire eel

The College of Aquaculture and Fisheries (under Can Tho University) has just announced its success in producing fire eels artificially. 

This is the impressive result of the joint scientific research project ‘Experimental research on artificially producing fire eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia)’, carried out by the Can Tho City Department of Science and Technology and Can Tho University.

At the moment, there are only a tiny number of fire eels living in the wild; therefore, their price is usually 2 to 3 times as high as that of the popular spiny eels. Being raised for a long time, a fire eel can reach a weight of 1.5-2 kilos. The heavier a fire eel is, the higher economic value it brings.

In addition, thanks to their beautiful appearance and colorful body, fire eels are wholeheartedly welcomed by aquarium hobbyists in both the Mekong Delta region and HCMC. The normal price of such a ornamental fire eel ranges from VND500,000 – 1 million (US$20.3 – 40.6), depending on the weight and distinctive colors.

Police file charges against 502 people in drug case

HCMC police have pressed charges against 502 people involved in a drug case in which four flight attendants were apprehended for carrying illicit drugs concealed in toothpaste tubes from Paris to Vietnam in March last year.

The suspects admitted to distributing 138 kilograms of illicit drugs with a total value of VND22 trillion before being caught by law enforcement.

The police have seized over 165 kilograms of illicit drugs, along with 10 firearms and other weapons associated with the drug ring.

On March 16, 2023, customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport inspected the luggage of four flight attendants and discovered more than 11 kilograms of illicit drugs hidden in 157 sealed toothpaste tubes on a flight from Paris, France, to HCMC, Vietnam.

On March 22, 2023, the police released the four flight attendants due to insufficient legal grounds for pressing charges against them. The flight attendants reportedly said they had been hired to bring those toothpaste tubes to Vietnam.

Police investigations found that certain individuals had lured Vietnamese students or residents in France into cargo forwarding services to smuggle illicit drugs into Vietnam. These drugs were then sent via post to a suspect residing in Dong Nai Province.

Subsequently, the suspect distributed the drugs to other individuals in HCMC and Binh Duong Province who retailed the drugs across the nation.

Sarus cranes return to Tram Chim National Park after two years absence
 
Four Sarus cranes have been spotted at the Tram Chim National Park after a two-year absence, a positive sign as the park is carrying out a project to lure them back. 

Four Sarus cranes have been spotted at the Tram Chim National Park on March 7 after a two-year absence.

Vice director of the Tram Chim National Park Preservation Department, Doan Van Nhanh, spoke to Dantri/Dtinews on Friday morning that four Sarus cranes had been seen at the park at noon on March 7.

"They were seen walking around looking for food for about 30 minutes before flying away," Nhanh said. "We're very happy to see them back here while we're restoring the ecosystem which is part of the project to protect and develop cranes."

Nhanh added that they've ensured proper food supplies to attract the cranes, while also preventing local people from hunting activities inside the park.

Located in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap, Tram Chim National Park, which has been recognised as the country’s fourth and the world’s 2,000th Ramsar site, covers over 7,300 hectares and is home to over 230 types of waterfowl including 32 endangered bird species like Sarus cranes, 130 freshwater fish species and 130 higher plant breeds.

The park used to receive some 1,000 Sarus cranes during winter in the 1980s but the number has dramatically fallen in recent years. No cranes have been seen at the park since 2021.

Dong Thap authorities have approved spending nearly VND 185 billion (USD7.59 million) to lure back the Sarus cranes to Tram Chim National Park.

The 10-year project has been divided into two stages.

In the first stage from 2022-2028, Tram Chim will receive 30 six-month-old Sarus cranes from Thailand, which are expected to breed after five years.

During the second stage from 2029-2032, the park will continue to receive another batch of 30 cranes from Thailand. They want to increase the number of birds to 100 during this stage.

Invest in women: Accelerate progress: UN officials

Vietnam has made strides in women’s empowerment, said Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam and Caroline Nyamayemombe, Representative of UN Women in the country in a joint article entitled “Invest in women: Accelerate progress” on the occasion of the 114th International Women’s Day.

