Recent years, more and more Vietnamese people have been rewarded with international prizes. By their talent and intelligence, Vietnamese people have brought honor to the country through world prestigious awards. From famous people’s artist Dang Thai Son, mathematician Ngo Bao Chau, talented chess player Le Quang Liem, etc to thousands of students and pupils who have gain high prizes in many competitions like Olympics, they are all our country’s pride. In opposition, some “so-called international prizes” awarded by some foreign organizations for individuals who have committed crimes in Vietnam, do not bring any honor to the country but even undermine the country’s image in eyes of international friends. These so-called international prizes are largely human rights ones which are awarded by self-proclaimed human rights organizations.

 Nowadays, human rights is raising to be a hot debated issue by some countries which want to impose their influences and try to use human rights as an excuse to pressure countries that resist their interference. Difference in viewpoint of human rights is due to many different reasons about culture, education, political system, outlook on life, etc. Therefore, the U.S. and Western policy of imposing their human rights values has been criticized by many countries for intervening to attain political goals.

 When judging human rights records, we need to look at achievements which states have brought to their people. Imposing human rights to get political, economic or religious goals is a fact that Western experts must admit. The U.S. and the West have exploited the UN International Declaration on Human rights passed in 1948 to support their foreign policies on human rights, but even that, they still have to ignore principles in the Declaration on civil and political rights that show human rights must bear limitation of laws.

 Clashes from different view on human rights values promise to be a lingering conflict, and one of means used in the human rights warfare is offering human rights prizes. Even, the Nobel Peace Prize which has been awarded annually to those who have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses, now has been distorted by human rights warfare. Experts said the Nobel Peace Prize has derailed from its primitive missions. Unlike its fellow prizes, the Nobel Peace Prize’s aims are expressly political. According to Deputy Professor Ronald R.Krebs on Foreign Policy magazine in US, between 1946 and 1970, the prize was awarded twice (9.5 percent of the time) to domestic dissidents, between 1971 and 2008, it was given 10 times (21 percent) for this purpose, all the winners are not recognized to have substantial contributions to interstate or intrastate peace.

 The situation is same to Vietnam, many prizes given to Vietnamese people go with political goals, especially human rights ones. Never before, so many human rights prizes have been awarded to Vietnamese political dissidents like shower. We can count human rights prizes for individuals who protest against Vietnam such as Hellman/Hammet awarded by Human Rights Watch, Stephanus Prize of German International Association on Human Rights, Gruber international prize of International Association of Lawyers, Gwangju Human rights prize; Human rights prize of Vietnam Human Rights Network, Sakharov human rights prize of  the European Parliament,… These prizes, if not for reactionary organizations like Viet Tan, Vietnam’s Democratic Party… and western communication stations like VOA, BBC, RFA, RFI… and some hostile blogs and social networks, known by no one. Do you see them familiar?

Those individuals who were awarded or nominated are Vietnamese reactionary elements like Thich Quang Do, Nguyen Van Ly, Duong Thu Huong, Le Thi Cong Nhan,… For that reason, these human rights prizes just aim for individuals who conduct anti-government activities. It is totally against fundamental principles listed in international documents on human rights./.

The US’s new strategy in Syria is considered illusive and risky when the US’s weapons would be potentially under the IS control.

The United States will largely abandon its efforts to train moderate Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State, and instead provide arms and equipment directly to rebel leaders and their units on the battlefield, the Obama administration said on Friday.

Admitting mistakes and failures

Washington's announcement came as Islamic State fighters seized villages close to the northern city of Aleppo from rival insurgents, according to a monitoring group, despite an intensified Russian campaign.

From Washington Post, the military and national security editor, Missy Ryan assessed that the Pentagon’s decision was the admission of mistakes and consecutive failures in the training program for Syrian rebels. The goals of the U.S. $580 million program were to train and equip units of fighters at sites outside of Syria, after its disastrous launch this year fanned criticism of President Barack Obama war strategy.

However, after the strict recruitment process and tough training program, the US-trained rival units had been defeated consecutively on the battlefield in the fights with the IS fighters. On of the rival units even surrendered and handed over all of the US’s equipments and weapons for Al-Qaeda militants.

