1 – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung: Education cooperation - A way to ease negative impacts of economic crisis

 

At the opening ceremony of the 2nd ASEM Ministerial Meeting on Education (ASEMME 2) on May 14, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his hope that educational ministers and experts of Asia and Europe raise practical proposals in order to promote education cooperation between the two continents, contributing to the settlement of negative social impacts of the global economic crisis.   

 

ASEMME 2, hosted by an Asian country for the first time, attracts 21 Ministers and Deputy Ministers responsible for education and over 130 educational experts from 41 countries and international organizations in Asia and Europe.

The Meeting focuses on two topics: "Quality assurance, credit recognition and transfer in ASEM” and “Sustainable human resource development for ASEM future needs”.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that they are very practical and meaningful, not only for ASEM’s education cooperation but also to deal with negative social impacts of the current crisis.

Asia and Europe are playing important roles in the world’s stability and development. So, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) not only boosts cooperation between the two continents and among its members but also stimulates the cooperation with other continents.

As one of the founder members, Vietnam has actively contributed to ASEM through taking part in the ASEM cooperation process in various fields. Vietnam successfully hosted the 5^th ASEM Summit in 2004 and many other meetings, conferences and events.

Vietnam always attaches importance to educational development, considering it a top strategy for national development and an essential factor for poverty reduction.

Over the past years, the Vietnamese Government has allocated 20% of its budget for educational activities. In 2000, Vietnam completed the cause of illiteracy eradication and primary education popularization. In the time to come, the country will continue to renovate its educational sector, so as to serve the national industrialization, modernization and international integration.

 

 

* Full text of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s speech can be found at the following address:

http://www.chinhphu.vn/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/VGP_EN/P_CONTENT_REP/P_NEWS_REP/GOV1/2009/MAY/INDEX.HTM)

 

(www.chinhphu.vn ngày 14/5/2009)

 

2- Urgent measures to combat influenza A/H5N1, acute diarrhoea

 

The Prime Minister has asked ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and chairmen of the provincial People’s Committees to take drastic measures to swiftly detect, prevent and deal with any possible outbreaks of influenza A/H5N1 in Vietnam.

In a dispatch dated May 14, the Prime Minister stressed the need to raise public awareness of the symptoms of the disease and avenues of infection for both the influenza A/H5N1 and acute diarrhoea epidemics, as well as encouraging the people to protect themselves, their families and the community from infection.

The Ministry of Health will increase its monitoring network to operate round the clock, especially at border gates, to detect, quarantine and treat any cases of infection in a timely manner. At the same time, the Ministry will prepare medical equipment, medicines and chemical disinfectant to be distributed to grassroots-level hospitals and medical centres as soon as any cases are reported.

Chairmen of the provincial People’s Committees will mobilise relevant agencies to monitor the enforcement of food hygiene and safety regulations, especially at restaurants, markets, food processing factories and slaughter houses, as well as the transport and consumption of dog meat and other cattle and poultry products. They will also oversee the quality of water resources, especially those from drilled wells, ponds and lakes to prevent the spread of Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

According to the Ministry of Health, so far this year, the first cases of acute diarrhoea have been confirmed in Hanoi, Hai Phong City and Bac Ninh, Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa provinces. Vibrio Cholerae bacteria has been found in uncooked dog meat at several dog slaughter houses and in other uncooked food samples. The ministry has warned that the acute diarrhoea epidemic is likely to spread on a large scale this year.

(www.cpv.org.vn, May 15^th, 2009)

 

3 – Vietnam ensures workers are aware of their rights

 

Vietnam is attempting to ensure that 95 percent of employers are provided with the current employment legislation that relates to corporate operations, and 70 percent of all workers are knowledgeable about law, particularly the Labour Law, by 2012.

 

The target was revealed by Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan at a conference in Hanoi on May 14, to discuss a project on legal distribution to employees and employers between 2009 and 2012.

 

There are many difficulties to increase the public’s awareness of law, so general awareness of the law amongst employers and employees remains low and uneven.

 

Workers play the most important role in society, therefore, their respect for law will help boost production and sustainable development as well as stabilise the investment environment and society in general.

 

To achieve this effectively, Nguyen Van Tuyen, Standing Vice Chairman of the Union of Cooperatives, has suggested that the Ministry of Finance allows businesses to earmark funds for law dissemination.

 

According to statistics, Vietnam has a population of over 85 million with nearly 55 percent being of working age. These figures are forecast to rise to 88.3 million and 56 percent by 2010./.

 

(www.vietnamplus.vn, May 14, 2009)