Syria has been witnessing relatively peaceful moments on almost throughout the country after the ceasefire sponsored by the US and Russia, began to take effect as from 0 hour 27/2.

Although there are many doubts about the feasibility of the truce, the positive sign is still considered as a rare opportunity for the first 5 years of conflicts for parties take time to reassess the situation and hope about a lasting solution to the crisis.

The ceasefire can be said as the latest effort by the international community to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Russia and the US, the two co-authors of the agreement, calling it a "historic opportunity" that the warring factions in Syria must grasp because the suspension of hostilities in Syria is a hard task due to the complex nature of the crisis.

Analysts noted that the warring parties in Syria agreed to a ceasefire is a positive step forward launching negotiations between the parties. In particular, the Syrian government and opposition groups adhere to a ceasefire agreement in two weeks has opened the way for humanitarian operations and seeking a political solution to the conflict which has claimed the lives of more than 250.000 people.

The ceasefire is also considered a test to assess goodwill of the warring parties in this Middle Eastern country. UN envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura stressed if the ceasefire is maintained, it will be the basis for conducting a new round of talks between the Syrian government and rebel forces. It is expected to be resumed in March 7^th, 2016 after being postponed at the last minute due to inconsistency of participants.

Shortly after the ceasefire has come into effect, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the fighting between government and the opposition ended in 34 towns, although in some areas there are still sporadic violations . People in some "hot spots" admit the situation has returned to calm signs. 

Along with Moscow's claim to a complete halt of air strikes, the US also made the first effort to ensure that the temporary truce in Syria is fully and seriously implemented. US President Barack Obama, in a speech in Washington, urged the warring parties in Syria must implement the necessary steps for the truce to be maintained. In the coming days, it would be extremely important moment to verify the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

We can say that the first day of implementation of the cease-fire has passed relatively smoothly, but it is too early to be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Will the deal last for 2 weeks as the time limit set out? It is a big question because of the complexity in the political arena as well as the goodwill of Syrian stakeholders that many people are still skeptical about the effectiveness of this agreement. Even the Syrians, who are yearning for a lasting peace in the country and have been ravaged for many years of civil war, also felt the fragility of the truce.

Analysts said that those concerns are completely unwarranted because areas such as Alleppo still had the presence of "Islamic State" (IS) Al-Nusra, the two objects are not within the scope of the truce and airstrikes to destroy these two forces will be continued.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are the first person to admit that the agreement is unlikely to be prolonged. It looks like an explanation for the silence of the first day and maybe in the next few days due to the fear of being blamed for violating the truce.

Moreover, each party has its own interests in the adoption of the agreement, at least in the present stage: Russia can not break the agreement initiated by themselves and threaten the opportunities in the region of Moscow in the future. Meanwhile, the popular groups need time to gather forces, rearm and resupply resumption sources as well as humanitarian aid to people in the areas under their control. 

Whether the ceasefire is implemented strictly, the process of negotiations on a longer-term agreement for Syria remains the major obstacle. After two failed attempts, the third meeting between the Syrian government and the opposition mediated by the UN, which is expected to take place the day before the ceasefire come into effect, was unable to start because of the inconsistency component opposition to participate in negotiations.

Russia and Iran, two countries support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, still profound disagree with the United States and Saudi Arabia on the opposition groups in Syria considered terrorists and not allowed to participate in negotiation process for political transfer lasting in 18 months.

Some insurgent groups are considered terrorism by Russia, Iran and Syria, but the US and Saudi Arabia are regarded as legitimate opposition groups. Russia and Syria have confirmed that the authorities are willing to join the negotiations but will not negotiate with the groups considered as terrorism.

According to Moscow participants in negotiations include the opposition groups approved by Syrian government, while some opposition forces declared it would not support a peaceful solution for Syria if they are excluded from the process of negotiations.

A complex battlefield with involvement of multiple parties with different attempts are a major obstacle to find a lasting solution for the Syrian crisis. Ceasefire towards the progress to peace or just a pause before the new fierce fighting? The answer depends on the actions of the parties in the coming days.

In February, the UN Committee elimination of discrimination against women (CEDAW) stated that women and girls should be placed at the center of all efforts to minimize the risk of disaster because they are usually affected by climate change and the dangers related to the typhoon.

