Social News In Brief HCM Communist Youth Union convenes national congress    The 11th National Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union for the 2017-2022 tenure opened in Hanoi on December 10 The 11th National Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) for the 2017-2022 tenure opened in Hanoi on December 10 with the participation of nearly 1,000 young people. Addressing the first session of the congress, First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee Le Quoc Phong described the congress as an important political event and a festival of Vietnamese youths. The congress is reviewing the youth union’s activities during 2012-2017 and set out targets, tasks and solutions for the next five years. It will also amend and supplement regulations of the HCYU and elect a new central committee for the 11th tenure, he said. With eight forums and 20 group discussions, the congress will last until December 13. Earlier, the delegates paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi and laid wreaths and offered incense at the Heroic Martyrs Monument on Bac Son road, also in the capital city. HCM City highly appreciates WB’s support Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong hosts a reception for WB Vice President for Sustainable Development Laura Tuck on December 9. Ho Chi Minh City highly appreciates the World Bank (WB)’s support and always considers it as an important partner of the city, said a local official. In a reception for WB Vice President for Sustainable Development Laura Tuck on December 9, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong spoke highly of the WB’s assistance in local key projects in environmental treatment, urban landscape development and living condition improvement over the past years. HCM City wants the WB to continue its support to ongoing projects in environment sanitation, green transport development, food safety and improving the competitiveness of the animal husbandry sector, Phong said. The city expects to continue negotiations with the WB in other projects related to smart city building, food safety, flood control, water loss control and more, he added. Phong also suggested the WB help HCM City with resources, policy consultancy, and technical assistance so that it could become a hub for economy, trade, finance and science-technology in the region. Tuck, for her part, said the WB regards HCM City as an important partner in Vietnam and is ready to cooperate with the city in urban infrastructure development, land management and innovation, among others. She also committed to introducing to the city potential investors and sharing experience and successful development models from around the world to improve living conditions for local people. Party member Tran Quoc Vuong wraps up visit to Russia Politburo member and head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Inspection Commission Tran Quoc Vuong and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation concluded their five-day visit to Russia on December 9. Before leaving Russia, Vuong had a working session with acting governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Govorunov, in which he noted that relations between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities are important to bolstering ties between the two countries. He affirmed that Vietnamese Government will continue to create favourable conditions so that Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese provinces can have effective cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, education and training, culture and tourism. Alexander Govorunov, for his part, stressed that Vietnam is an important partner of his city, expressing his hope that the Vietnamese delegation visit will give impetus to trade and investment relations between the two nations. Saint Petersburg and Vietnam have huge potential for collaboration in fields of the Russian city’s strengths like ship building, water treatment technology, pharmaceuticals, education and training and information and technology. He pledged to closely work with Vietnam to organise activities to mark the arrival of President Ho Chi Minh in Saint Petersburg 95 years ago. During his visit to the institute for Ho Chi Minh studies at Saint Petersburg University, Vuong expressed his wish that the institute will contribute more to the Vietnamese studies in Russia and to the two countries’ traditional relations. At a meeting with representatives of the Vietnam Embassy and the Vietnamese expatriate community, the Party official informed them on socio-economic affairs back home. He stated the Party and Government always consider overseas Vietnamese an indispensable part of the country, and are willing to create best conditions possible for the group to integrate into their host nations and make contribution to their home country. Health ministry launches national action month on population The Ministry of Health’s General Office for Population Family Planning held a meeting to launch the National Action Month on Population on December 9. The month promotes prenatal health screening for healthy babies, early newborn health screening for prompt treatment, and investment in population work as a sustainable move. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said on average, about 1.5 – 2 percent of Vietnamese newborns in a year, equaling 22,000 – 30,000 babies, have birth defects.  The General Office for Population Family Planning has implemented a prenatal and newborn health screening programme that has spread nationwide. To date, approximately 25 percent of pregnant women and 35 percent of babies have received early diagnoses and treatment. Addressing the meeting, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh praised the health body’s efforts and achievements in population planning and urged state agencies, sectors and citizens to support and participate in the programme. On October 25, the 12th Party Central Committee issued Resolution 21/NQ-TW, which set out a 2030 goal of having 70 percent of pregnant women and 90 percent of newborns respectively screened for at least four and five popular diseases. Go home safely campaign launched to protect children Wearing helmets and driving slowly are among effective measures to ensure traffic safety for children, heard a ceremony to launch Go home safely campaign in Hanoi on December 9, which aims to call for the community’s actions to ensure traffic safety for children. Traffic accident is the second major reason behind child fatalities in Vietnam after drowning, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan at the launching ceremony, which was jointly held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Lam said that traffic accidents resulted in 50 percent of deaths among adolescents and youngsters aged 15-19. She stressed that road accident-stemmed injuries in children can be avoided through raising public awareness of traffic safety regulations and law. Wearing helmets is an effective way to protect children, as it can reduce 40 percent of death risks and 70 percent risks of serious injuries in children, she stated, adding that if drivers slow down their average speed by only 5 percent, fatal accidents will be reduced by 30 percent. Meanwhile, Yoshimi Nishino, UNICEF Acting Chief Representative in Vietnam noted that every year, about 2,000 people die of traffic accidents, including 500 children, worldwide. One child dies every four minutes in road, while 50 percent of traffic accident victims are pedestrians, bicycle and motorbike riders, she added. In Vietnam, the National Committee for Traffic Safety reported that in 2016, traffic accidents killed nearly 9,000 people and dozens of thousands of others injured, said Yoshimi Nishino. She lauded Vietnam’s efforts for proactively implementing global road safety initiatives with specific steps in building effective traffic law. The UNICEF official called for the community to wear helmets for both adults and children when riding bicycles and motorbikes, and speed down when crossing areas crowded with children. At the event, representatives of ministries, sectors, localities, schools, parents and students signed commitments to wear helmets and drive slowly for children’s safety. Vietnamese culture promoted at Winternational Embassy Showcase The vibrant display of Vietnamese fine arts,  signature cuisine, and stunning natural landscapes impressed visitors at the annual Winternational Embassy Showcase held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US in collaboration with the International Trade Centre on December 6. The event drew the participation of 39 diplomatic representative offices in the host country, nearly 5,000 visitors. News press like Washington Post and Washington Diplomat sent reporters to cover the event. Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh affirmed that the cultural event is significant as it creates opportunities for diplomatic agencies to exchange and popularise cultures of their homeland. It also helps boost friendship between the US and other foreign countries, including Vietnam. On the occasion, the embassy also organised a photo exhibition on Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership relations. Seminar looks to promote labour exports to Czech Republic Vietnam’s labourer supplying capacity and demand for foreign workers of the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Cary region were discussed at a conference held in Karlovy Vary city on December 8. Vietnam has provided 500,000 Vietnamese labourers skilled in healthcare, engineering and mechanical engineering for 40 countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Qatar and it is able to supply high quality workforce for the Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary is in need of 6,500 workers while the figure in the whole country is 700,000, thus local businesses are planning to hire labourers outside the European Union, including those from Vietnam. At the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan said that labour cooperation deal between the two countries has expired since 2008 and is yet to be re-signed. The exchange of experts between the two countries is not to be carried out yet. Most of the Vietnamese workers go to the Czech Republic through a brokerage company with high fees, Tuan noted, adding that contracts signed between the European country’s localities and more than 260 licensed enterprises in Vietnam are necessary in the coming time. He also laid stress on the need for both sides to take measures and make efforts to concretise the cooperation agreements. In a talk with a Prague-based Vietnam News Agency correspondent, Josef Janu, an official from Karlovy Vary, said that most of the employment vacancies are in healthcare, tourism resort and handicraft production sectors, hence, skilled workers from Vietnam are welcomed. EU-funded project to promote herbal plant value chain A workshop was held in the northern province of Yen Bai on December 8 to launch an EU-funded project to enhance