The failures in the training program is considered one of the main reasons that have made the US’s campaign against the IS falling into deadlock. Thousands of the air strikes of the US and its allies can’t prevent the IS from spreading its control in both Iraq and Syria.

The strategy switch comes as the Obama administration grapples with a dramatic change in the landscape in Syria's four-year-old civil war, brought about by Russia's military intervention in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow's intervention has cast doubt on Obama's strategy there and raised questions about U.S. influence in the region.

The illusive strategy

On October 9, the NYTimes commentator, Andrew Rosenthal, wrote that the US’s new plan to equip weapons for Syrian rebels was “the illusion”, especially when Russian jet fighters were striking the IS forces in Syria.

Therefore, it’s hard to believe that the US will be successful surprisingly in the effort of finding the rival groups that share the goals with the US to weaken the IS and not to bring down the Government of President Bashar al-Assad. The historical experiments of the US in Syria and recent wars show that the indigenous fighters, who were recruited and trained by the US, are often very shaky and the US weapons are not strictly under control and easily to cause brutal disasters.

Craig Whitlock, a national security analyst in London, argued that the military assistant for rival militants in the region including IS fighters would be a dramatic change form the US’s previous policy. However it’s potentially risky if the weapon is taken by IS forces or the rival units are defeated by the Government and its allies forces.

The analysts have also expressed their concern over the possibility of confrontation between the US’s and Russia’s fighters when they are conducting air strikes to support rival forces and the Government’s military nearby the city of Raqqa.

It would be better for the US to be patient for the dramatic change in battlefield rather than being risky to provide weapon for rival forces and make things more complicated in Syria. The most viable choice for the US is to promote a big improvement in diplomacy and accept Russia as an equal partner in solving the Syria crisis./.

For 20 years, Vietnam has been trying to raise power, quality of life and status of Vietnamese women.

Impressive figures

For 20 years, Vietnam has been implementing the Beijing Platform, which was adopted at the 4^th international conference of women in Beijing in 1995, with the effort of the society and the responsible of the entire political system. Vietnam is recognized by the UN on attaining some of the Millennium Development Goal targets including gender equality and empowering women.

Vietnam now has females who have high-ranking position on the political arena such as two Politburo members, one Party central secretary, two National Assembly vices, one Deputy President.

Females also account for nearly 9% of the senior Party members of the 11^th tenure, 11.3% provinces’ Party Committee for 2015-2020 tenure, 24.4% delegates of 12th National Assembly.

There are 50% of the ministerial offices that have female officers are senior leaders and 24/63 (38%) provinces and cities that have female Presidents or Deputy Presidents of the People Committee.

In the economic field, the rate of joining labor force of Vietnamese women is 73.5%, while men’s one is 82.5%. This rate is very high in comparison with a lot of countries. Vietnamese women also account for 25% the owners of the companies. The wage gap between the women and men is reducing at the rate of 106.7% in 2014.

In the medical field, the average life expectancy of Vietnamese women is quite high at 73.2. The reproductive health of mothers is cared much. In 2014, 95.8% of the maternal mothers are checked at least one time and 73.7% of the maternal mothers are checked at least 4 times. The maternal mortality rate is also reducing.

In education and training field, the rate of literacy of women at the ages of 15-35 is 98.9%. The female intellectual force is getting bigger in number, higher in quality and younger in age. In universities, 19% of the Doctors and 38% of the Masters are women. In science and technology field, 38.6% of the Deputy Professors, 30.9% of the Doctors and 54.6% the Masters are women.

These figures has shown the great achievement in gender equality, raising role, status and quality of life of Vietnamese women which Vietnam has been trying for last 20 years.

Difficulties

The Beijing Declaration and Platform is the result of the fights of the women all over the world for decades to attain the gender equality. The important document, which was adopted at the 4^th international conference of women in Beijing in 1995 with the attendance of delegates from over 180 countries, was to reflect the issues and concerns of the women at the late 20^th century.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said that “The Beijing Platform has been widely implemented in Vietnam for 20 years and considered an important factor to make improvement in the gender equality process. However in the implementation of the Beijing Platform there are still difficulties that need to be rightly assessed to change in the future.”