At an extraordinary meeting on natural disasters, CEDAW has assessed the extent of the problem and efforts to overcome it.

Speaking at the meeting, Assistant Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization Manaenkova Elena said: "In the 2004 tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean, more women were killed than men because they were less able to swim and their long clothing make them difficult to move. In Bangladesh, among 140,000 deaths related to the floods caused by cyclone Gorky in 1991, the number of women is 14 times more than men, partly because they did not have adequate access to information and systems rapid alert system”.

According to Ms. Elena Manaenkova, approximately 60-70% of women in developing countries work in the agricultural sector. However, within the framework of a project in India, where meteorological information is provided on the mobile phone, only 11% of users are women. "We have to show that there are still 300 million women around the world without mobile phones," - she noted.

Sendai program, an international program for 15 years aims at reducing disaster risk was passed in March 2015 with the goal of saving lives and preventing the economic impact of natural disasters and disasters derived from humans, also highlighted gender issues.

Head of UNISDR Robert Glasser said: "The Sendai program emphasizes the significant importance on human rights, gender equality and adaptation to climate change ".

According to Mr. Robert Glasser, gender issue is a key element of Sendai program. Among these gender inequalities should be eliminated, it is highlighted inequalities in participation in decision-making, resource management, accessing to social protection measures, education and health as well as early warning.

The gender inequality can limit the influence and control of women and girls for the decisions related to their own lives as well as access to resources, and so cast them out of the process of planning disaster risk mitigation .

The war in Vietnam resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 Americans and more than 3 million Vietnamese. Twenty years ago, the United States and Vietnam normalized diplomatic relations in an effort to put the terrible legacy of the war behind them. But for the survivors—both Vietnamese and American—the war continues. About 5 million Vietnamese and many U.S. and allied soldiers were exposed to the toxic chemical dioxin from the spraying of Agent Orange. Many of them and their progeny continue to suffer its poisonous effects.

Agent Orange is a chemical dioxin and defoliant most notably used by the US armed forces during the Vietnam War. Its primary purpose was strategic deforestation, destroying the forest cover and food resources necessary for the implementation and sustainability of the North Vietnamese style of guerilla warfare. The US Agent Orange usage reached an apex during Operation Ranch Hand, in which the dioxin was sprayed over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam from 1961 to 1971. The dioxin present in Agent Orange is one of the most toxic chemicals known to humanity.

Of the many atrocities and crimes committed by the United States in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, the military's use of Agent Orange has left the most destructive legacy, resulting in the ongoing suffering of Vietnamese citizens and US veterans. This is what was done. The use of Agent Orange as a chemical weapon has left tangible, long-term impacts upon the Vietnamese people that live in Vietnam as well as those who fled in the mass exodus from 1978 to the early 1990s. Because of dioxin-related damage to their endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, victims of Agent Orange suffer from multiple health conditions, some of which are quickly lethal and others which doom people to a life of horrific misery. Due to these diseases, many have been denied the most basic of human rights – especially the right to life, and the pursuit of happiness. Because of their inability to work and bearing the costs of medical treatment, most victims of Agent Orange everywhere are very poor.

However, because Agent Orange was intentionally directed against the Vietnamese people, they are subject to the most onerous conditions. 4.8 million Vietnamese people directly sprayed repeatedly over extended periods of time were subject to multiple sources of exposure. The proportion of old people, women and children, who are especially susceptible to dioxin, is particularly high in Vietnam. In Vietnam, an enormous number of children continue to be born with Agent Orange-related birth defects. Now, a fourth generation of Agent Orange victims is being born. Because of this danger, in effect many women have been denied the human right to bear children. Agent Orange not only harmed human beings and devastated the environment of Vietnam during the war but also continued its devastation after the war.

The effects of Agent Orange on the Vietnamese range from a variety of health effects, ecological effects, and sociopolitical effects. Dioxin dumped in the soil continues to damage the environment and sicken the people in and around several "hot spots". Causing deforestation of nearly 3 million hectares of land, during the war, especially in coastal areas, Agent Orange has damaged not only the environment in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia but also the regional environment. It has and continues to have severe consequences for people in many areas of the world.