capacity in managing the value chain of herbal plants. The event drew representatives from the Health Ministry, sponsors as well as Vietnamese herbal medicine scientists and researchers. Yen Bai boasts high potential in herbal medicine development as the province owns over 630 kinds of herbal plants in 99 communes, along with nearly 1,000 traditional remedies to cue 40 groups of diseases. However, some valuable remedies are facing risks of loss, while over exploitation is threatening the existence of many kinds of plants. In order to preserve and develop the remedies, the project will encourage the engagement of social organisations in improving management over the herbal plant value chain. It will cover four communes of Dong Cuong, Mai Dong in Van Yen district, and Cam An and Bao Ai communes of Yen Binh district. The project will be implemented in 45 months at a total cost of nearly 14 billion VND. It will give direct support to 300 households farming herbal plants in the four benefited localities. Along with collecting data on herbal plant regions, the project will hold some training courses for locals, support them in farming techniques and promote the role of the herbal sector in socio-economic development of the localities. At the same time, it will multiply good models in herbal plant farming and traditional remedies. Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church holds congress for 2017-2022 tenure As many as 1,500 Cao Dai dignitaries nationwide met in the congress for 2017-2022 tenure of the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh from December 6-9. During 2012-2017, the church worked to bolster internal solidarity and joined hands with relevant authorities to carry out social and charity activities. It also instructed the followers to carry out policies of the Party and State during the national renovation and protection. Looking forwards the 2017-2022 period, the church will focus on strengthening internal solidarity, working to connect with external social organisations, participating in charitable and social activities as well as leading its followers to comply with State regulations. At the congress, head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang hailed the church’s role in the past years, saying the church has demonstrated its role in guiding its followers to have actively joined in local socio-economic and cultural activities in the locality, making significant contributions to the national construction progress. The Vietnamese Government has persistently ensured belief and religious freedom as well as legal religious activities of dignities and followers and been determined to eradicate and give strict punishments to anyone who takes advantage of religions to undermine national unity and socio-political order, Thang stressed. Founded in 1926 in Tay Ninh province, the Cao Dai religion worships the Divine Eye, known as the eye of heaven and a symbol of supreme of the Cao Dai religion. Cao Dai’s doctrine honours the Divine and the miraculous quality of supreme spirits, and considers them as the means for human beings to unify with God. Vietnam Fatherland Front to help push aquatic exports to Australia The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) will join hands with relevant agencies to organise a dialogue between 100 Vietnamese seafood businesses in the Mekong Delta region and the Australia’s Seafood Importers Association (ASIS) to promote seafood shipments to Australia, VFF President Tran Thanh Man has said. Man asked the ASIS to pay due attention to the imports of Vietnamese shrimp and tra fish while meeting with Norman Grant, President of the association, in Sydney on December 8. He said he believes that with significant improvements in quality, Vietnamese seafood will satisfy strict requirements of its importers, including Australia. “If shrimp and tra fish, two strategic goods of Vietnam, are allowed to enter the Australian market in 2018, it will be a practical move to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries,” Man noted. Norman Grant, for his part, said that as shrimp imports to Australia are evaluated based on biological safety principle, the VFF should work to supervise shrimp farming businesses to ensure food safety before exports. He expressed his hope that fish breeding facilities in Vietnam will be improved, meeting fastidious requirements of Australia. The same day, Man surveyed Suez waste treatment technology on the outskirts of Sydney. Man wrapped up a visit to Australia with his VFF delegation from December 6-10. Prime Minister meets representatives of Japan Business Federation Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with a delegation of the Japan Business Federation (KEIDANREN) in Hanoi on December 8. The host leader spoke highly of KEIDANREN’s role in the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership along with the role of the federation’s Japan-Vietnam Economic Committee in enhancing the two countries’ economic, trade and investment cooperation. The Vietnamese Government and people attach importance to developing ties with Japan and pledge utmost efforts to boost the strong and sustainable development of this relationship, he said, expressing his hope that Japan will soon become the biggest investor in Vietnam. Kuniharu Nakamura, Co-Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Economic Committee, said to Japanese businesses, the Vietnamese market holds a very important position with big consumption strength. The two countries boast strong trade