Enhancing resources for defence and security represents a strategic policy of our Party and State, aimed at increasing the country’s synergy for the Homeland protection both in the long and medium term. Therefore, this policy should continue to be further researched and properly, effectively applied to practice.

Grounded on lessons learned from the building of resources for defence mobilisation and the Homeland protection in order to bring into play the country’s synergy and defeat wars of aggression waged by enemies with overwhelming military superiority over us in our history of national liberation and protection, our Party attached importance to building and mobilising all resources for wars and the Homeland protection. As a result, tens of thousands of young citizens and millions of tons of weapons, ammunition, and goods were mobilised, exploited, and opportunely provided for battlefields and all people to fight enemies. At the same time, the people’s armed forces were gradually built and developed, with tremendous victories in the wars for national liberation and in the construction and protection of the Socialist Homeland. Nowadays, under the Party’s leadership, our defence-security potential has been increasingly consolidated; political security has been maintained; the all-people national defence, the people’s security, and the posture of all-people national defence associated with the posture of people’s security as well as provincial-level defensive zones have been made increasingly strong, while the “posture of people’s hearts and minds” has been cemented. Resources for defence and security have been unceasingly solid and comprehensive to meet the requirements of national construction and protection. The system of laws, strategies, and projects on defence and security has been step by step completed and rather synchronously executed. Due regard has been paid to combining socio-economic and cultural development with defence-security consolidation. The arrangement of residential areas has been gradually adjusted to be relevant to plans of socio-economic development associated with defence-security consolidation. Defence and security industries, particularly industrial mobilisation facilities have been developed to be capable of manufacturing many types of dual-purpose goods for defence-security task and socio-economic development in peacetime, while maintaining readiness for wartime.

However, during the preparation of resources for defence and security, a combination of socio-economic development and defence-security consolidation in several fields and regions has yet to be really close or effective. The building of defence potential, force, and posture in some sectors and localities has yet to be solid. Investments in defensive zones have yet to be commensurate with economic potential and growth. The preservation and mobilisation of resources for defence and security in a number of sectors and localities have been still limited. Cyber security and safety work has yet to be close.

That situation necessitates us continuing increasing national synergy and comprehensively preparing resources to firmly protect the Homeland and avoid falling into passivity. Hence, this article will put forward several proposals to strengthen resources for defence, security, and the Homeland protection in the new situation.

1. Enhance the Party’s leadership and the State’s management towards the building and mobilisation of resources for defence and security. This is a measure of paramount importance to ensuring that the building and mobilisation of resources for defence and security will always be close, scientific, and effective. To that end, sectors and localities should continue grasping and effectively implementing the Party’s guidelines and policies on defence-security work and especially the building and mobilisation of defence-security potential for the Homeland protection. Emphasis should be placed on leading, managing, and operating the building and mobilisation of resources for defence and security. Due attention should be paid to bettering the efficiency of all-level party committees’ leadership, boosting the effectiveness of management and operation of authorities and heads of ministries and sectors, and improving staff work performed by all-level military and public security offices. Mechanisms for leading, managing, and operating the building and mobilisation of resources at the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security should be well implemented. Due attention should be paid to stepping up the work of propagation and education to render cadres, party members, and citizens fully aware of the building and mobilisation of resources for defence, security, and the Homeland protection. It is necessary to build pure, strong party organisations, authorities, and a contingent of cadres to meet the requirements set by defence-security task and the Homeland protection in the new situation, align the responsibility of party committees, commands, and heads of ministries, sectors, localities, and the armed forces with the building and mobilisation of resources for defence and security, continue perfecting policies and laws on defence-security mobilisation work, closely inspect, supervise, and audit the building and mobilisation of resources for defence, security, and the Homeland protection.

2. Promote synergy created by the entire political system and people in the building and mobilisation of resources for defence and security. Resources for defence, security, and the Homeland protection include personnel, means, facilities, finance, science, and technology; they are prepared in peacetime and will be mobilised for defence-security task in the event of a war. Those resources are relevant to all political, economic, cultural, and social fields and play a decisive role in the country’s defence-security strength. Therefore, it is vital to promote the synergy of central and local sectors, the armed forces, and the entire political system. Emphasis should be placed on closely combining socio-economic and cultural development with defence, security, and diplomacy and vice versa in each strategy and plan in order to build all resources of the national economy. At the same time, significance should be attached to building resources for defence needs in the first year of a war, developing a powerful reserve force, readily expanding the militia and self-defence force, constructing and making industrial mobilisation and socio-economic facilities ready for defence-security task.