The use of Agent Orange in the war in Vietnam is a war crime and a crime against humanity. Its consequences are passed from generation to generation. It challenges us to end, once and for all, the use of chemical weapons and any weapons of mass destruction anywhere today.

Humanity's concern about the affects of chemical warfare, the threat of accidents at chemical manufacturing plants and the looming environmental disaster due biochemical engineering is increasing. The agony of those exposed to Agent Orange is central to this consciousness and international solidarity with Agent Orange victims' struggle for justice is growing.

          In response to the use of Agent Orange, resolutions were introduced in the United Nations as early as 1966 "charging the United States with violations of the 1925 Geneva Protocol limiting the use of chemical and biological weapons," according to Schuck. Perhaps more than any other nation, the United States is rigidly averse to having its course of military action influenced by international norms. It is for this reason that the US did not sign the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons, which bans the use of incendiary weapons against civilians, and that the US is "in near total isolation in [opposing] the global effort to ban [land] mines," according to Human Rights Watch. (to be continued)

 On the sidelines of the 31^st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc offered an interview, reviewing two years of Vietnam’s membership of the UN Human Rights Council.

Reporter: How do you assess Vietnam’s participation in the UN Human Rights Council?

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc: After two thirds of its tenure as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam has demonstrated its image and role in the leading UN human rights council, and improved its status in the international community.

Although this is the first time Vietnam has participated in the UN Human Rights Council, it has proved to be an active and responsible member. Together with other members of the council, it has successfully resolved a number of international issues and challenges in human rights.

Every year, Vietnam sends a high-level delegation to attend the Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council. In this forum, Vietnam reaffirms its message of protecting and promoting human rights in the country as well as tries its best to contribute to common efforts to deal with human rights issues around the globe. At this session, the participating Vietnamese delegation delivered reports in general discussion sessions and symposiums on such issues as sustainable development, impacts of climate change on human rights, and implementation of international commitments on human rights. On the sidelines, Vietnam and Australia also hosted a seminar on creating favorable conditions for people with disabilities to work, and presided over a session on the impacts of climate change on people’s health. Via such activities, we were able to express our interests and priorities, learn lessons and experiences from international friends, and call on international organizations and countries to support Vietnam’s efforts to ensure human rights for its people.

Vietnam has also shown its active image and high sense of responsibility when it seriously implemented the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the most important regime of the UN Human Rights Council. The UN has highly valued Vietnam as it has shown great efforts and high sense of responsibility in working on reviews and reports and holding dialogues with other countries on human rights, as well as seriously implementing our already-accepted international commitments to human rights. Particularly, the Vietnamese Prime Minister approved the General Plan to implement 182 out of the 227 proposals and recommendations from the UPR in order to coordinate closely and comprehensively among ministries and sectors in executing the commitments.

At this point, Vietnam is acting as ASEAN’s coordinator in the UN Human Rights Council, and is a member of several subgroups on invalids’ rights and the impacts of climate change on people. With its high credibility in the Asia-Pacific Group, Vietnam has been the region’s representative since the beginning of 2016, working on regional human rights situations, and petitions related to human rights submitted by subgroups.

What is more, Vietnam often holds dialogues in a constructive and frank manner with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and expert speakers on human rights of the UN Human Rights Council. We also welcome special speakers and experts of the UN Human Rights Council to Vietnam.

Reporter: As the Human Rights Council often deals with complex and sensitive issues, how does Vietnam react and what has Vietnam contributed to dealing with such issues?

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc: The world’s situation has become more and more complicated over the past years, which has indeed had an intense impact on human rights. The UN Human Rights Council is the place for countries and groups of countries with shared interests to strongly debate various tough human rights issues related to conflicts, extremism, migration crises, epidemics and climate change. Although the UN Human Rights Council handles these issues well, it is sometimes politically influenced and pressured by one or by groups of countries during discussions. Some countries focus heavily on civil and political aspects but bypass socio-economic development issues; therefore, the agenda of sessions is more or less affected and discussions are seen as incomprehensive.

