Social News 9/12 Ministry launches campaign to support cancer patients   Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long gave presents to cancer patients in an event in September this year. The health ministry on Tuesday launched a two-month campaign on sending messages to support cancer patients via the Bright Future Fund. The fund, in co-ordination with the Vietnam Television and the Portal Humanity National, which is often called Portal 1400, opened the campaign yesterday and will run it till February 6 next year to ask the community to help cancer patients. Under the campaign, people can text "UT" to 1406. With each message, people can donate VND12,000 (US$0.5) to the fund. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health and Chairwoman of the fund Nguyen Thi Xuyen said cancer was a huge problem for the community. It was a deadly disease that killed a number of people, including children, and had become the obsession of all victims, she said. The number of cancer patients was rising, not only in Viet Nam but also other countries in every age group and area, Xuyen said. Cancer is a burden for many families because of the long and expensive treatment involved, which most patients cannot afford. Some patients such as children had to end their treatment because their families were too poor and could not pay for it, she said. About 150,000 new cancer patients are reported in Viet Nam and about 70,000 people die from the disease every year, according to the health ministry. Hospital failed to pay salary for its employees A hospital in northern Hai Phong city owes its employees a total of VND1.8 billion (US$80,120) in salary arrears that have not been paid since 2014. Director of Hong Duc Hospital in Kien An District, Ngo Thuan Oanh said due to fund shortage, the hospital has not disbursed the salaries of its 120 employees since October 2014, the online Vnexpress newspaper reported. The hospital staffs received a full salary for March this year and amounts ranging from VND1 to 3 million (($45 to 134) for April and May only. The hospital owes a doctor up to VND300 million ($13,300). Hai Phong Social Insurance this year discovered that Hong Duc hospital failed to pay social and health insurance for its employees and used tricks to steal more than VND1.1 billion ($4,900) from social insurance. Hong Duc hospital has a total of 120 health workers. Among these, 30 people have an average monthly salary of VND5 million ($223), 40 get salaries ranging from VND6 to 25 million ($267 to 1,100) while the remaining, who are 50 fresh graduates on probation receive VND1 to 3 million ($45 to 134) per month each. HCM City airport to get new car park A five-storey VND550-billion (nearly US$25 million) car park will be constructed to ease the overcrowding in the domestic terminal's parking lot, a representative of the airport management board said. The 11,000sq.m new building will be made of steel. It will accommodate 4,000 motorbikes, and will have 1,500 indoor and 240 outdoor spaces for automobiles. The first floor will be used for parking motorbikes and the rest for automobiles. Construction will start this month and the new car park is expected to become operational in March next year. As the existing airport is being replaced with a new one, a small temporary area has been set up for parking motorbikes in the daytime only, while automobiles will be kept in the international terminal's car park. New project to promote use of green batteries All people in the country are being offered a chance to exchange their old batteries with green batteries at no additional cost. Meanwhile, about 1,000 students nationwide are expected to participate in an eco-learning programme next year. These activities are part of a strategic partnership agreement on environment protection that was signed this morning between the Viet Nam Environmental Administration and Panasonic Viet Nam. Under the agreement, the two sides will collaborate on a series of joint activities such as a tree-planting programme, eco-learning programme and a green battery exchange campaign. The students will be taught interactive lessons, with topics ranging from climate change, biodiversity and energy to green technology. The company has committed to co-operate with local authorities in rolling out a green battery exchange campaign to promote the use of eco-friendly products in Viet Nam. People can exchange their old batteries with these green batteries, manufactured by the company. The green batteries do not contain any hazardous substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Director of the company Masahiro Yamamoto said through the green battery exchange campaign, the local community was expected to become more aware of how to protect the environment by making positive behavioural changes. Speaking at the signing ceremony, head of the administration Nguyen Van Tai said the company's commitment toward promoting environmental sustainability was warmly welcomed. Tai said he hoped the two sides would together lay the right foundation of environment protection in the country. Vietnam, Laos sign MoU on drug prevention Vietnamese and Lao border provinces signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in preventing and combating cross-border drug crimes at a meeting in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on December 8. The meeting drew representatives from Vietnam’s Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Son La and Dien Bien provinces and their Lao border localities of Xieng Khouang, Houaphan, Luang Prabang and Phongsaly. Participants discussed measures to improve the provinces’ coordination in the drug fight in 2016 and the following years. The provincial steering committees for drug and crime prevention suggested the serious implementation of documents on international cooperation in the field signed between Vietnamese and Lao