Despite the important achievements, the effort in making the gender equality of the Vietnamese women has been a lot of difficulties. Vietnam has a low starting point of an agricultural country, having outdated ways of thinking such as preferring sons more than girls. In remote areas, women are bound by outdated customs and practices; the proportions of poverty and illiteracy in women are still high; the problems of domestic violence, women and children trafficking, marrying foreign men are very complicated…

To effectively deal with this problem and implement the gender equality, promoting the human rights in the work of building and protecting the nation, our Party and State are conducting policies with the participation of the entire community. In which we are focusing on strengthening and diversifying the forms of propaganda and education to raise awareness of gender and gender equality./.

When the National Assembly of Vietnam is preparing to review the Law on Association, there are some opinions that remains "cautious" about freedom of association because the idea of ​​building law had been for a long time but so far still in the building process! Even some the ideas in the name of "democracy" proposed to have "civic space" for society and do not have to control all associations and groups in society.

Indeed, "the civil space" for society still exist. Since there was no Act of Congress, there have been many active civic groups and associations in society without control. Naturally, the activities of associations, groups must adhere to the law, for its benefit and members. Those who form associations and groups for activities contrary to national interests, or infringe upon the interests and confidentiality of individuals, organizations and others in society, countries will also be dealt with responsibility...

According to the Interior Ministry, as of December 2014, there were 52.565 associations with 483 associations operating on a national scale and 52.082 others on local scope. 8.792 ones have specific characteristics, including 28 operating on national scale and 8.764 associations operating on each local scope. Regarding classification, some associations are defined as socio-political organizations, socio-professional and 10 have the right to establish their own parties and unions to lead the organization's activities. The remains are defined as social-occupational or social -humanitarian organizations, operating under the principles of voluntariness, which cover operational expenditure. 31 groups conduct activities throughout the country.

The freedom of association is not only recognized in the 1946 Constitution and the 2013 Constitution, as some people believe. This is one of the fundamental rights of Vietnamese citizens which is recognized throughout all of the Constitution by the National Assembly of Vietnam on ever.

Thus, freedom of associations for Vietnamese citizens is always recognized in Vietnam's Constitution. Moreover, the rights considered fundamental human rights in international conventions including freedom of association is also guaranteed and protected over the periods by the State of Vietnam. Vietnam Penal Code also stipulates very clearly trespassing the rights of association, belief and religion for citizens.

As an active and responsible member of international community, Vietnam supports law enforcement at national and international level in line with principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of the Vietnam Mission to the UN.

The ambassador made the statement in her speech at the Sixth Committee (Legal Committee) ’s meeting in the framework of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, during which she highlighted the centre role played by the UN in building and implementing legal principles through the building process of multilateral treaties.

Vietnam commits to continuing close cooperation with UN bodies, UN member nations and partners in order to ensure and promote law enforcement at national and international level, she stated.

The diplomat affirmed that Vietnam is working to build a socialist rule of law state, and the country also joins other ASEAN member nations to build an ASEAN Community with political connectivity, economic convergence, and social responsibility for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

She expressed her deep concern over recent sovereignty disputes in the East Sea. She called parties involved to restrain from the threat to use force or use of force, and resolve all disputes through peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

She stressed the importance of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea as soon as possible.

During the discussion, the Vietnamese representative also affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, the country’s sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction over waters in the East Sea accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.-VNA.

The arbitration case against China launched by the Philippines has attracted a lot of global media attention and global public opinion seems to support the Philippines’ case. Philippines v. China is a pending arbitration case concerning the legality of China's "nine-dotted line" claim over the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Philippines is contending that the "nine-dotted line" claim by China is invalid because it violates the UNCLOS agreements about exclusive economic zones and territorial seas.^[5] It says that because most of the features in the South China Sea, such as most of the Spratly Islands, cannot sustain life, they cannot be given their own continental shelf as defined in the convention.

Disputes between the Philippines and China started from the sovereignty claims over the Spratly Islands. The Philippines sued China to an Arbitration set up on January 22, 2013, in accordance with Annex VII of the UNCLOS, demanding Beijing to fully observe the regulations and procedures for resolving disputes as provided for in the UNCLOS.

In March, 2015 the Philippines submitted additional evidence relating to the lawsuit against China’s sovereignty violation in the South China Sea in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS. On July 7, case hearings began with the Philippines asking the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague to invalidate China's claims. The hearings were also attended by observers from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The case has been compared to Nicaragua v. United States due to similarities of the parties involved such as that a developing country is challenging a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in an arbitral tribunal. China had time to respond up to June 16.