However, in fact, it is not easy to mobilise any resource for defence and security; there should be mobilisation-related surveys and plans/projects of each ministry, sector, and locality right in peacetime. Great value should be attached to organising training courses and exercises in order to opportunely, effectively mobilise all resources for defence-security task in the event. Moreover, it is essential to bring into play the synergy of the entire political system and people, raise the quality of defence and security education for all cadres and citizens, particularly for key leaders of authorities, sectors, politico-social organisations, unions, and enterprises from Central to local levels, and enhance the work of propagation and education to raise all people’s awareness and responsibility for defence-security mobilisation and encourage each citizen’s devotion to defence-security task.

3. Perfect the system of laws, mechanisms, and policies for defence-security mobilisation. So far, our Party and State have paid due regard to developing and rather sufficiently promulgating the system of legal documents and policies for defence-security mobilisation; those documents have been relatively effectively implemented. However, some statutory regulations on defence-security mobilisation have yet to keep pace with the development of reality and the requirements of international integration; they have yet to bring into play the potential and strengths of all aspects of social life for defence-security task. Therefore, competent offices and relevant organisations should continue giving advice to the Party and the State on completing the system of mechanisms and policies for defence-security mobilisation. Emphasis should be placed on perfecting laws, mechanisms, and policies to combine socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation, design the Industrial Mobilisation Law, maintain cooperation between ministries, sectors, localities, organisations, and enterprises in defence-security mobilisation, and encourage the mobilisation of resources, especially human resources from foreign-invested economic projects for defence-security task. It is important to continue reviewing and assessing the appropriateness of legal documents and the feasibility of current policies, and seeking for missing contents or irrelevances to defence-security mobilisation to be supplemented, completed, and developed both in the long and medium term.

4. Strengthen training work and reviews of defence-security mobilisation. In order to effectively practise defence-security mobilisation, central and local committees and sectors, offices, units, and enterprises should thoroughly grasp the task, requirements, and targets of annual defence-security mobilisation set by the Government, while adhering to guiding documents by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security to develop plans, contents, and programmes of defence-security mobilisation training and exercises in a synchronous, close, scientific manner. Greater importance should be attached to raising the quality of training under the motto of “basics, practicality, thorough grasp,” making training work relevant to the mobilisation requirements and task of each ministry, sector, office, unit, and enterprise, organising training courses according to mobilisation plans/projects, and combining basic theories with the sharing of experience. It is necessary to carefully, comprehensively make preparations for exercises, while due attention should be paid to closely, scientifically leading, directing, and commanding exercises. Besides, contents of exercises must be practical and relevant to defence-security situations and civil defence project/plans.

After each training and exercise season, it is vital to organise conferences to draw lessons to improve the quality of training and exercises, supplement and adjust plans/projects of defence-security mobilisation in line with the development of the Homeland construction and protection in the new period.

                                    Vietnam is stepping up the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Building a society in which development is truly for the sake of the people is a core and consistent issue in the writings by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in his recently published book titled “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam”.

The Vietnamese Party and State have been exerting efforts to build a new society in tandem with developing the economy, culture, education, health care and unceasingly improving the people’s material and spiritual life, showing the good nature of the socialist regime.

In the article titled “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam”, General Secretary Trong stressed the people is at the heart of the development strategies, and that cultural and human development is both the goal and impulse of the “Doi moi” (Renewal).

Over the past 35 years of “Doi moi”, the country has obtained significant and historic accomplishments, strong and comprehensive development, and considerable improvements to the people’s material and spiritual life. During that process, it has focused on thoroughly dealing with social issues, especially social security and welfare.
Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Nguyen Danh Tien, Director of the Party History Institute at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said social affairs have always attracted the Party and State’s special attention, which has demonstrated the superiority of the socialist regime in Vietnam.

The Party’s core viewpoint is that social policy must be for the people and centre on the people, and to implement an inclusive development policy so that all people can directly and equally benefit from development attainments, and no one is left behind, he noted.

Statistics show that per capita income in Vietnam increased from 200 USD in 1990 to 1,168 USD in 2010 and over 3,500 USD in 2021. The household poverty rate was brought down from 58.1 percent in 1993 to 9.88 percent in 2015 and 2.75 percent in 2020. The country has become one of the world’s role models in poverty alleviation.