governments, ministries, departments and localities. The committees will step up communication campaigns to raise public awareness of law on drug prevention, and continue persuading inhabitants, especially those living in the border areas, not to replant opium trees and engage in the fight. Police, border guard and customs officials are expected to enhance collaboration in preventing drug crimes along the shared border. Competent forces from the eight Vietnamese and Lao provinces have so far this year detected 2,887 cases involving 3,856 individuals, representing respective declines of 361 and 470 year-on-year. Of the figure, Vietnam busted 2,683 cases with 3,533 traffickers while Laos discovered 204 cases with 323 people. The two sides collected over 316,000 kilogrammes of heroin, 130 kilogrammes of opium, 470,000 pills and 1,438 grammes of methamphetamine. HCM City opens waste collection sites HCM City has opened four waste collection sites for electronics in the districts of 1, 4, Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan. The work is part of the programme Viet Nam Recycles, which began in April. It aims to encourage local residents to be responsible to collect and recycle end-of-life electronic products. It was launched by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in co-operation with local authorities. The programme provides free electronic waste collection and recycling services to agencies, organisations, households and individuals. The city's amount of electronic waste has been increasing due to the development of technology and high demands made on electronic equipment. However, local people have limited knowledge about the waste recycling process. 43 electric bikes registered in Ha Noi More than 40 electric bikes in Ha Noi have received number plates on the first day of registration yesterday. Statistics from the Ha Noi Traffic Police Department showed that all electric scooters with the necessary papers received their number plates within 30 minutes. Of those, the majority came from Hai Ba Trung District, with 25 vehicles. Previously, the Ministry of Public Security issued Circular No. 15 on June 1 last year, which regulates the compulsory registration and issuance of number plates for electric bikes and electric motorbikes. The registration must be done between December 6 and June 30 next year. After June 30 next year, drivers of unregistered vehicles caught in traffic will receive stiff fines, from VND300,000 to 400,000. There are some two million electric bikes and electric motorbikes in Viet Nam, many thousands of which are in Ha Noi. Three foreigners caught partying on cab roof on HCMC street Taxi company Vinasun said it has asked a driver to report on an incident in which three foreign passengers hung out of his cab’s windows and drank beer while he was driving along a crowded street in Ho Chi Minh City. Someone took photos of the three white men on Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1 on December 3 and posted them on the internet. The photos have gone viral. The men seem unaware of the risks they pose to others on the street as they cheer, smoke and drink as if at a party, using the cab’s roof as a table. A photo shows the three expats hanging out of the cab's windows to smoke and drink. Le Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, deputy communications director of Vinasun, told Thanh Nien the company has asked the driver, whose name has not been revealed, for an explanation. A city Traffic Police official said the driver would be fined if his passengers were found jeopardizing others’ safety. He said the driver should have stopped in this case, adding if he had been afraid of displeasing his passengers, he should have sought police help. Texting campaign raises fund for poor cancer patients A mobile texting campaign aimed at raising fund for poor cancer patients across the country was launched in Hanoi on December 8. The launching ceremony was jointly held by the Ministry of Public Health’s “Ngay Mai Tuoi Sang” (Bright Future) fund for cancer patients, the Vietnam Television and National Humanitarian Portal 1400. People can support the campaign by sending messages “UT” to the switchboard 1406. Each costs 12,000 VND (0.53 USD). Individuals and organisations can also donate money to the fund through its accounts 142 020 100 5350 and 142 010 100 5366 at the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s branch at 23B Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi. The campaign will last until 24:00 of February 6, 2016. Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen highlighted the significance of the event, expressing her hope that it will help relieve the pain of cancer patients with difficult background. Established in 2011, the “Ngay Mai Tuoi Sang” fund organised various and practical activities to assist cancer patients. From June 2012 up to now, it presented gifts to 6,200 cancer patients, and provided early detection check-ups and treatment for thousands of others. National Buddhism dissemination seminar wraps up A national seminar to disseminate Buddhism, which drew the participation of more than 1,200 Buddhist dignitaries and 20,000 followers, concluded in the southern province of Ba Ria- Vung Tau on December 8. A line-up of activities was held during the four-day seminar, including an exhibition of 200 Buddhism pictures and documents and a requiem for fallen soldiers. According to the organising board, this was the largest seminar ever organised with the aim of disseminating Buddhist teachings far and wide. Proposals and recommendations were collected during the event to address difficulties faced by Buddhist followers. Buddhism is the major religion in Vietnam, having more than 6.8 million followers. Traffic safety culture must become a habit Enhancing public awareness of traffic safety culture is imperative to ease congestions and