However, China refuses to participate in the arbitration, claiming that the Philippines had "no legal grounds" on the filing of the case and accused the island nation of violating the non-legally binding 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, made by ASEAN and China. China issued a position paper in December 2014 arguing the dispute was not covered by the treaty because it was ultimately a matter of sovereignty, not exploitation rights. Its refusal will not prevent the Court from proceeding with the case. China has partially changed its “non - participation” tactic. On December 7, 2014, China put forward its “Position Statement” on the website of its Foreign Ministry, analyzing the legal ground of the Philippines’ lawsuit and explaining Beijing’s position on the lawsuit, reaffirming its sovereignty claim in the South China Sea as well as its policy in settling dispute in the South China Sea. China continues to stress its objection and non - participation into the lawsuit, at the same time believes that the Arbitration has no jurisdiction over the case.

Refusing to join the lawsuit, China has weakened the legal ground of the UNCLOS in settling disputes. This would have direct negative impacts on the relations between China and the international legal system in the region.

Why does China object this Arbitration? China might concern that being at the Arbitration, China must provide detailed evidence to prove its sovereignty claim over areas around the disputed archipelagos. There are questions that whether the historical claims of China can be justified by the current Law of the Sea. Moreover, it is difficult for China to prove its claim righteous.

About this lawsuit, On December 11, 2014, Vietnam filed an intervention to the case which makes three statements: Vietnam supports the filing of this case by the Philippines; it rejects China's "nine-dashed line"; and it asks the Court to take note of Vietnam's claims on certain islands such as the Paracels.

Nevertheless, it seems that China’s decision not to join the case would make all parties concerned miss the opportunities, particularly for China. Viet Nam has also expressed its position to the Arbitration Tribunal. Without China’s official participation, the Tribunal will still pass a legally binding decision to China. China might ignore the judgment against its interests. However, Beijing will have to pay, at least in trying to enhance its influence and power in the international legal system. This also helps prove the role of international law and institutions in resolving regional disputes./.

Although the US Department of State’s 2014 International Religious Freedom Report acknowledges Vietnam’s achievements in the field, it regrettably continues to highlight inadequacies and cites erroneous information about Vietnam, stated Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

Binh made the statement during a regular press conference of the ministry in Hanoi on October 15.

“Vietnam’s constant policy is respecting and observing citizens’ rights to belief and religious as well as non-belief and non-religious freedom. This has been clarified in our Constitution and legal system and we consistently strive to make sure it is respected in reality,” he declared.

Vietnam’s law clearly prohibits discrimination against any citizen because of his or her belief and religion, he said, adding that the Vietnamese State has carried out numerous policies and specific measures towards ensuring people’s full rights to belief and religious freedom.

These efforts are contributing to the formation of a diverse religious life in Vietnam, he concluded./.

The official visit to Cuba of President Truong Tan Sang took place after Cuba and the United States had normalized relations and in the context of the well-developing Vietnam - US relation.

International community paid much attention to the President's trip.

Vietnam and Cuba have a long relationship. Another important thing for Vietnam is to maintain traditional ties with countries around the world, including Latin and South American countries. These relationships helped Vietnam landslide victory in elections in the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. Cuba is changing and its relationship with the US is improving. Vietnam is in a position to advise on the lessons learned from its experience of economic reform after years of embargo.

In certain extent, Vietnam-US relations could be a model for Cuba-US relations. The focus of Cuba-US relations will be on political, diplomatic and economic issues. They are at a lower level than the Vietnam-US relations. Comprehensive Partnership Agreement Vietnam - US can act as long-term goals of the Cuba – US relations. America certainly would encourage Cuba to develop market economy to both benefit. Both Cuba and Vietnam should reach the US market.

In America's relationship with the countries in the world, the most important legacy of the administration of President Barack Obama regarding the successful management of relationships with China and work together to handle global issues such as climate change, nuclear weapons... The legacy of the Obama administration towards the Asia-Pacific region related to the successful conclusion of negotiations, signing the Agreement Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and prevent China from the use of force or threat to use force to solve the South China Sea dispute.