Terence D. Jones, an official from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Vietnam, said Vietnam is in the top group among the three of the countries in the world with the fastest progress in working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and also one of the best Asian performers in implementing the global goals.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), also highly valued the country’s achievements in realising the SDGs, especially in poverty reduction.

Those outcomes reflect the Party and State’s consistent policy of making tireless efforts so that the people can enjoy a well-off, free, and happy life and have conditions to develop comprehensively, thereby creating momentum for attaining the goal of “rich people and a strong, democratic, fair, and civilised country”.
So far, Vietnam has become a member of almost all international conventions on human rights and committed to perform all of its duties under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and those conventions. The implementation of those duties also aims to better carry out the Party and State’s policies on human rights and people protection.

In his article, General Secretary Trong emphasised that each economic policy must be oriented towards social development, each social policy must aim at creating momentum for economic development, and legal enrichment must be encouraged in tandem with sustainable poverty reduction and care for revolution contributors and disadvantaged people.

In the COVID-19 fight, the Vietnamese Government has implemented many policies oriented towards the people, protecting the people, and giving the top priority to the people’s lives, health, and life.

Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, held that putting people’s health at the centre of the COVID-19 response is a sound approach.

Another highlight is that the country has worked to protect human rights in the context of climate change. Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva Tatiana Valovaya noted Vietnam is a developing country but has played a leading role and been an examplery in the climate change combat.

Caring for the people and working for the sake of the people have been demonstrated throughout the development process of Vietnam’s revolution and always the top goal that the Party and State have been aiming at./.

A war veteran lit incense to remember 64 naval soldiers who died on duty 34 years ago while defending the Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

War veterans who used to be stationed on the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago held a ceremony in the central city of Da Nang on March 13 to commemorate 64 soldiers of the Vietnamese navy who died on duty 34 years ago while defending the Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on March 14, 1988.

The veterans and the fallen soldiers’ families offered incense and then released rafts with flowers on Han River in memory of the soldiers.

Head of a liaison committee for Truong Sa veterans Nguyen Van Tan said among the fallen soldiers in the Gac Ma battle, nine were from Da Nang and one from neighbouring Quang Nam province.

Tan stressed that their bravery sacrifice will be remembered forever and that they have made the Vietnam People’s Navy’s history more glorious.

The event aims to not only pay homage to the soldiers who lost their lives in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty but also inspire patriotism among young people, said Colonel Hoang Duy Lap, former commander of the navy’s Engineer Regiment No.83 who directly fought in the battle at Truong Sa in 1988.

Dong A University took the occasion to present ten gift packages, worth 1 million VND (43.71 USD) each, to families of the fallen soldiers in Quang Nam and Da Nang./.

 

Available data suggests continued recovery of domestic economic activities with industrial production growing by 8.5 percent and retail sales by 3.1 percent compared to the same period last year despite the effects of the recent surge in COVID-19 infections on labor supply, production and consumption.

The above figures were referred in the World Bank (WB)'s Viet Nam Macro Monitoring for March 2022 which was released on March 11.

Compared to a year ago, foreign direct investment (FDI) commitment slowed while FDI disbursement increased for the third month in a row, highlighted the WB.

The report shows that, despite rising energy prices, consumer price index (CPI) inflation remained subdued thanks to relatively stable food prices.

Credit demand remained strong after the Lunar New Year, keeping overnight interbank interest rate at 2.56 percent at the end of February, compared to less than one percent at the end of 2021.

Budget balance was in US$1.1 billion surplus in February as revenue performance remained strong while expenditures increased thanks to improved disbursement of public investment.

The WB recommended that as the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases is surging, continued administration of the vaccine boosters and renewed health guidance are critical.

Authorities should encourage exporters to seek new markets and innovate into new products through global value chains and existing free trade agreements to ensure more export resilience, it suggested.  

 “No alliances” is a consistent position and policy of our Party and State. Hostile forces, reactionaries, and political opportunists, however, always exploit all tricks to steer public opinion against this policy, especially in current situation.

They believe that “only if Viet Nam is in alliance with a major power can it safeguard its national sovereignty and interests.” According to them, Viet Nam’s pursuit of “Four No’s” defence policy is risky because its military might is too “weak” and “backward.” Consequently, Viet Nam must join a major power’s military alliance to gain support for protection of territorial sovereignty, national borders, waters, and islands. They conclude that the policy of “no military alliances” not only fails to defend the country against invasion but also fails to preserve the regime, thus leading the Party to lose everything, including its leadership. They even boldly claim that “the sooner Viet Nam enters into a military alliance with the United States, the sooner the risks of further losing islands and sovereign rights in the East Sea as well as a war on land and at sea will be avoided.”

The above-mentioned arguments completely go against guidelines of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) as well as realities of Vietnamese revolution. We can have an in-depth look at this matter from the following dimensions:

First, national sovereignty is sacred and supreme, which cannot be entrusted to foreign forces, no matter who they are. In today’s international relations, when all countries prioritise their national interests, especially the core ones such as independence, sovereignty, social regime, etc., on the basis of mutual benefits, it is not easy for them to help each other to safeguard national interests. What to create cohesive alliances is common interests and the portion of interests each party may get. “Holly” alliances are products of fantasists, which are unlikely to exist in today’s vivid, complex, and pragmatic political-military realities. What are a major power’s interests to enter into a military alliance with a small country, whose aims are to secure its own national sovereignty and interests? Traditionally, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price. The small country may avoid a loss of sovereignty and successfully protect its national interests from some threats. However, the price which is existential and true before it can avoid that threat is that it must concede part of its sovereignty or national interests to the allied power. These are mortgage assets in exchange for security commitments from its ally. This is a must in today’s international relations. In this case, the small country exchanges practical interests for security assurance, which can be only operationalised by necessary and sufficient conditions attached to its allied major power. As for all nations, territories serve as a material basis for their survival and are of sacred, immutable value. As far as Viet Nam is concerned, independence, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity, socialist regime, etc., are core, supreme, and sacred interests, which were achieved through sacrifice of generations of Vietnamese people. Sovereign independence, unification, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, therefore, cannot be entrusted to anyone but is determined by Vietnamese people themselves. This has long been realised consistently by the CPV according to the principle of “guaranteeing maximum national interests on the basis of fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, equality, cooperation, and mutual benefits.”

Second, to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and interests requires making the most of independence and self-reliance without illusive dependence on an alliance. World history has proved that not all alliances with military powers can protect their members’ national sovereignty and interests, especially the small ones. Like any other countries, major powers attach importance to their national interests. Consequently, for the sake of their “grand” interests, they will treat their allies according to the philosophy of putting their interests ahead of others’. In such cases, many major powers’ allies have accepted the full consequences ranging from frigidity, disregard to abandonment or even betrayal. This has shown that no nations in the world are willing to sacrifice their national interests for others’.

Despite great assistance from the socialist countries and international friends during its two fierce, protracted wars of resistance, Viet Nam still heightened the sense of independence and self-reliance without joining any military alliances with major powers. This is a big lesson learnt from the wars of resistance for national liberation and reunification. The lesson remains valid today. The formation of people’s alliance on March 13, 1951 by Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia in order to strengthen solidarity among three Indochinese countries in the wars of resistance against French colonialists, American imperialists, and their henchmen for national independence, national building, and people’s liberty, happiness, and development was a practical requirement and objective demand of the revolutions in three Indochinese countries. This alliance is self-defensive and justice in nature, serving as a means of safeguarding the Fatherland at that time. Nevertheless, each country heightened the sense of independence and self-reliance in terms of guideline and implementation. Once again this affirms that it is necessary to heighten the sense of independence and self-reliance without illusively longing for foreign assistance in order to protect national independence and sovereignty in any circumstances, including peacetime and wartime.

Third, it is not because our national defence power is too “weak” and “backward” that we must join a military alliance with foreign countries. If it is because we are weak and backward that we need an alliance, so whether or not we need an alliance when we are strong and modern. In fact, many major powers are proactively in alliance with the small ones, and in some cases the small countries refuse to join an alliance with major powers. So, how can we think of any reasonable explanation for this matter? As we may know, the key reason for a military alliance does not completely lie in weak or strong military might but in the interests and positions of member countries. Moreover, it does not truly reflect realities when saying that our military might is weak and backward. According to the Global Firepower (GFP) ranking which utilises 55 individual factors (except for nuclear weapons) to determines a given nation’s PowerIndex score with categories ranging from total populations, square land area, equipment, defence budgets, manpower, logistics, natural resources to current economic capabilities, Viet Nam has always been among the top 25 countries with highest military strength in the world.