ties at present. Vietnam should step up improving its business climate and reinforcing bilateral economic partnership, he added. Hideo Ichikawa, who co-chairs the committee, said Vietnam needs to further develop infrastructure such as railways and roads which are critical to improving investment and business climate. Japanese companies are interested in infrastructure projects under the public-private partnership format in Vietnam, he noted, asking the Vietnamese Government to remove obstacles facing Japanese firms. PM Phuc said he hopes Japanese enterprises will pay attention to the environment when investing in Vietnam. He also asked Japan to assist Vietnam to develop infrastructure, especially in transport, as it is currently a bottleneck in Vietnam’s economy. Vietnam wants Japanese businesses to invest more strongly in the country. They are very successful in Vietnam, which is partly attributable to KEIDANREN’s activities, he added. At the meeting, PM Phuc also answered Japanese businesses’ questions on local mechanisms and policies. National Mekong Committee urged to promote role in regional growth The Vietnam National Mekong Committee should promote its role in the growth of the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands regions, stated Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Chairman of the Committee at a meeting in An Giang on December 8. The meeting drew representatives of central ministries, sectors and agencies as well as leaders of Mekong Delta localities and four Central Highlands provinces of Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. Ha highlighted the need to focus on the project to remove locals from eroded areas and prevent erosion and land depression. He noted that the Mekong River basin has suffered from unexpected impacts. Increasing demand for water in upstream areas reduced water flow in the dry season as well as the amount of alluvium. Along with flood, tide and deep saltwater intrusion, climate change and extreme weather conditions have also seriously threatened production and people’s lives as well as socio-economic growth of the Mekong Delta region, he said. The minister stressed the need to review the committee’s orientations and seek solutions and plans of action to fulfill its tasks. In the coming year, the committee will work for the implementation of resolutions issued by the International Mekong River Commission, while coordinating initiatives on regional connectivity, and supporting Mekong River basin localities in managing water resources, said Ha. He asked the committee to prepare reports to deliver at bilateral meetings as well as working sessions of inter-governmental committees between Vietnam, and Laos and Cambodia. In addition to consolidating its organisation, the committee should focus more on human resources development, database update and international cooperation expansion, he added. He lauded participants’ ideas on using branch rivers for reserving water, pledging that the committee will design support policies for the work. Workshop updates VN’s implementation of UPR recommendations The Foreign Ministry and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam held a workshop in Can Tho city on December 8 to inform the implementation of the 2nd-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations accepted by Vietnam. UPR, an inter-governmental mechanism of the Human Rights Council, reviews human rights issues in all UN member states. It is based on the principles of dialogue, cooperation, equality, objectivity, and transparency with the aim of improving and promoting the implementation of obligations and commitments on human rights. Vietnam went through the first UPR in May 2009. Speaking at the workshop, Vu Quang Anh, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organisations, said after accepting 182 recommendations on human rights made by UN member states in February 2014, Vietnam assigned ministries and sectors to seriously implement the recommendations. At present, 147 of the 182 accepted recommendations have been implemented while four others have been partly carried out. Notably, Vietnam ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. It also approved dozens of important legal documents relating to human rights and citizens’ rights so as to concretise the 2013 Constitution in line with international conventions to which Vietnam is a party. The country has also improved public awareness of human rights in all fields, including politics, economy, society and culture, he noted, adding that it is effectively implementing many national programmes to protect vulnerable groups’ interests such as the national action programmes on gender equality, the elderly, and children. It has fully implemented policies targeting persons subject to social protection, particularly children, the elderly, and the disabled. Meanwhile, authorised agencies have also supported residents in areas suffering from natural disasters, drought, saltwater intrusion, and pollution. As a result, average per capita income increased from 1,900 USD in 2013 to 2,215 USD in 2016, Anh said. Nicholas Booth, policy adviser for governance, access to justice and human rights at UNDP in Vietnam, said the UN highly values Vietnam’s coordination with human rights agencies in realising the recommendations and improving the UPR process. However, the UN realises that the country is facing many challenges to the recommendation implementation such as asynchronous legal system, limited resources for social welfare programmes, and overloading at sectors and authorities which have to carry out the recommendations and many other tasks at the same time. Booth asked Vietnam to maximise agencies’ responsibility in independently implementing the recommendations and ensure sufficient financial and human resources for the work. Particularly, it needs to form close and sustainable partnership between local administrations and social and civil organisations to effectively implement the UPR process. At the workshop, participants also discussed the focus and orientations for the implementation of the 3rd-cycle UPR recommendations in the time ahead.- PM asks for enhanced Vietnam-South Africa trade Vietnam and South Africa should continue to step up trade activities and enhance cooperation in various fields in an attempt to make two-way trade surpass the current over 1 billion USD. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the suggestion at a reception in Hanoi on December 8 for outgoing South African Ambassador to Vietnam Kgomotso Ruth Magau, who came to say good-bye to him. “The two countries need to facilitate the investment promotion of their businesses, especially in agriculture, one of Vietnam’s strengths,” he said. Lauding the successful tenure of Kgomotso Ruth Magau as South African Ambassador to Vietnam, the Government leader expressed his wish that she will continue to support the enhancement of Vietnam-South Africa multifaceted cooperation in her new position. For her part, the ambassador said Vietnam holds an important role in South African’s foreign policy. The South African Government and people always remember the support and assistance Vietnam has given to their past struggle for independence as well as current national development, she said. Haling the progressing bilateral relations, she said that the South African Government will continue fostering cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in agriculture, tourism and people-to-people exchange. Half of country’s communes expected to become new-style rural areas in 2020 Fifty percent of all communes across the country are expected to be recognised as new-style rural areas in 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) stated at a conference in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on December 8. According to the ministry, so far, Vietnam has 2,853 recognised new-style rural communes, accounting for 31.96 percent of total communes. Of which, 295 communes fulfilled all criteria of the programme’s new standards for the 2016-2020 period. At the same time, 42 districts in 24 provinces and cities also earned the recognition, up 11 districts compared to the end of 2016. After six years of implementation, one of the outstanding outcomes of the National Target Programme on new-style rural area building is the development of infrastructure system in rural areas. At the end of 2016, 99.4 percent of communes were accessible by car, and all communes were connected to the national power grid. More than 99.5 percent of communes had kindergartens, primary schools and health care stations. MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam held that in order to reach the target, all localities should focus on improving the living conditions of locals, protecting the rural environment, ensuring clean water access and maintaining social order and safety. Nam added that in the coming time, the ministry will effectively implement pilot projects in new-style rural building, prioritising economic development with production chains, contributing to transforming rural economic structure and raising people’s income in a sustainable way. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Son suggested that public security forces of cities and provinces nationwide should consider the programme as their major and regular task and work hard to ensure social security and order. Ben Tre hands over 100 houses to policy beneficiaries The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre has handed over 100 houses of gratitude to policy beneficiary families in eight districts. The houses were constructed at a total cost of 7.5 billion VND (330,000 USD), of which 5 billion VND (220,000 USD) came from the Lien Viet Post Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LienVietPostBank). Nguyen Huu Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the Ben Tre province People’s Committee, said the houses aim to pay tribute to the policy beneficiary families, helping them enjoy a happy Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. Ben Tre now has around 4,000 households in need of housing support. Association helps promote Vietnam-Czech friendship The Czech-Vietnam Association (CVA) on December 9 convened its 21st congress in Prague, the Czech Republic, to review 20 years of operation. In his remarks, CVA President Marcel Winter highlighted the association’s efforts to enhance the friendship between the Vietnamese and Czech people, and help the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic integrate into the host society through various activities. The CVA has also repeatedly proposed competent agencies of the Czech Republic streamline procedures for granting visas to Vietnamese labourers, he said. Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan stressed that the Government and people of Vietnam always highly evaluated good sentiments and effective activities of the CVA, especially those of its President Winter. Such activities include assisting Vietnamese people affected by natural disasters, and poor patients and children, and promoting cooperation between businesses of the two countries, he said. The association has also supported Vietnam during its struggle to protect national sovereignty over seas and islands, the diplomat said, stressing Winter’s role in this regard. Contributions made by the CVA in general and Winter in particular to the bilateral friendship were applauded by then President Truong Tan Sang, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan during their official visits to the Czech Republic, he noted. The congress elected CVA Vice President Jan Kusy as new President of the association from now until December 2019. Winter, who has now worked as CVA Honorary President, told a Vietnam News Agency correspondent that he will not give up activities in support of Vietnam. Ca Mau moves to fight illegal fishing off foreign waters The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau is undertaking a number of drastic measures to prevent local fishermen from illegal fishing in foreign waters and raise their awareness of the matter and related laws. Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Hai assigned the local police to work with border guards to timely detect and impose penalties on those who take boats and fishermen to go fishing in foreign waters, and acts of smuggling and commercial frauds at sea. The border guards must increase control and inspection of offshore fishing vessels and encourage boat owners, captains and sailors to sign commitment of not illegal fishing in waters of neighbouring countries like Thailand or Malaysia. The provincial authorities also continue educating local fishermen on related laws, urging them to refrain from unlawful activities in foreign waters. Local administrations and relevant agencies will hold workshops and training sessions on a regular basis to improve their awareness of the issue and provide them a thorough understanding of international offshore fishing regulations to avoid risks and losses. The province pledged to strictly impose heavy penalties on the violations in line with the government’s decree No. 103/2013/ND-CP, including heavy fines and revocation of captain licences and permits of aquatic resource exploitation. Mekong Clubs Championship to take place in four countries National football champions of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand will compete in the Toyota Mekong Clubs Championship, scheduled for December 9 – January 6 in the four countries. According to information announced at a press conference in Hanoi on December 8, the opening match between Sanna Khanh Hoa of Vietnam and Boeung Ket of Cambodia will take place in Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium on December 9. The final match and the closing ceremony will be held in Thailand. The champion will get a Cup and a prize worth 75,000 USD, while the runner-up and the third prize winner will receive 50,000 USD and 30,000 USD, respectively. As part of the Toyota Mekong Football Project initiated by the Toyota Motor Asia-Pacific, the tournament has been held since 2014 for best clubs of countries in the Mekong region. Communication work helps prevent malnutrition in ethnic minority children Communication work is one of the major solutions to prevent malnutrition in children, especially those of ethnic minority groups, a health official said. Truong Tuyet Mai, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition under the Health Ministry, said at a workshop in Hanoi on December 8 that communication campaigns can help raise public awareness of undernourishment and encourage good practices in child care. The official said in 2016, 24.3 percent of under-five children were stunted in Vietnam. Of note, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children under five (32.1 percent) doubled that of children of Kinh (Viet), the ethnic majority. She attributed the imbalance to the limited access to health care services of ethnic minorities and their inadequate feeding practices in early age. Dragana Strinic, Country Director at Save the Children International, said Vietnam has made marked progresses in reducing the malnutrition rate. However, she said, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children has still remained high, warning that stunted growth could seriously affect development of children. The “For all children” campaign which was announced during the workshop is an initiative of the Save the Children International, aiming to improve nutrition for ethnic minority children, she said. The campaign promotes a healthy diet and better health care during pregnancy, and breastfeeding, Strinic added, noting that it is expected to contribute to implementing the national nutrition strategy during 2011-2020 with a vision towards 2030. Modern television technology to be on show The latest broadcasting equipment and technology will be presented at the Việt Nam International Broadcast & AV (VIBA) Show in Hà Nội next year. Visitors will be able to watch films screened with modern technology, attend photo shows and sound performances, and play games with virtual reality (VR) glasses. Following the succes of two events held in HCM City, the VIBA show will showcase opportunities for international and Vietnamese television and businesses. “The exhibition will definitely boost the industry,” said Kim Jeong-hun, general director of Exporum Inc, organiser of the event. The Broadcast Department under the Ministry of Information and Communication, will bring a total of 200 exhibitors from 11 countries and territories together for the event. Visitors will be able to experience ultramodern broadcasting equipment and technology plus post-production, digital displays and IT solutions. They will be able to experience interactive contents that create exciting atmospheres and workshops, seminars and business matching with opportunities to meet government bodies, associations and other major key players in the industries. The drone competition will show visitors the new trend of camera recording which has also become a sport. The event will be held at the Hà Nội International Exhibition Centre, 91 Trần Hưng Đạo Street on April 5-7, next year. Two-volume artbook features VN cuisine The Vietnamese version of a two-volume art book featuring popular streetfood in Hà Nội and specialities in different regions goes on sale nationwide today. Compiled by writer Nguyễn Trương Quý and painter Đặng Hồng Quân, the book comprises colourful and humorous drawings of food. A short introduction and “where to eat” guide are also featurted. The English version of the book will be released early next year. Two volumes Lê La Quà Vặt (Streetfood in Hà Nội) and Ăn Quà Xuyên Việt (Streetfood Nationwide) are now on sale at VNĐ115,000 (US$5) each.  “Various traditional cultural values have declined in modern society,” said Quân. “I want to preserve them. Cuisine and streetfood are one of the best attractions for tourists. “We want to introduce the signature food of Việt Nam, which can’t be mistaken with dishes from other nations.” Nguyễn Thị Minh Thái, PhD of art, highly recommended people, especially foreign tourists, to read the book because the pictures helped overcome the language barrier. Tâm wins sixth stage in Pleiku Nguyễn Thành Tâm once again defeated Lê Nguyệt Minh to win the sixth stage of the Bình Dương Television Cycling Tournament, Ống Nhựa Hoa Sen Cup, yesterday. Tâm of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang won the 30 lap, 44km stage around Đại Đoàn Kết Square in Pleiku City with a time of 48.49 minutes. Earlier, the former national cyclist Tâm also triumphed in the fifth stage. The yellow jersey for the best overall time belongs to Phạm Quốc Cường of Domesco Pharmacy Đồng Tháp, while the white jersey for best young cyclist is still held by Nguyễn Minh Luận of the senior Việt Nam national team. Minh of VUS-HCM City still holds the green jersey as the best sprinter, followed Minh by Tâm. Yesterday cyclists moved to Buôn Ma Thuột City to prepare for the seventh stage to Gia Nghĩa Town in Đắk Nông Province. Resources mobilised to support disadvantaged children The National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) should affirm its role as a reliable address for philanthropists and work to mobilise more funds to support disadvantaged children, said Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh. Speaking at the meeting held in Hanoi on December 7 to call for financial support for needy children, Thinh said that among 26 million Vietnamese children, 1.5 million are in especially difficult circumstances and about 2.5 million others are at high risk of being disadvantaged. She hailed the fund’s achievements in the past years, which have made significant contributions to reducing poverty rate in the country. She took the occasion to thank sponsors for their kindness in the past time. At the event, 17 enterprises pledged support worth over 150 billion VND (6.58 million USD) for Vietnamese children through the NFVC. Many corporations and organisations signed agreements with the NFVC to provide financial support for the children like Truong Tien Group, Vietnam Dairy Products JSC and Dasnet Charity Fund. The NFVC, set up in 1992 by the State in accordance with the Law on Child Care and Protection, aims to mobilise domestic and international resources to implement objectives for children. After 25 years, the fund has mobilised over 5.5 trillion VND (241.4 million USD) and supported over 30 million children from difficult backgrounds. US and Vietnam Enhance English Teaching through VietTESOL Conference  Thai Nguyen University hosted the 3rd International VietTESOL Conference from December 7 - 8, in coordination with the U.S. Embassy, National Foreign Languages Project 2020, Ministry of Education and Training; and the VietTESOL Community.  The VietTESOL conference brought together diverse stakeholders of English language teaching, learning, research, and usage in an engaging platform to support the English language teaching profession, enhance English proficiency and lifelong learning among professionals and learners, and advance English language teaching, learning, research and usage in Vietnam and beyond.  This year’s conference offered a wide range of professional development opportunities to English language teachers of all levels.  The conference featured key note speeches from University of Hawaii’s Dr. J.D. Brown as well as University of Languages and International Studies’ Professor Hoang Van Van and Professor Le Van Canh.  In addition, participants shared over 80 papers, posters and tech fair sessions and led 30 workshops, including many from U.S. Department of State English Language Fellows. Approximately 280 English language instructors from around the country and 25 international participants registered to attend the conference.  The U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office (RELO) was a proud sponsor of the conference, and RELO sponsorship funds were used, in part, to support the travel and attendance of regional teachers. VNN