VNA Ms Bellamy presents an UNICEF Certificate of Commendation. The second National Conference for Vietnamese Children to review ten years of implementation of the National Programme of Action for Vietnamese Children (1991-2000) was held in Hanoi yesterday. Present at the meeting were Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh; Deputy NA Chairwoman Truong My Hoa; Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem; Minister, head of the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children Tran Thi Thanh Thanh; UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy and representatives of relevant ministries, branches, the People¹s Committees and the Committees for Protection and Care of Children of 61 provinces and cities nationwide. Delegates from Laos, Cambodia, China, Thailand, the Philippines and some international organisations in Vietnam also attended the conference. Over the past ten years, with the great efforts by the whole Party and people, the National Programme of Action for Vietnamese Children as well as the cause of protection and care for children have made great and sustainable progress. Vietnam is still a developing countries, the average per capita income is low. However, four out of seven objectives of the programme have been finalised, in accordance with the World Plan of Action in an effort to realise the International Convention on Children¹s Rights. In the next ten years, the National Programme of Action for Vietnamese Children (2001-2010) will concentrate on realising the remaining objectives of the last programme as well as the new ones in the fields of health and nutrition; clean water, environmental hygiene; education; protection of children; and entertainment. Twenty children representing for the forum entitled ŚWe - Masters of the 21st Century¹ forum participated in the conference and presented a message, thus contributing opinions to the objectives of the programme. On the occasion, Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh presented the Independence Order, first class, to the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children for their excellent achievements in the cause of protection and care of children and national construction. Addressing the conference, UNICEF executive director, Ms Carol Bellamy, spoke highly of the achievements recorded by the government and people of Vietnam in the cause of protection and care of children and in implementation of the International Convention on Children¹s Rights. Ms Bellamy presented Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, representing for the government and people of Vietnam, with an UNICEF Certificate of Commendation. This was in recognition of the success of co-operation programme between Vietnam and UNICEF in the 1991-2000 period. She also presented a UNICEF medal to Minister Tran Thi Thanh Thanh for her great contributions to the children of Vietnam and the world. Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Minister Tran Thi Thanh Thanh and UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy signed a commitment to implement the National Programme of Action for Vietnamese Children 2001-2010. Delegates to the conference discussed measures and exchanged experiences in the field of protection and care of children. The delegates passed the declaration of the second National Conference for Vietnamese Children (2001-2010) and signed in a commitment to realise that programme. **** Relief campaign for flood victims reviewed The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) has recently reviewed the work done in its campaign to collect relief aid for flood victims in the Mekong river delta and some provinces hit by natural calamities last year. Last year, 33 provinces and cities were hit by natural calamities. The northern mountainous provinces were hit by flash floods while central provinces suffered a severe storm and, particularly, a historical flood caused great damage to the Mekong river delta provinces. All localities, sectors and branches, domestic and foreign organisations and overseas Vietnamese contributed more than VND 171 billion, US $3.7 million, four taels of gold and thousands of tonnes of food and goods worth VND 10 million in total to victims of natural disasters. This was in response to the appeal made by the VFFCC, in the spirit of mutual assistance. In addition, 10,000 cadres and soldiers, 50,000 militiamen directly participated in the relief activities. Many military doctors came to the flood-hit provinces to provide medical check-ups and medicines to the local people. Many people sacrificed their lives to save their fellows. All this created a massive movement in the whole country. The Fatherland Fronts at all levels have transferred money as well as goods to people in the naturalcalamity-devastated regions just in time in a bid to help them quickly overcome the aftermath, restore production and stabilise their daily lives. **** Defence minister meets Lao leaders Defence Minister Pham Van Tra and his entourage paid courtesy visits to Lao People's Revolutionary Party Chairman and President, Khamtay Siphandone and Prime Minister Sisavath Keobounphanh. During these meetings, the Lao leaders expressed their high appreciation of the co-operation and mutual assistance in the spirit of comradeship and fraternity between the two nations. They also expressed wishes for further comprehensive co-operation. Defence Minister Tra conveyed best regards from Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu and other Vietnamese leaders and briefed his hosts about the result of the visit. A high-ranking military delegation led by Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Pham Van Tra arrived in Vientiane on February 15, to begin an official visit to Laos. The visit was made at the invitation of Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Choummaly Sayasone under the framework of co-operation between the two ministries. (VNA) **** Scientific research projects awarded Thirty five scientific and technological research projects were honoured with the Vietnam Creativeness Prize 2000 at a ceremony on February 16. The prize winners were selected from 140 nominee projects involving almost 200 scientists working at various institutes and universities. Three projects won first prizes; eight, second prize; 12, third prizes; and 12 consolation prizes. Most of the research projects focus on information technology, applied biology, mechanical engineering-automation and new materials. Prominent were projects using shrimps shell to produce a material named chitosan for the treatment of burns and BT21 pilot-training simulator which helps increase flying safety and will save the aviation industry billions of dong each year. These two projects - the former by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu and her colleagues at the National Centre for Natural Science and Technology and the latter by Nguyen Van Hai, Nguyen Duc Cuong and their colleagues at the Air Force Technical Institute receive first and second prizes. (VNA) **** Tran Duc Thao Scholarship Fund set up The University of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Hanoi National University set up Tran Duc Thao Scholarship Fund on February 16. Tran Duc Thao, an outstanding philosopher of Vietnam in the 20th century, has recently been posthumously bestowed with the Ho Chi Minh Prize by the State for his work named 'Coming back to the origin of language and consciousness' written in 1973. The family of Professor Tran Duc Thao contributed VND 15 million out of VND 20 million from his award to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to set up the fund. Lecturers of the university also contributed to the fund, bringing the total money of the fund to VND 45 million. The fund will be used to award excellent students every year. On the occasion, the university gave scholarships to several students of philosophy who had good results in study. **** Tay Ninh youth join in social activities Tay Ninh province's youth unions at all levels have actively called for members to join in social activities in 2000 in response to the Vietnam Youth's Year. They presented gifts worth over VND 22 million to 221 priority policy benefiting families, poor youth union cadres' families and children in difficulties. The provincial youth union has contributed to build nearly 100 houses of compassion worth VND 260 million to present former youth volunteers and poor youth union cadres. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
