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More women in informal sector in Q1: GSO

April 18, 2021 by dtinews.vn

The third COVID-19 resurgence has weakened the labour market recovery momentum gained in the second half of 2020 and forced many labourers, particularly women, to shift to informal employment, according to the latest report by the General Statistics Office (GSO).

A survey by the GSO reveals that though there was a fall in employment in the first quarter of 2021, the number of working females rose against the same period last year.

Illustrative image (Photo:AFP/VNA)

The increase, however, was largely due to a higher number of women working in the informal sector, the GSO said, adding that the growth of females in informal sector was higher than that of males.

It is probably because women are more easy-going and do not have many choices of work compared to men, said Pham Hoai Nam, director of the GSO’s Population and Labour Statistics Department.

They had to take less stable jobs as long as they provide income for them, he added.

In the first three months of this year, the number of informal workers totalled 20.7 million, down 251,700 from the previous quarter and up 525,400 year-on-year.

Workers in informal economy accounted for 57.1 percent of the total workforce, an increase of 1.1 percentage point quarter-on-quarter and 1.8 percentage point year-on-year. The rate rose in rural areas (2.1 percentage point quarter-on-quarter and 2.6 percentage point year-on-year), and among women (1.8 percentage point quarter-on-quarter and 2.5 percentage point year-on-year).

Malaysian business circle urges government to expedite ratification of RCEP, CPTPP

April 18, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

FMM President Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said in a statement on April 16 that the two FTAs will enable local manufacturers to benefit from the diversification of import sources of industrial inputs and components.

According to Soh, the CPTPP eliminates tariffs on nearly 96 percent of products entering the intra-regional trade and the RCEP will likely cover 90 percent of these products. For Malaysia, the two FTAs will complement each other.

He held that the further integration of regional economies under RCEP and CPTPP, in addition to providing Malaysian exporters with preferential access to growing markets across the Asia Pacific, allows for increase in imports of raw materials and natural-resource-based materials from Latin America and Canada.

According to him, the two FTAs will help reduce costs and time for companies by allowing them to both import and export products anywhere within the East Asia region without meeting the separate requirements for each country.

He said the FMM commends the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) on its commitment to complete domestic procedures for the ratification of RCEP by the first quarter of 2022.

However, the FMM called on the government to hasten the ratification process for RCEP to be implemented by this year to benefit businesses in this time of need as it is imperative to stabilize manufacturing activities and rebuild supply chain connectivity in the region.

Source: VNA

Vietnam contributes to maintaining international peace, security

April 18, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

The event will be presided over by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, marking the first time a high-ranking leader of Vietnam has chaired an event within the framework of the UN Security Council. This is also the first important multilateral diplomatic event of the Vietnamese President since the 13th National Party Congress.

Building trust and dialogue

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang said that Vietnam has presided over the making of, and actively consulted to pass the Statement of the UN Security Council President.

The Statement will affirm the importance of cooperation between the United Nations, its Security Council and regional organizations in conflict prevention and settlement through peaceful measures, on the basis of respecting basic principles of international law and the UN Charter, and underlined confidence-building and dialogue measures as essential elements to contribute to conflict prevention and settlement.

The Statement will call for efforts to strengthen cooperation between the UN, its Security Council and regional organizations as well as between regional organizations in conflict prevention and settlement towards the building of sustainable peace, while encouraging the UN and the international community to support the improvement of capacity of regional organizations in conflict prevention and settlement, post-conflict reconstruction, and peace maintenance.

“The role of regional organizations in promoting trust building and dialogue in conflict prevention” is the most important and inclusive theme of the UN Security Council which is the UN’s main body in the prevention of wars and conflicts and maintenance of international peace and security, Giang said, adding that as a member of many important regional mechanisms, especially ASEAN, Vietnam wants regional organizations to further promote their roles, improve their images and share responsibility with the UN in preventing and solving conflicts in the region, for the stability and prosperity of the region and the world.

Do Hung Viet, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organizations, emphasized that when building priorities for the working term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, Vietnam determined to promote the role of regional organizations in cooperation with the UN Security Council in particular and the UN in general.

The upcoming high-level open debate will elevate Vietnam’s initiatives to contribute to maintaining international peace and security. Through this event, Vietnam wants to affirm its commitment and efforts to address global challenges facing the international community, Viet added.

In particular, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s presiding over the event is the affirmation at the highest level about Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralism, and proactive and active international integration during its new stage of development.

Intensifying ASEAN’s role

According to Viet, as a member of ASEAN, Vietnam wants ASEAN to have an increasing voice, position and role in matters directly related to the region as well as enhancing the bloc’s presence as a regional organization at the UN.

Through this event, Vietnam will contribute to drawing the attention of the international community and the United Nations to cooperation with ASEAN, and strengthening the bloc’s role at international forums and institutions in the coming time.

The open debate will be also an opportunity for leaders of the UN and regional organizations such as ASEAN, the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), as well as the UN Security Council member states to assert the important role of regional organizations, share experience of each regional organization in dealing with difficulties and challenges in their respective regions.

Vietnam expects this to be the start of a longer process at the UN Security Council on issues related to regional organizations and their role in promoting trust building and dialogue in conflict prevention, thus contributing to the UN’s joint efforts to maintain peace, security and development in the world.