Vietnam underscores dialogue and cooperation with the aim of promoting and ensuring human rights on the basis of mutual exchange and respect while participating in the UN Human Rights Council. Over the past two years, we have exploited various mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council to highlight our viewpoint. In fact, we consider that ensuring human rights is the responsibility of each country, and that the people of the country should have the right to decide appropriate approaches to protect and practice human rights in accordance with the country’s own historical, cultural and economic situation. The UN Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole should create good conditions for nations to better ensure and practice human rights in their countries.

In this spirit, Vietnam frequently calls for dialogue and cooperation among countries in dealing with common affairs of the UN Human Rights Council. According to Vietnam’s viewpoint, the current circumstance requires dialogue and cooperation between and among countries to successfully implement resolutions and give a timely response to issues on human rights around the world. Vietnam aims to bridge gaps between members of the UN Human Rights Council, and has indeed made good results over the past two years.

Dialogue and cooperation have also opened good opportunities for Vietnam to affirm its position and contribute more to the region, developing the world and the international community as a whole. Vietnam has made large contributions in the past two years in such areas as the equal right of development, anti-violation and anti-discrimination, combatting human trafficking, and the rights of children, women and people with disabilities. Vietnam has so far participated in crafting more than 30 resolutions on these issues, contributing to raising common awareness of human rights.

Reporter: Vietnam is participating in many multilateral mechanisms. So how does Vietnam’s membership of the UN Human Rights Council support its multilateral relations activities?

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc: Together with its participation in various regional and international forums, Vietnam’s membership of the UN Human Rights Council has reconfirmed the growth of Vietnam’s diplomacy sector, especially in multilateral relations. Via the participation in international mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam has improved its status in the international arena.

First, since Vietnam’s joining the UN Human Rights Council, other countries often ask us for consultancy on various international issues. Even major powers send their special envoys to Vietnam or Vietnamese delegations in Geneva and New York to consult us on issues of the UN Human Rights Council. Vietnam’s opinions are listened to and recognized by them.

Second, as Vietnam actively participates in multilateral forums and underlines the spirit of dialogue and cooperation in the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam can consolidate its foreign policy “Being a friend and reliable partner of countries in the international community.” Over the past two years, we have promoted and strengthened friendly relations with all the 46 member nations of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as observing nations across the world. Vietnam has been seen as a factor to narrow differences and seek balanced solutions for issues in the UN Human Rights Council.

Third, the membership of the UN Human Rights Council has provided good conditions for Vietnam to promote its position in international human rights forums from the regional level to the UN General Assembly. Vietnam has become mature in dealing with multilateral affairs, and in fact, it has transferred from its participation to the process of compiling documents of the UN and other international organizations. Specific contributions of Vietnam in human rights have been widely recognized by countries in such major international forums as the Summit for Sustainable Development and COP21 on climate change.

Fourth, with its joining the UN Human Rights Council and actively participating in international human rights activities, many countries across the world have highly valued Vietnam’s efforts, achievements and practices in human rights. Particularly, the USA recognized Vietnam’s progress in human rights in the Joint Declaration on Common Vision between Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Barack Obama during the Vietnamese Party chief’s visit to the USA last year. The issue of human rights is also mentioned increasingly in relations and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries.

Alongside the abovementioned positive results, we should comprehend that there are difficulties and challenges in joining the UN Human Rights Council. But we should also affirm that our joining the UN Human Rights Council has been the right decision. By doing so, we have had a better chance to protect our national interests, improve the national position in the international arena, and facilitate our multilateral relations activities.

In the time to come, Vietnam as a member of the UN Human Rights Council will strive to improve the practice of human rights in the country for the sake of the Vietnamese people’s prosperity and happiness, and also heighten its responsibility to contribute more to ensuring human rights in the world

Vietnam and Australia jointly organised an international seminar on creating employment opportunities and favourable working conditions for people with disabilities in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 3.

The event is part of activities on the sidelines of the 31st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) from February 29 to March 24.

Participants at the seminar included the UNHRC Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and representatives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Pacific Disability Forum and many non-governmental organisations and countries.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc stressed the need for a legal framework to ensure access to employment opportunities and favourable working conditions for people with disabilities.