reduce traffic accidents, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a conference in Hanoi on December 8. He recognised decreases in the number of accidents, deaths and injuries over the past five years but reckoned that traffic accident death toll of 9,000 remains very high. The Deputy PM, who is also head of the National Traffic Safety Committee, urged all localities to find out solutions to reduce the number of traffic accidents by 5-10 percent and fatalities by 5,000 between 2016 and 2020. He suggested boosting the application of information technology to ensure traffic safety and better urban planning. According to the Ministry of Public Security’s Transport Police Department and the Ministry of Transport’s Vietnam Maritime Administration, 158,125 traffic accidents occurred across the country between 2010 and 2015, killing 48,015 people and injuring 162,058 others. The figures represented a decline of 18.06 percent in the number of cases and 20.52 percent and 22.33 percent in the number of deaths and injuries, respectively. Localities achieving notable outcomes in the fields included Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Ninh Binh, Tay Ninh, and Da Nang. Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, attributed the significant changes to the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No.88/NQ-CP on intensifying measures to ensure traffic safety. RoK non-government organisation helps increase rural livelihoods KSSA, a non-government organisation (NGO) from the Republic of Korea (RoK), has given a financial support of 30.3 billion VND (1.35 million USD) to the socio-economic development in southern Vinh Long province over the past two decades. The information was heard at a ceremony held in the province on December 8 to mark KSSA’s 20 years of operation in Vietnam. In addition to projects on economy, healthcare and education, KSSA has helped with encouraging other foreign organisations and RoK enterprises to assist the locality in house building, cultural exchange and social welfare, among others. At the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Anh Vu spoke highly of KSSA’s contributions to the local development, expressing his hope that the organisation will continue its programmes to enhance rural livelihoods as well as call for further investments from RoK businesses to the province. KSSA is one of the first RoK NGOs coming to Vietnam after the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1992. It has operated in Vinh Long for the longest time. Workshop enhances women’s legal understanding, access A workshop was held on December 7 in Hanoi to enhance legal understanding among women and facilitate their access to legal assistance. The event was organised by the UN Women Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women). In her opening remarks, Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative in Vietnam, said that the revision of the Law on Legal Aid has enhanced access to legal aid services for Vietnamese women. Director of the Legal Aid Bureau under the Ministry of Justice Nguyen Thi Minh said the 2013 Constitution has ensured women’s legitimate right to legal aid access– particularly those who are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking. Relevant bodies have implemented numerous programmes to provide legal assistance for women and children affected by domestic violence and human trafficking, Minh said. However, the legal framework on the field needs to be revised, Minh added. Tran Nguyen Tu from the bureau highlighted shortcomings in the current framework. There was low awareness of legal rights among female domestic-violence victims, and a lack of skills in legal aid staff, Tu said. Meanwhile, Dao Le Thu from Hanoi Law University stressed the need to expand the scope of legal aid beneficiaries, covering near-poor households and women who are victims of gender violence. She also suggested finances be mobilised from various sources to fund staff training sessions. Participants emphasised that Vietnam should apply international standards on legal aid and learn from international projects in the sector. Labour minister attends ASEM employment conference Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen attended the fifth Labour and Employment Ministers’ Conference of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia on December 2-4. Themed “Towards Sustainable Social Development in Asia and Europe: A Joint Vision for Decent Work and Social Protection”, the event attracted representatives from 41 out of the 51 ASEM member states. In her speech, Chuyen underscored achievements that Vietnam has made over the past three years, including promoting sustainable employment and ensuring labour safety and welfare. She pointed out challenges facing Vietnam such as low workforce quality, labour output and competitiveness, particularly in rural areas and small and medium-sized enterprises; as well as issues involving labour market and labour movement management. The minister hailed the ASEM member countries for generating sustainable jobs for youths and vulnerable labour groups, stepping up the launch of an effective social welfare platform built by themselves and the application of the International Labour Organisation’s basic labour standards. Chuyen also called on the ASEM member countries to extend their liaisons at forums within the global, regional and ASEM frameworks with a view to boosting social dialogues and in-depth discussions on labour policy and social welfares. Participants discussed models of promoting sustainable employment, labour safety and welfare based on increasing public partnerships in law reform and sustainable vocational training. Concluding the event, they adopted the Sofia Declaration focusing on youth labour market, the promotion of sustainable employment, safe working conditions in the global supply chain and a