Additionally, military strength of a nation cannot be simply evaluated by the military might itself, but in relation to that nation’s overall power. After 35 years of reform, Viet Nam has recorded great achievements of historical significance and developed vigorously in every aspect. The national overall power, which includes material and spiritual power, strength of tradition and modernity, strength in terms of economy, politics, culture, society, national defence, security, and diplomacy, is ceaselessly enhanced. The position and reputation of the country are elevated into a new height. The socialist regime is firmly maintained, strengthened, and increasingly proved its superiority. The Nowadays is consolidated, and the Party’s leadership is successfully preserved and leveraged. Never has our country enjoyed such fortunes, potential, status, and prestige as they are today, thus creating new opportunities and solid foundation for elevating our country into new heights in the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland.

Consequently, if Viet Nam’s power is assessed using military strength and overall power of the nation, it is not too “weak” and “backward” as what is being spread by malicious people or cowards. Conversely, we have grounds for affirming and believing in the strength of the country and combining overall national power with power of the times to firmly safeguard the Fatherland in any situations without resorting to a military alliance with foreign countries.

Fourth, Viet Nam’s success in firmly protecting national sovereignty, independence, and interests over the past few years is the success of building an independent, self-reliant, resilient national defence and security and the successful implementation of the policy of “diversifying and multilateralising” international relations. Viet Nam’s history of warfare has affirmed that it is the leverage of internal strength, self-reliance, and resilience that creates the source of greatest, strongest power to defend the Fatherland. Realities of the two wars of resistance against the French colonialists and American imperialists and their henchmen in the 20^th century have demonstrated that our people’s outstanding victory resulted from pursuing a military guideline of independence, self-reliance in connection with the Party’s sound, absolute, direct leadership of national defence, security, and the armed forces. Nowadays, the building of an independent, self-reliant, resilient national defence and security in association with broadening and strengthening international cooperation in national defence and security aims to firmly protect national sovereignty and interests. Realities of reform provide solid grounds for the CPV to affirm that “We safeguard the Fatherland by means of the strength of the great national solidarity and combining overall national power with power of the times, in which the internal strength of the country, political regime, economy, and national capabilities is the key factor.”

In addition, carrying out the policy of “diversifying and multilateralising” international relations, Viet Nam has established defence ties with over 80 countries and international organisations and set up defence attaché offices in 37 countries and to the United Nations so far. Forty-nine countries have set up their defence, military attaché offices in Viet Nam, thereby contributing to strengthening of international solidarity, consolidation and development of defence and security capabilities to meet requirements and missions of safeguarding the Fatherland.

Therefore, the policy of “no military alliances” is correct and commensurate with today’s globalisation and international integration when peace, cooperation, and development are the mainstream; Viet Nam pursues a foreign policy of diversification, multilateralisation, being a good friend, a reliable partner, and an active, responsible of the international community. Implementation of this policy provides a basis for us to garner support of the international community for today’s national construction and defence.

                                            Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie has appreciated the efforts Vietnam has made over the past time in eliminating gender inequality in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

The Australian Ambassador said she commended the representation of women in the Vietnamese National Assembly as well as the country’s efforts to achieve gender equality. The Gender Equality Law 2006 is an excellent example of the commitment shown by the Government of Vietnam to this cause, she added.

However, according to the female diplomat, there is scope for Vietnamese women to make more of a mark, and to be present in even greater numbers, especially as Ministers, Vice Ministers and in senior positions in government departments.

“When women serve as political leaders they shape policies that reflect women’s needs and aspirations, meaning that that issues affecting women, such as the wage gap and gender-based violence, are dealt with respectfully”, Mudie said.

Achieving equality at senior levels requires a pipeline of young women who are inspired and equipped to take on leadership roles, she went on, stressing that building this pipeline needs to start early, through positive messaging and the creation and promotion of opportunities for girls in their school years.

As with so many aspects of gender equality, the changes required to enable women to fully participate in any sector, whether public or private, require active leadership from the top, as well as ongoing advocacy and awareness at different levels of society, she added.