Source: VNA

Việt Nam contributes to maintaining international peace, security

April 18, 2021 by vietnamnews.vn

Vietnamese military doctors hold up two flags of the United Nations and Viêt Nam at Juba International Airport, South Sudan as they begin to carry out UN peacekeeping missions in the African country. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – As President of the United Nations Security Council in April 2021, Việt Nam will organise a high-level open debate on the role of regional organisations in promoting confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution on April 19 via both in-person and online forms.

The event will be presided over by State President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, marking the first time a high-ranking leader of Việt Nam has chaired an event within the framework of the UN Security Council. This is also the first important multilateral diplomatic event of the Vietnamese President since the 13th National Party Congress.

Building trust and dialogue

Deputy Foreign Minister Đặng Hoàng Giang said that Việt Nam has presided over the making of, and actively consulted to pass the Statement of the UN Security Council President.

The Statement will affirm the importance of cooperation between the United Nations, its Security Council and regional organisations in conflict prevention and settlement through peaceful measures, on the basis of respecting basic principles of international law and the UN Charter, and underlined confidence-building and dialogue measures as essential elements to contribute to conflict prevention and settlement.

The Statement will call for efforts to strengthen cooperation between the UN, its Security Council and regional organisations as well as between regional organisations in conflict prevention and settlement towards the building of sustainable peace, while encouraging the UN and the international community to support the improvement of capacity of regional organisations in conflict prevention and settlement, post-conflict reconstruction, and peace maintenance.

“The role of regional organisations in promoting trust building and dialogue in conflict prevention” is the most important and inclusive theme of the UN Security Council which is the UN’s main body in the prevention of wars and conflicts and maintenance of international peace and security, Giang said, adding that as a member of many important regional mechanisms, especially ASEAN, Vietnam wants regional organisations to further promote their roles, improve their images and share responsibility with the UN in preventing and solving conflicts in the region, for the stability and prosperity of the region and the world.

Đỗ Hùng Việt, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organisations, emphasised that when building priorities for the working term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, Vietnam determined to promote the role of regional organisations in cooperation with the UN Security Council in particular and the UN in general.

The upcoming high-level open debate will elevate Việt Nam’s initiatives to contribute to maintaining international peace and security. Through this event, Vietnam wants to affirm its commitment and efforts to address global challenges facing the international community, Việt added.

In particular, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s presiding over the event is the affirmation at the highest level about Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralism, and proactive and active international integration during its new stage of development.

Intensifying ASEAN’s role

According to Việt, as a member of ASEAN, Việt Nam wants ASEAN to have an increasing voice, position and role in matters directly related to the region as well as enhancing the bloc’s presence as a regional organisation at the UN.

Through this event, Việt Nam will contribute to drawing the attention of the international community and the United Nations to cooperation with ASEAN, and strengthening the bloc’s role at international forums and institutions in the coming time.

The open debate will be also an opportunity for leaders of the UN and regional organisations such as ASEAN, the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), as well as the UN Security Council member states to assert the important role of regional organisations, share experience of each regional organisation in dealing with difficulties and challenges in their respective regions.

Việt Nam expects this to be the start of a longer process at the UN Security Council on issues related to regional organisations and their role in promoting trust building and dialogue in conflict prevention, thus contributing to the UN’s joint efforts to maintain peace, security and development in the world. VNS

Giant container port operator, Viettel in strategic tie-up

April 18, 2021 by vietnamnews.vn

Saigon Newport Corporation and telecom company Viettel sign an agreement on Thursday (April 15) to promote the use of IT and develop logistics and other services. VNS Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — The country’s largest container terminal operator, Saigon Newport Corporation, and military-owned telecom company Viettel on Thursday (April 15) signed an agreement to promote the use of IT and develop logistics and other services.

They will join hands to develop eco-system services for the port’s customers and partners.

Port Community System, a national single window for sea -port operation services, smart operation systems and a data warehouse will be developed.

They plan to speed up development of smart warehouses and logistics centres in key economic zones across the country.

Development of e-commerce infrastructure will also be a focus.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Senior Captain Ngô Minh Thuấn, general director of the port, said with the “comprehensive co-operation” Saigon Newport would underscore its leading position in maritime and port services.

It accounts for nearly 50 per cent of container export-import market, and ranks among the top 20 containers terminal globally.

Viettel has unveiled a mission of pioneering a digital society and its transition from a telecom services provider to a digital services provider.

It is among the world’s 500 most valuable brands according to the UK-based Brand Finance and valued at US$6.016 billion, up 3.4 per cent from last year. —VNS

Malaysian business circle urges gov’t to expedite ratification of RCEP, CPTPP

April 18, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Illustrative image (Photo: theedgemarkets.com)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has urged the government of Malaysia to expedite the ratification process for the two major free trade agreements (FTAs) — the Regional Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — soon to help local manufacturers or exporters to recover faster during the post-pandemic era.

He held that the further integration of regional economies under RCEP and CPTPP, in addition to providing Malaysia n exporters with preferential access to growing markets across the Asia Pacific, allows for increase in imports of raw materials and natural-resource-based materials from Latin America and Canada.

He said the FMM commends the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) on its commitment to complete domestic procedures for the ratification of RCEP by the first quarter of 2022.

However, the FMM called on the government to hasten the ratification process for RCEP to be implemented by this year to benefit businesses in this time of need as it is imperative to stabilise manufacturing activities and rebuild supply chain connectivity in the region./.

VNA