Le Thi Ha Giang, a young entrepreneur, is working hard to integrate digital skills in her business to keep up with the transforming society. As one of the 60 trainees of the Empower Her Tech Programme by the United Nations Development Programme, she learnt website building, digital design, using generative AI, and other digital skills which will help her grow her business in the future.

Mi has never felt this confident or respected in her life – she is now the main breadwinner in the family, despite having fallen victim to human trafficking. It became possible with the help of the International Organisation on Migration, with support from the UK Government and collaboratively with reintegration partners from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, who provided Mi with three female goats – a source of food and additional income – and facilitated her societal reintegration.

These stories demonstrate that women, given the opportunity, are eager to work hard to change their lives for the better.

According to the UN officials, Vietnam has made strides in women’s empowerment. Legislation, including the Gender Equality Law and special 35% candidate quota for women in the National Assembly, enabled legal and policy environment to drive investments for women’s empowerment. Efforts are showing results with the country climbing 11 places on the latest World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, rising from 83rd to 72nd place out of 146 countries. Vietnam at over 70% female workforce participation rate, counts as one of the highest in the world and, with 30.26% women representation in parliament, Vietnam exceeds the global average of 25.5%.

Nevertheless, like elsewhere in the world, women still face barriers to equal opportunities in education, employment, and access to leadership positions. Ethnic community and disabled women especially stand out. Party bodies and People’s Council include only 6% and 7.3% female ethnic group members respectively, compared to male ethnic cadres at 36.1% and 39.0%. While Vietnam is on a good track at other levels, more work is needed at the commune level where only 22% of women are part of the commune People’s Committees.

"Looking back at the achievements of the past 29 years of implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on women’s empowerment and nearly 40 years since adopting the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women in 1981, we can draw some critical reflections to accelerate progress for women," they said.

Increasing women’s leadership across public and private institutions improves institutional performance. Up to 80% of top businesses with good results and stable operations during COVID-19, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, were led by females, while only 26.5% of business owners and CEOs in Vietnam are women. Moreover, women’s leadership and participation in key institutions is essential to combat bias and stereotypes and build public trust. By 2030, 70% of the State management agencies are expected to have at least one woman in a leadership role.

Strengthening quality education for women and girls and ensuring equal access to leadership training, career development, and funded programmes, particularly in STEM, is a key to successful digital transformation. The proportion of female graduates completing tertiary education in STEM fields in Việt Nam is 36.5%. Polytechnic University has over 78% male students compared to 22% female students. Since 75% of jobs globally will be related to STEM by 2050, targeting gender equality in STEM education would prevent growing imbalances that may be exacerbated by digital transformation.

While women are hard workers and are as competent as men, they are still paid less than men. Globally, women earn 77 % of what men earn. Gender-responsive social protection systems that ensure equitable access and support for women and girls in poverty are sorely needed. These systems help address income disparities, improve education and health outcomes, and prevent gender-based violence.

"These also promote access to decent work and facilitate the transition from informal to formal employment for women," stated the article.

Innovative financing solutions lift women and girls out of poverty. Ensuring that public resources are allocated and spent to respond to the needs and demands of women and girls will guarantee about 230,000 poor households in rural area with housing support by 2025 – Vietnam has clearly demonstrated this through its National Target Programme on New Rural Development. A compact of innovative financing mechanisms to increase investments on health, education, infrastructure to make social protection services reach those furthest behind will unlock greater economic prosperity for the country.

The United Nations Secretary-General reiterates that “we must invest in programmes to end violence against women, and to drive women’s inclusion and leadership in economies, digital technologies, peacebuilding and climate action.”

Reflecting on this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress,’ underscores the importance of empowering and supporting women to drive societal advancement.

"Mi and Le Thi Ha Giang’s stories tell us that the future can and must be brighter," they concluded.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes