VNA Youth Union's 70th anniversary marked Many activities to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the Youth Union are being organised across the country. The Youth Union held a seminar named 'Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union - 70 years of construction and development' on March 21. Opinions raised at the seminar argued that young people have played an important role in national construction and defence. The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and other relevant agencies should implement well educational work, so that each Youth Union member and young person is deeply aware of their duty, interest and responsibility in life. Many participants held that it is important for the Youth Union to renew its content and methods of activities in a bid to bring into play the full ability and intellect of youth. The Hanoi Polytechnic College, the Youth Union and the newspapers Tien Phong (Pioneer), Thanh Nien (Young People), and Sinh Vien (Student) have recently launched a contest on 'Vietnamese Youth - 70 Years of Dedication and Development' with the participation of hundreds of students and pupils. The Hanoi's Youth Union held a meeting between the city's leaders and young people. They exchanged opinions on the Politburo's Resolution on the Capital, the State's Decree on the Capital and the youth's role and responsibility to the resolution of the 13th city Party Congress. The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Youth League and Hanoi's Department for Education and Training held a meeting to review its activities and award collectives and individuals for outstanding achievements in the activities of the Youth League, in study, culture-art and physical education and sport. Thai Nguyen's Youth Union organised a meeting to celebrate the event. **** Vietnam attends SEAPOL conferenceVietnam and other Asian-Pacific countries are attending a conference to discuss ocean management and stable development in east and south-east Asian seas. The conference is being held by the Southeast Asian Programme in Ocean Law, Policy and Management (SEAPOL) in Thailand from March 21-23. Vietnam's representatives, including Government Border Committee's Ocean Department Deputy Director Le Quy Quynh, Foreign Ministry's International Treaty and Law Department Deputy Director Nguyen Duy Chien, and Vietnam Oil and Gas General Department expert Hoang Minh, will deliver reports to it. The almost 200 government officials and ocean researchers from 22 regional countries will focus their discussions on global issues of security, the environment, economic development and new challenges in ocean management. They will consider regional and sub-regional ocean management, the environment and the sea, fisheries development, trans-ASEAN gas lines and marine security. The conference, financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is intended to improve ocean management, co-operation and mutual understanding between regional countries. (VNA) **** Vietnam supports UN efforts against illicit trade in small armsVietnam supports co-ordinated efforts by the United Nations (UN) to find ways and measures to tackle the trafficking in small and light weapons, Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Chau, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN has said. The Vietnamese diplomat was speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which Vietnam is currently serving as its Standing Committee President, to the Third Preparatory Committee of the UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects in New York on March 19. Following is the full text of his speech: "It gives me great pleasure to speak on behalf of the member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at this important meeting of the Third PrepCom of the United Nations Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. First of all, I wish to express our deep appreciation for your efforts in guiding the preparatory process and, especially would like to convey our gratitude to you and your team, for introducing the revised draft of the programme of action. It will definitely serve as the basis for our forthcoming deliberations. The Association of South East Asian Nations is of the view that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is a worldwide concern. ASEAN is greatly concerned that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons has detrimental humanitarian and socio-economic implications. We welcome the concerted efforts of the United Nations to find ways and means to address this issue by convening an international conference in July this year. In this context, ASEAN has made concrete efforts to contribute to the global drive to address the question of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. We had successfully organised two workshops on this problem, namely, the Jakarta Regional Seminar in May 2000 and the Phnom Penh ASEAN Regional Forum CBM Seminar on Conventional Weapons Transfers in February 2001, which included discussions on Small Arms and Light Weapons. ASEAN believes that the scope of the UN 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects should be in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/54/54V. In this regard, ASEAN believes that the UN 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects should focus on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. We share the views stated by many previous speakers that your revised draft has incorporated the rich inputs and contributions made by member countries at the last session of our Second PrepCom. It is quite obvious that this draft is more balanced and has moved closer to the agreed scope and objectives of the Conference. We believe that it is a good basis for negotiations to arrive at a document acceptable to all delegations. The ASEAN countries prefer that the Conference produce a single document containing both political declaration and programme of action. We are happy to note that the draft emphasised the fundamental norms of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. We strongly support the reaffirmation of the inherent right of nations to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Global measures to address the problem of illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons should not encroach upon these fundamental rights as well as the right of states to import, produce and retain sufficient means for their legitimate self-defense and security needs and for the protection of territorial integrity and political independence of states. The ASEAN countries hold that measures to deal with the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons should take into account the typical features of different situations, capacities and priorities of States and regions in order to be truly effective. The problem of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in our region, for instance, relates to both transnational crimes and post-conflict situations. In this regard, we in ASEAN strongly appeal to the wider international community and, particularly, to arms supplier countries to accept that trade in small arms should be limited to governments and authorised registered licensed traders. Marking is a possible tool to tackle the problem of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Any proposal for marking procedures should take into consideration the high financial cost and technological requirements of such procedures. The developing countries are now in dire need of resources for economic and social development. Their scarce resources should not be diluted from these efforts. ASEAN believes that measures of international assistance and co-operation should be developed in this regard to alleviate financial burdens of the developing countries. ASEAN acknowledges that the illicit trade in small arms cannot be tackled by states alone. In this context, ASEAN believes that international co-operation and assistance among the police, intelligence, customs and border control forces should be enhanced to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Moreover, ASEAN countries call for enhanced international co-operation to eradicate the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons. The ASEAN countries share the view that at this session of the Third PrepCom, efforts should focus on the substantive issues of the negotiation on the draft programme of action. However, this is the last session of the preparatory process and the outstanding procedural questions should be drawn to a conclusion in time. We sincerely hope that this session will solve the outstanding issues in a satisfactory manner. We are particularly concerned that the question of the chairmanship of the conference is in jeopardy. This matter should be settled in the current negotiations to enable the chairman to have sufficient time in preparing for the conference. ASEAN believes that the NGOs have an important role to play at this Conference. We support the position that current practices of the United Nations can be taken into consideration when we decide on the modalities of their participation. The Draft Objectives of the Conference, Draft Provisional Agenda of the Conference and Draft Provisional Rules of Procedures are within our expectations at this juncture. At the same time, we are of the view that substantive and procedural matters should not be considered together. Although they are interlinked and important, we should not lose sight of our main aim in convening this Conference, which is to adopt by consensus a realistic programme of action. After resolving the outstanding issues among the delegations with their magnanimity and co-operation, we should pave the way for the Conference to start its work. We look forward to achieving commendable results from this unprecedented gathering in the history of United Nations, on the alarming problem of Small Arms and Light Weapons. Nevertheless, in our pursuit to address this issue, it should not sidetrack the international community from the pertinent issue of nuclear disarmament. Once again, on behalf of the delegations of the ASEAN countries, I wish to thank you for your tireless efforts to bring forward the PrepCom process. I assure you that the ASEAN delegations, on our part, will co-operate fully with the bureau and delegations from other regions in the negotiations ahead." (VNA) **** Health Ministry to launch food safety monthThe Health Ministry will launch a national month of food quality, hygiene and safety from April 15, the Health Ministry's Food Hygiene and Safety Department director, Phan Thi Kim, announced at a media briefing in Hanoi on March 21. The month, 'Preventing diseases-transmitted through food' is intended to raise public awareness of food hygiene and safety and to ensure hygienic standards in the production and processing of food and drinks. It is also intended to enforce stricter State management over food safety and hygiene. The ministry plans to reduce by 20% incidents of food poisoning and to have more than half of food producers meeting acceptable standard of food hygiene and safety. It will meet its target by co-ordinating the inspection of chemicals used in livestock breeding and the cultivation and food processing with relevant ministries; and develop a national scheme to strengthen the system of food quality, hygiene and safety management to 2005. Last year, 4,233 people were poisoned by food, down 20% from 1999. Of the victims 59 died. (VNA) **** WB helps improve environmental hygiene The World Bank (WB) approved a credit worth US $166.34 million on March 20 to help Vietnam implement a project to improve the environmental hygiene in Ho Chi Minh City. The project aims at expanding and strengthening the drainage system, and preventing pollution from an outlet sluice in the city, thus helping the inhabitants in the city avoid diseases caused by water pollution. **** Vietnam understands importance of fighting corruption: FM spokeswomanThe Vietnam government well understands the threat of corruption and knows the fight against it is a very important task that must be consistently carried out, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh. She said that everybody sees Vietnam's efforts to fight corruption by continually perfecting its legal system; enforcing the 1998 Anti-corruption Ordinance and implementing the Party building and strengthening campaign. "In fact, many corruption cases were discovered and brought to court recently," she said. "This manifests the Vietnamese Party and State's strong determination to fight the evil." Regarding the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, PERC's listing of Vietnam among Asian countries where corruption is allegedly rife, Ms Thanh said that corruption is a disease in many countries, including countries having time-honoured and so-called perfect legal system. However, Vietnam is not considered a country ravaged by corruption as PERC contends, she said yesterday. (VNA) _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