He called for improvements of infrastructure facilities and means of public transport to meet the need of the disabled as well as educational and vocational training support for the disadvantaged group.

The Vietnamese diplomat highlighted Vietnam’s continuous and utmost efforts to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, who account for 7.8 percent of the country’s population.

Meanwhile, participants shared their views on the challenges facing the group in exercising their right to work, including access to employment opportunities and discrimination at workplaces.

The ILO representative laid emphasis on the role of employers in handling the situation. Other international representatives mentioned measures to exploit the capability of the targeted group.

They underlined the need for developing a legal framework and incentives to support the disabled, while enhancing public awareness of their working rights.

Also on the sidelines of the UNHRC session, Deputy Minister Ngoc had bilateral meetings with Guatemala Foreign Minister Carlos Rau Monrales Moscoso, Australian Special Envoy for Human Rights Philip Ruddock, and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Masakazu Hamachi.

Bilateral cooperation, particularly in human rights promotion at international multilateral forums including the UNHRC, was among the themes of discussion at the meetings.-VNA

The election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels of the 2016-21 tenure will take place on May 22, 2016, which is a Sunday in line with the law. The date was approved by the NA on November 24 during the 13th legislature’s 10th session.

Constitutionally, the National Assembly is the highest government organization and the highest-level representative body of the people. It has the power to draw up, adopt, and amend the constitution and to make and amend laws. It also has the responsibility to legislate and implement state plans and budgets. The assembly appoints the President (head of state), the Prime Minister (head of government), the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, the Head of the Supreme People's Prosecution of Vietnam (or 'Supreme People's Office of Supervision and Inspection'), and the 21-member Government.

Preparations for the 14^th National Assembly election, set for May 22, are under way. The Vietnam Fatherland Front has organized consultative meetings to nominate candidates for the election. The Vietnam Fatherland Front has the right and responsibility to participate in and make the election democratic, fair, lawful, and safe. To this end, it’s necessary to ensure that consultative meetings are democratic, lawful, and prompt.

Apparently, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is preparing to nominate 896 candidates (which include 80 members of the Central Committee of the CPV). It is normal for a political party to prepare the nomination of its candidates to compete in the legislative elections.

This tenure, we can obviously see how democracy and human rights have been developed in our country. In past elections, nominee must be a Party’s member, but now more and more self-nominated candidates, including those not associated with the Vietnamese Communist Party, are expected to run for seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The National Assembly Standing Committee, which convenes and chairs parliamentary sessions, expects that of the 500 parliamentary delegates, there could be as a many as 35 non-party members in the 14th National Assembly. So far, more than 20 non-party candidates have nominated themselves for seats in the National Parliament, a number that is expected to increase between now and the application deadline on March 13.

Voters nationwide eagerly anticipate going to the polls to elect moral, talented and deserving deputies to represent the will and aspirations of the people and their right to mastery in the legislative body and People’s Councils.

But not for human rights and democracy that we could accept some self-nominated candidates who have had a bad reputation for protesting the Party and State of Vietnam, undermining the country’s interests, and those who violated laws and were sentenced by the enforcement authorities.

And Dr Nguyen Quang A is one of many self-nominees like that. He himself just kicked off a campaign to gauge the public support for his own nomination by asking people to sign a public petition to show their support. To elect moral, talented and deserving deputies to the National Assembly, let review who is Dr A?

Born in 1946 in Bac Ninh province, he is an only son of a family, whom father is a martyr in the anti-France struggle. In 1965, Nguyen Quang A was sent to study in Hungary and defended a PhD here. Back home, he worked in computing sector. For the country’s favor, he must had dedicated to fulfil a citizen’s responsibilities, but he turned out to be a black sheep of the Fatherland.

He began to conduct anti-government activities, sabotaging the State’s policies and undermining national interests.