comprehensive social welfare system towards growth and employment. During her stay, Minister Chuyen also met bilaterally with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, and the Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour of the Republic of Korea. Migrant workers to receive services Six Vietnamese non-governmental organisations set up a network for migrant workers called M.net, which aims to help migrant workers receive better social welfare services and voice their opinions on political issues. M.net was officially introduced yesterday in Ha Noi. The six founding members are the Institute for Community and Health Development (LIGHT); the Centre for Development and Integration; the Research Centre for Gender-Family and Community Development; the Institute for Policy Studies, Law and Development; the Viet Nam Judicial Support Association for the Poor; and the Center for Social Work Community Development Research and Consultancy. According to the General Statistics Office, in the last decade, migration from rural areas to urban areas increased, from two million migrants in 1999 to 3.4 million in 2009. The increase is expected to continue to 5 million in 2019, accounting for five per cent of the country's population. LIGHT Vice Director Nguyen Thu Giang said about 90 per cent of migrant workers in the informal sector hardly receive social welfare benefits such as healthcare, education, housing and clean water. M.net wanted to find barriers that stopped migrant workers from receiving such benefits, help them access public services and connect them with policymakers in their host localities, she said. Senior Programme Co-ordinator on Governance Nguyen Thu Huong of Oxfam in Viet Nam, which supported the network's establishment, said it was introduced at the right time. Migrant workers contributed to urban development but weren't able to access any sort of Government safety net. Tran Thi Khanh, 43, a scrap-iron dealer from the northern province of Hung Yen, said she and her family moved to Ha Noi 10 years ago, rented a room and sent their children to private school. "I have to send my children to private schools with tuition fees much higher than that in public schools, because we have no residential registration book in Ha Noi, so my children cannot attend public schools," she said. Another migrant, Ta Thi Ngot, 64, said migrant workers like her did not get health insurance cards. She said she wanted to get health insurance and needed help applying for a card. Yesterday M.net opened an exhibition displaying photos taken by street vendors and scrap-iron dealers in Ha Noi. It was part of a project LIGHT ran from July 2014 to December 2016 to support street vendors and scrap-iron dealers in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem and Nam Tu Liem districts. Vietnam attends ASEM-LEMC conference in Bulgaria The annual ASEM-LEMC conference, December 2-4, in Sofia, Bulgaria was rich in content and high-ranking participation, reports Chairman Dang Ngoc Tung of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. “The conference of labour and employment ministers was attended by representatives of 44 countries and several international organizations,” said Chairman Tung who led a delegation attending the event. He commented further that the conference adopted a declaration outlining the long-term stable social development on the two continents and a joint vision for fair labour and social protection. On the side-lines of the conference, Tung held talks with Chairman Plamen Dimitrov of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria and trade union leaders to discuss cooperation promotion measures. During their meeting, Tung extended an official invitation to the Bulgarian leaders to visit Vietnam in 2016. VN man has life devastated by 17.5-year miscarriage of justice A Vietnamese man had to serve over 17 years in jail because of a wrongful murder conviction, leaving horrible consequences for his life and his family’s. Huynh Van Nen, 53, was declared innocent by authorities in his hometown, Binh Thuan Province in south-central Vietnam, last month after spending 17 years and five months in prison for being wrongfully convicted of murder. The man came back to his homeland and find out that his family had had to struggle with many challenges due to his long-time absence. “For over 17 years, my family was broken and my children grew up without fatherly love and proper living conditions,” Nen said in tears during a recent public apology ceremony organized by provincial judicial agencies. His 89-year-old father, despite old age, had to seek for his justice and could not have a decent sleep for nearly two decades, he added. “My mother passed away when I was in prison, with a constant worry about my well-being before drawing her last breath,” Nen sobbed. After more than 17 years, the innocent man returns to his hometown and witnesses the positive changes of his neighbors, except for his own house which is still shabby, he said. Nen’s family had to suffer from poverty and many difficulties as he, the breadwinner, was behind bars; and his children had to be sent to a foster home in Ho Chi Minh City, Nen partially opened up about the problems during a recent live talk organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. “The death of my mother was also kept secret from me until I was released,” Nen said, his eyes filled with tears. Nen, now a free man, wakes up at 3:00 am every morning to help his wife prepare for the foods that will be sold later at a local market and continues with his manual labor. The man said he has to try his best to help his wife, as she can only earn about VND100,000 (US$4.45) per day after deducting all expenses. Locked away from the outside world for almost two decades, Nen can hardly recognize the new face of the community, saying that streets and houses in Tan Minh Commune, where he lives, are now more modern and beautiful. “Even the cellphones that people usually use look strange to me,” Nen added. The man’s health has also worsened throughout the years of extreme living conditions in prison. “Before being treated by doctors, Nen could not see clearly due to his eye problems. He might also suffer from mental illness after many years of being wrongfully convicted.” Huynh Van Truyen, Nen’s father, said. Huynh Van Nen was arrested in May 1998 as a prime suspect in the murder of Le Thi Bong in Tan Minh Commune, Ham Tan District, Binh Thuan Province and reportedly confessed that he had committed the crime to steal her property. Police cited Nen’s statement that he and nine of his relatives were also involved in the murder of another woman, Duong Thi My, in 1993. In August 2000, the People’s Court in Binh Thuan found Nen guilty of murdering Bong, based on his confession, and sentenced him to life in prison, despite the man’s cry for innocence and claim that he was violently forced to confess. Knowing the news, Nguyen Phuc Thanh, a resident of Ham Tan District, submitted a testimony saying that two of his friends, Nguyen Tho and Ho Van Viet, were the killers of Bong and told him the murder, which was ignored by the court. After several trials related to My’s murder, the court could not connect the evidence to Nen and his relatives and announced their innocence in 2005. All nine people were publicly apologized to and compensated, excluding Nen, as he had to continue serving his life sentence for the previous murder. The Supreme People’s Court in 2014 suspended Nen’s life sentence and reopened the case, after many years of his friends’ and family’s relentless efforts to seek for his justice. Nen was released on bail to receive medical treatment for his eyes on October 22 and continued to hope for his freedom. On November 28, authorities in Binh Thuan announced an official decision to suspend all investigations into Nen’s case, putting an end to his unjust sentence. Provincial judicial agencies organized a public apology ceremony on December 3 to say sorry to Nen, and billions of dong (VND1 billion = US$44,480) are expected to be paid to him as compensation. Voluntary activities supports victims of bombs and mines in Quang Tri Quang Tri, the hardest hit province by American bombing during the war, has set up a team of communicators and volunteers to jointly address the aftermath of war and raise public awareness about bomb and mine clearance and for UXO victims. This activity is involving an increasing number of individuals and organizations at home and abroad. Volunteer programs launched by Quang Tri’s Youth Union to help victims of bombs, mines, and other unexploded ordnances have gotten more and more young people to participate. Over the past 3 years the number of injuries due to UXOs has fallen by 80%, according to Nguyen Khanh Vu, the Union’s deputy secretary. Vu said, ““Safety Days” have been organized at primary and secondary schools across the province. The Youth Union has also organized regular communications programs and art performances.” The provincial Youth Union has coordinated with associations of women and veterans and foreign NGOs to combine communication programs and commune or hamlet meetings to raise public awareness. Ngo Xuan Hien is a volunteer with RENEW, a Norwegian bomb, mine, and UXO clearance project that has been underway in Quang Tri for 15 years. “Public education and communications are done through the Community Reporting Network launched by RENEW in collaboration with the Youth Union. The network is in charge of training and providing Youth Union officers with necessary skills of communications and identifying bombs and mines. These personnel will then reinforce UXO safety messages and encourage the local population to report UXO sightings to Project RENEW’s teams for timely and safe removal,” Hien shared. Peace Trees Vietnam, a US NGO, has been rated one of the most efficient foreign organizations in clearing UXOs left over from the war and providing social support in Vietnam over the past 20 years. A Peace Trees Vietnam member lays out the shells found at a farm in Quang Tri Province. Vo Thi Ha, a Peace Trees volunteer, said its achievements are due to developing a network of volunteers across hamlets and communes and bomb, mine, and UXO education programs for school children. She added, “Every International Children Day on June 1, we organize summer camps where high school students can participate in outdoor activities like singing, role-playing, painting, games, competitions, leaflet distribution, and puzzles related to mine risk education. We invite a number of UXO victims to meet and talk to the students so they can draw their own lessons.” Volunteer programs in Quang Tri have helped bomb and mine victims access capital sources for economic development. RENEW volunteer Nguyen Duc Toan noted, “About 600 project households have been eligible for loans and most of them have increased their income. We’ve organized training courses to teach locals how to manage money and raise cattle scientifically.” Vietnam effectively uses WB, ADB loans Vietnam has been considered a country effectively accessing preferential loans from the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the past five years. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) representative said on December 8 that the bank has negotiated and signed with WB 55 loan projects worth US$8 billion, bringing the total number of projects approved by WB to 160 worth US$20.1 billion by June 2015. In the period, it also signed with ADB 45 projects valued at nearly US$4.5 billion, lifting the total number of ADB approved projects to 147 worth US$13.65 billion. The projects mainly focussed on climate change and economic restructuring, which have actively contributed to the national socio-economic development and poverty reduction process, particularly in remote and mountainous areas. Vice President demands end to violence against women, girls Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan has called on relevant ministries and agencies to make concerted efforts to minimise violence against women and girls, which is relatively common in Vietnamese society. In the meeting in Hanoi on December 8, in response to a 16-day mission for an end to violence against women and girls from November 25 to December 10, Doan emphasised that violence, especially against women and girls, is a common issue not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries. It has been a threat to women and a big obstacle to efforts on ensuring gender equality in society, but it is not easy to overcome it, she said. The Vice President recommended that people condemn all violent behaviours, and create equality in employment and family life. Students at Van Ho Junior Secondary School take part in a competition on preventing gender violence. (Source: VNA) She also emphasised that Vietnam has always paid attention to the implementation of measures on gender equality and ensuring social welfare to achieve sustainable development goals. The protection of human rights, including women’s rights and gender equality, is stated in the Constitution and the system of legal documents and many national goal programmes have been implemented, drawing the participation of ministries and agencies, as well as support from international organisations. Women currently make up 48.4% of the labour workfource, 24.4% of National Assembly members and 25% of businesspeople. Vietnam has been judged as a bright point by the UN in the implementation of the Millennial Goals Programme on poverty alleviation and gender equality. In fulfilling international commitments on gender equality and fighting violence against women and girls, the country has issued many policies and laws, and instructed local governments to implement those documents. The Vice President asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications and other relevant ministries, social organisations and agencies to boost public communications, education and awareness campaigns. The Vietnam Association of Famers was asked to implement specific activities to raise awareness among its members on violence against women and girls, especially in rural and mountainous areas. She said she hopes the UN Population Fund and international organisations continue giving support and coordinating with Vietnam to implement international conventions on violence against women and girls. US Sons and Daughters in Touch members visit Vietnam President of the Vietnam-US Society (VUS) Nguyen Tam Chien hosted a reception for members of the US Sons and Daughters in Touch (SDIT) in Hanoi on December 8. The host welcomed the visit, which falls on the 20th anniversary of rapprochement between Vietnam and the US. He briefed the visitors on Vietnam’s socio-economic situation over the past few years and highlighted the role of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), including the VUS, in enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese and US people. Margot C. Dolgne, founder of the Two Side Project (2SP) said through the visit the US guests want to study the land, people and socio-economic development of Vietnam, and increase exchanges with Vietnamese children of fallen soldiers and seasoned servicemen. The US delegation also expected to visit battlefields to learn more about the Vietnam War on the spirit of reconciliation, friendship and looking toward the future. Six out of the eight members of the SDIT had fathers killed in action (KIA) or missing in action (MIA) in the US war in Vietnam. During the visit from December 8 to 19, the US delegation is scheduled to meet with the Vietnam War Veterans’ Association; visit the bomb and mine consequences exhibition center in central Quang Tri province; and speak with Vietnamese war veterans and children of fallen soldiers in Quang Tri, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. The guests are set to visit Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Ngai and Binh Duong provinces, which witnessed fierce battles during the war. Vietnam actively responds to climate change Vietnam built an “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions" (INDC) report on climate change and is implementing the report in an effort to respond to climate change, said Nguyen Khac Hieu, Deputy Head of the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change. Hieu delivered a speech at a seminar on accelerating response to climate change after the 21st Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) and sharing nations’ experiences in climate change adaptation. The seminar was held by the EU in Paris on December 8. Hieu told participants that in its INDC report, Vietnam strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. The country vows to cut 8% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 with its internal resources, and an additional 25% if it is to receive international support. It also pledges to actively cope with natural disasters, sea levels rising, and flooding in coastal and urban areas, while intensifying climate change supervision and ensuring social welfare. Vietnam put forth greenhouse gas emission reduction measures in the fields of energy, transport, agriculture, forestry, land use and waste management. It focuses on using energies effectively and economically, using renewable energies, developing the public transport system, and extending the planting of mangrove forests at coastal areas. The report received attention from participating delegates, as it clearly defines tasks that need to be completed and shows Vietnam’s strong commitment to the globe’s climate change response efforts. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri