Vietnam News Today (Dec. 12): Vietnam Always Upholds UNCLOS Guidelines, Goals, and Principles

Vietnam has administered almost 265 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine so far. Photo: VNA

Vietnam logs 231 new Covid-19 cases on December 11

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,520,639 with 231 new cases recorded on December 11, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 48 patients given the all-clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,609,621.

Meanwhile, there are 47 patients needing breathing support, cited VNA.

No death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,178.

With 9,015 doses administered on December 10, the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected rose to 264,913,691.

Vietnam always upholds UNCLOS guidelines, goals, and principles

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang made the statement while responding to the media’s question about the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the 1982 UNCLOS.

Countries should cooperate with one another and make positive and practical contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, and legal order at sea, she continued.

The spokesperson affirmed that the adoption of the 1982 UNCLOS – the “constitution of the seas and oceans” – is significant to the development of international law in general and the international law of the sea in particular. Over the past four decades, the convention has always served as a comprehensive and full international legal framework and the legal foundation for all activities of sea and ocean management and use.

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang.

As a law-abiding and responsible member of the international community and an active member of the 1982 UNCLOS, Vietnam seriously complied with and implemented the convention; persistently resolved sea-related differences by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. The country has actively engaged in and contributed many initiatives to activities within the institutions set up under the convention, winning the international community’s recognition, Hang noted.

Besides, Vietnam has also stepped up fine-tuning its legal regulations on sea management and use in accordance with the convention, while ramping up international maritime cooperation on the basis of UNCLOS and the UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015, Hang went on to say.

On this occasion, Vietnam also stressed that countries need to continue respecting and fully performing their obligations under UNCLOS and international law, cooperate with each other; and make active and practical contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, and legal order at sea, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, and the sustainable development of the seas and oceans, according to VOV.

Vietnam is committed to gender equality and climate action: Official

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Vietnam’s Department of Climate Change (DCC) hosted a “Post-COP27 Dialogue for a Joint Roadmap to Mainstream Gender in Climate Policy Implementation.”

Participants took stock of the country’s progress in mainstreaming gender in climate policies, particularly in five prioritized sectors of the Vietnam National Adaptation Plan (NAP). They discussed how relevant climate policies and Vietnam NAP would be instrumental in creating impactful changes for building resilience for women and men at the local level.

Climate change causes more negative effects on specific groups of women owing to underlying inequalities related to education, health, employment, access to and control of natural and financial resources, the opportunities to participate in policy and decision-making processes, and division of labor.

Climate change can limit livelihood opportunities for women, especially when coinciding with other structural inequalities. Additionally, the role of women in climate action has not been properly recognized. Women are often considered “victims” of climate impacts instead of “positive change-makers.”

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Vietnam’s Department of Climate Change (DCC) hosted a “Post-COP27 Dialogue for a Joint Roadmap to Mainstream Gender in Climate Policy Implementation.”

In effect, women have been making crucial contributions to climate actions, and they have the capacity to act and support their communities in recovering from shocks and natural disasters. Nevertheless, their resilience also depends on the social, economic, and governance capacity and structures at different levels.

Vietnam is committed to gender equality and climate action as the country’s top priorities. It is an active member of all international agreements supporting these interconnected goals. “Continuous efforts to mainstream gender equality are progressively generating tangible progress, as illustrated by the National Climate Change Strategy for the period to 2050 (Decision No. 896/2022/QD-TTg), which includes a task to “ensure social security and gender equality” focusing on raising awareness, knowledge capacity, and access to capital, and the inclusion of the MOLISA in the National Adaptation Plan 2020 (Decision No. 1055/QD-TTg),” said Mr. Pham Van Tan, Deputy Director General for Climate Change.

A project’s report entitled “Mainstreaming Gender Considerations into the National Adaptation Plan of Vietnam” provides an updated and comprehensive overview of climate and gender governance structure, examines the factors that drive gender inequalities and women’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and analyzes the status of mainstreaming gender into sectoral policies, before offering a set of recommendations.

The aim of the report was to inform and enhance improvement and solutions to promote gender equality in the NAP technical report of Vietnam, which will be subsequently submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reported UNDP.

Dao Xuan Lai, UNDP Head of the Climate Change and Environment Unit, highlighted that “gender equality is often mentioned as a ‘principle’ in policies, which marks a step in the right direction. However, there is a strong need to develop practical tools to move from theory at the central level to implementation at the local level. This calls for the formulation of specific gender guidelines geared towards the line ministries and provinces in promoting gender equality in climate change responses.”

Attending the dialogue were more than one hundred representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), DCC, UNDP, and UN Agencies, Vietnam Women’s Union Embassies, NGOs/ CSO, academia. The results, insights, and conversations of the dialogue will be harvested and synthesized by UNDP to inform the Joint Roadmap and set a practicable action to move together for gender-sensitive implementation.

Over 90% of consumers prioritise made-in-Vietnam goods

The consumption of Vietnamese goods has been on the rise, with over 90% of consumers prioritising products made in the country, statistics show.

Vietnamese goods are currently accounting for more than 90% of products sold at distribution networks of domestic firms. This rate is 60 – 96% at foreign-owned supermarkets in the country, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s steering committee for the “Vietnamese people prioritise Vietnamese goods” campaign.

Meanwhile, made-in-Vietnam goods make up at least 60% of all products for sale at traditional markets and convenience stores.

In particular, after the Covid-19 pandemic, 76% of Vietnamese consumers have developed preference for domestic goods, especially reputable ones.

More than 90% of consumers said they will prioritise Vietnamese goods when shopping, and 75% will recommend Vietnamese goods for their families and friends, according to the steering committee, cited VOV.

Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the “Vietnamese people prioritise Vietnamese goods” campaign, launched by the Politburo, has changed businesses and consumers’ awareness of domestically produced goods.

She attributed that success partly to an awareness improvement among many enterprises which are working to win consumers’ trust by applying scientific and technological advances and adopting modern management solutions to reduce production costs, better product quality, and improve product designs and after-sales services.

A number of companies initially focusing on export have paid more attention to the domestic market and sold the products meeting choosy markets’ standards to Vietnamese consumers. They have also managed to develop their own distribution networks or connect with distribution businesses to expand their products’ presence in the domestic market, Nga noted.

To further promote the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, experts suggested enterprises proactively equip themselves with cutting-edge technology to increase labour productivity, reduce production costs, guarantee quality, and diversify product designs.

Consumers shop at a supermarket. Photo: VNA

Businesses should also improve their management capacity; enhance connectivity with other firms; ensure transparent product information; work with authorities to eradicate counterfeit, poor-quality, and smuggled goods; apply information technology and e-commerce; and concertedly carry out market research, product development, distribution, and trade promotion measures, which will help strengthen their foothold in the domestic and international markets.

Luxembourg press highlights Vietnamese PM’s visit

Newspapers in Luxembourg ran articles featuring Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the country on December 9-10, all affirming that the trip will help intensify the bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right, first line) at Luxembourg-Findel international airport. Photo: VNA

The Zeitung vum Lëtzebuerger Vollek (ZLV) posted an article summarising Chinh’s activities in Luxembourg, including his talks with his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel, during which they exchanged views on the bilateral ties, the EU-Vietnam relations, and international issues.

After a meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen, the Vietnamese Prime Minister visited the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and attended the Vietnam-Luxembourg Economic Forum where he witnessed the signing of various letters of intent on cooperation between the two countries.

The article also stressed that with a total capital of 2.6 billion USD, Luxembourg is the European Union’s third largest investor in Vietnam and one of the first to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.

The Vietnamese leader’s Luxembourg trip was also spotlighted by Tageblatt and Luxemburger Wort daily newspapers.