In September 2007, he jointly founded and was appointed a director of the now-defunct Institute of Development Studies (IDS) think tank, a disguised anti-State groups, which contained some lost intellectuals like Prof. Chu Hao, Prof. Tran Đuc Nguyen, Prof. Tran Viet Phuong, Prof. Phan Huy Le, Hoang Tụy, Dr. Le Dang Doanh, tried to negate the government’s policies. After, IDS broke up, he appeared on Internet with what was called “Civil Society Forum” which issued a statement of implementing civil and political rights. Dr. A again was a founder and a signer of the statement. And, if you view this forum, you’ll see it like webpage “Dan lam bao”, a reactionary webpage which distorts and propagandizes against the Party and State of Vietnam. He also takes part in many anti-Party and State activities such as protests, praying ceremonies, “democratic meetings” of self-proclaimed human rights activists, etc, even we could see pictures of him handling money for supporters as demonstrating fees in some protests.

Especially, last year, he went abroad to the United States, Germany to anticipate in anti-country’s interests activities of overseas reactionary groups and hostile forces like Viettan, a known terrorist organization, VOICE and Human Rights Watch, etc, and was hold at the airport when returned home by the authorities. 

From all that, we should recognize the true face of Nguyen Quang A, a pathetic intellectual, who just nominated himself to play a political comedy, not more./.

Basing on the general assessment of the implementation of defence and security work and Homeland protection over the past 5 years; the internal regional and world situations, particularly the risks challenging the Homeland protection, the Draft Political Report to the 12^th National Congress of the Party has pointed out 5 solutions for strengthening defence and security for the next 5 years as follow:

First, combining closely economy, culture, society with defence and security. This is a development on the thinking of combining defence, security with other aspects of social life aiming at creating synergy for Homeland protection in the new situation. It shows a creativeness in the Party’s  perception of Homeland protection gearing to solve matters of reality. It is also relevant to the Party’s viewpoint when stating that the power for Homeland protection comes from a number of factors, including both forces and posture, material and spiritual power, and internal and external resources etc. Not only admitting the indispensable relation between culture, society and defence and security, the Draft also pointed out that it should be carried out in each strategy, plan and project for development associated with 6 socio-economic regions and 4 key economic areas. The  focal ones are the Northwest, the Central Highland, the Southwest, the Central west areas and the strategic borders, seas and islands. This is an important orientation for sectors, industries, and locals to carry out  planning economic, cultural and social projects in targeted regions and overcome shortcomings when combining economic development with defence and security as well as defence and security with economic and cultural and social development.

Second, it is necessary to prepare measures for the prevention of war and conflict ; actively prevent, opportunely detect and destroy disadvantageous factors to the cause of Homeland protection. This is a new development in the defence and security work and also the concrete measure mentioned in the Draft to actively prevent the risk of an armed conflict and invasive wars; defeat any plots and schemes of sabotages of hostile forces and nontraditional security threats to firmly protect the Homeland in any situations.

Third, building People’s Army and People’s Public Security forces revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modern with priority on the modernization of some important forces and corps.

The Draft has pointed out that “giving priority to the modernization of some important corps and forces”; stressed the importance of building People’s Army and People’s Public Security “politically strong”, etc. This is the inheritance and development of the Party’s guideline of building armed forces in the new situation. Accordingly, building people’s armed forces comprehensively strong must base on the fortification of political power to make the armed forces always resolutely loyal to the Homeland, the Party, the State, the People and the socialism; having flesh and bone tie with People; not being disoriented, subjective and staying off guard; proactively fighting to defeat the scheme of “apoliticalizing” the armed forces of hostile forces. To that end, the Draft focus on strengthening the absolute, comprehensively leadership of the Party and the centralized, unified management of the State over the armed forces; ceaselessly enhancing the quality and political steadfastness, fighting capability, the effectiveness of party work and political work, etc. As for the People’s Army, it is necessary to adjust its organizational structure, staff and equipment towards the direction of “elite, compact and powerful” to minimize overlaps in functions and missions among forces; attaching importance to the reasonable proportion between regular forces and local forces, between services and corps, between permanent forces and the reserve, etc to meet the combat requirements of Homeland protection. When modernizing the military, it is necessary to pay adequate attention to enhance the long distance and high antitude combat capability, the ability to control and supervise the air , the seas and the islands, the night combat and electronic warfare capability, etc. Besides, renewing the contents of education and training for regular forces, the reserve, and the self-defence and militia; ceaselessly enhancing political stance, technical standard, and tactical skill of these forces meeting the requirements of both peacetime and wartime.