According to Mudie, in Australia, 35 per cent of businesses are owned by women. Vietnam and Australia are in a similar position in terms of their proportion. More importantly, it is imperative to increase the representation of women-owned businesses in the economy. Although Vietnam’s rate of women-led and owned business is also high compared to its neighbors, however, these businesses tend to be smaller operations compared to those run by men and have more challenges accessing finance for expansion and to support sustainable operations that can withstand economic shocks, such as those we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The diplomat stressed promoting women’s economic empowerment has been a longstanding priority of her country’s relationship with Vietnam. It is increasingly recognized that women’s economic participation drives inclusive and sustainable growth, and this now extends to recovery from COVID-19.

Regarding the cooperation between Australia and Vietnam in the field of gender equality, Ambassador Mudie emphasized that Australia will strive to continue to be a consistent and constructive partner for Vietnam as the two sides jointly strive to achieve gender equality.

Over the past five years, supporting women in business has been central to Australia’s diplomatic and development cooperation with Vietnam, she said, adding that this shows the belief that greater equality will help Vietnam in its transition to an inclusive, upper middle-income economy.

According to Mudie, there are two programs that best illustrate Australia’s support to Vietnam to create enabling conditions for women in small and medium enterprises. The first is “Investing in Women”, which has been very successful in changing minds in the big finance and investment sector about the ‘bankability’ or business case for supporting women’s business growth. The other is “Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism”, which is being carried out in Son La and Lao Cai. It has also demonstrated the great viability and market potential of businesses and cooperatives led by and working with ethnic minority women.

“Australia is undertaking the work because it supports the stability and prosperity of Vietnam, which is one of our most valuable regional partners”, Ambassador Mudie noted./.

                                                   The 13th National Women’s Congress

Women in digital age was among key topics for discussion at the 13th National Women’s Congress on March 10, with participants putting forth solutions for enhancing women's capacity of technology application and equal access to resources, particularly regarding finance.

At the discussion, Nguyen Thi Hoa, Director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Banking Strategy Institute, said in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic having a serious impact on the economy and life, for the economy to be recovered soon and for quick adaptation to the "new normal", it is necessary to improve financial access for all people in general and women in particular.

She noted the work requires the participation of the whole political system and the close coordination of ministries and sector, with the contribution of socio-political organisations considered indispensable.

She suggested the Vietnam Women's Union cooperate closely with the banking sector to improve the quality and effectiveness of  the operation of microfinance programmes and organisations in the framework of the union's network, and expand the coordination models between the union and financial service providers.  
Dao Lan Huong, CEO of the Teky institute of innovative technology, opined that technological education is important for future generations, especially for girls, serving educational equity, gender equality, and social progress.

Digital capability is the only and mandatory path today to start a successful business, to adapt and to respond to the changing technology world, she added.

Huong suggested the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women’s Union build a specific support programme for startup members with a focus on the improvement of technology application capacity via training courses and meetings with experts.

Women-run businesses need assistance when participating in exhibitions to showcase their products and services abroad for better opportunities to access investment capital and introduce the startup environment in Vietnam, she added.

Other topics of discussion at the event included fostering the value of Vietnamese families; building a strong women’s union; and promoting gender equality./.

                One million poor children are expected to benefit from the nutrition project

A nutrition project has been launched by Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) Central Committee, aiming to provide nutritious meals for children and improve their stature, especially those with difficult circumstances in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

The project will be carried out over the next five years, starting this month.

It will develop and maintain 20 restaurants and 20 food banks that provide free food for children. As many as 1,000 medical workers and nutritionists are anticipated to involve in the programme. One million poor children are expected to benefit from the project.

The project focuses on implementing many activities including food support, nutritious meals for poor children; nutrition examination and counseling for children; providing medical equipment and training, and promoting communication work on disease prevention and control; building a healthy living and learning environment; raising awareness of nutritional care for poor children; and enabling them to grow well and fuel their brain development.

According to VRCS Central Committee, as Vietnam is a developing country, the rate of poor people and those with difficult circumstances is still high, especially among persons in ethnic and mountainous areas.

Vietnam currently has nearly 2 million children suffering from chronic malnutrition. More than 230,000 children under five years old face severe acute malnutrition every year. If they are not treated in time, these children are more likely to die.

The damage caused by malnutrition to the health and development of young children is permanent and irreparable. Malnutrition in children does not only leave a serious impact on their survival, development, and economic ability in the future, but also creates a burden on the family and society, thereby affecting the sustainable development goals of the country./.