Day: February 24, 2022

World leaders and scholars will gather at an international conference in Hanoi on February 25 to share country experiences for driving policy, finance, and institutional change to deliver a green, clean and inclusive economic rebound from COVID-19 for Vietnam, according to a UNDP official.

Following is an interview UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the event titled “Green and Inclusive Economic Rebound: Lessons from International Experience”.

1/ The International Conference “Green and Inclusive Economic Rebound: Lessons from International Experience” will take place on 25 February, could you please share the purpose of the Conference?

Vietnam stands at a critical juncture as it seeks to rebound from COVID-19 in ways that generate growth, are job-rich, sustainable, and inclusive.

Vietnam faces three immediate strategic challenges:

(i) Addressing the environmental impact of growth (climate-, disaster-, environmental and health-risks and natural-resource and biodiversity-degradation) by moving towards a resilient and productive economic model focused on nature regeneration and efficient use of resources in a carbon neutral Circular Economy.

(ii) Making growth and sustainability inclusive, including aligning legal frameworks and ensuring policy enforcement to protect the rights of vulnerable groups and ensuring equitable access to basic services and economic opportunities to leave no one behind, to minimize inequality, reduce multidimensional poverty and vulnerability, and to build a fair society for all.

(iii) Prioritizing more sustainable and responsible investments and promoting export competitiveness, including creating low carbon production systems and market niches, by championing innovation and industry 4.0 relevant skills, including for the majority SMEs, as the keys to restarting productivity and income growth, and accessing suitable sources of long- term finance.

In seeking the transformations required to address the three challenges highlighted above, the government recognizes the need for innovation in governance across the whole of government and the whole of society. This includes governance that is anticipatory, adaptive, and agile or Triple A governance. In addressing the efforts needed across a range of sectors and themes, the Conference will bring together global and country development practitioners to share their practical experiences in addressing policy and institutional change in a challenging global context.

As the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources, UNDP is delighted to partner with the Government of Vietnam to host this International Conference, bringing in world leaders and scholars to share country experiences for driving policy, finance, and institutional change to deliver a green, clean, and inclusive economic rebound from COVID-19.

2/ What will be the focus of the Conference?

The Conference provides a platform for policy makers and other stakeholders to share visions, knowledge and best practices relating to green economic stimulus, COVID-19 economic recovery, climate action, circular economy, anticipatory and inclusive governance and green finance and investment.

The Conference will address current fundamental development issues facing Vietnam, including:

– Ensuring green recovery and resilience;

– Strengthening the role of government in accelerating the transition to renewable energy and the circular economy, in line with Viet Nam’s ambitious COP26 commitments;

– Stimulating innovation and preparing the workforce for the jobs of the future; and

– Promoting a sustainable rebound through trade, investment, and innovation.

The one-day conference will have three sessions with keynote addresses and panel discussions. Session 1 will focus on “Green Recovery and Resilience”, what other countries have done to address this set of difficult decisions in the transition to low carbon green and circular economy; and what opportunities are available to prompt countries to transition to clean energy.

Session 2 on “Trade, Investment and Innovation for a Sustainable Rebound” will discuss how Vietnam should adjust its approach to trade agreements and FDI to promote a sustainable and inclusive growth pattern that encourages domestic innovation and productivity.

Session 3 will focus on Strengthening the Role of Government in Accelerating a Green and Inclusive Rebound. Discussion will seek answers to the questions: What can Vietnam learn from the experiences of other countries regarding the synergy between competitive markets and innovative government policies? What policies and governance structures have countries put in place to promote sustainability and inclusion? And How can a mission-oriented approach help Vietnam cope with issues like the Mekong River Delta and endemic poverty in upland and remote regions?

3/ You mentioned that Conference will bring in world leaders and scholars, could you please name some of them?

The International Conference will bring in eminent international and national thought leaders and policymakers. UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner will be delivering a keynote address to the Conference, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh, Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz the Nobel Memorial Prize economist, UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Isabelle Durant, Green Climate Fund’s Executive Director Dr. Yannick Glemarec, University College London’s Professor Mariana Mazzucato, leaders of Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Ministry of Industry and Trade, and speakers from key development partners and countries including Botswana, India, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and South Africa, among others.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

ASEAN and Chile have held the third ASEAN-Chile Development Partnership Committee (AC-DPC) Meeting via videoconference.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the development partnership by implementing the Practical Cooperation Areas (PCA) for ASEAN-Chile Development Partnership 2021-2025 which was adopted last year. The PCA serves as a guiding document for engagement and cooperation between ASEAN and Chile.

The February 21 meeting reviewed the implementation of the PCA and noted that in its first year of implementation, 10 out of 26 (or 38 percent) action lines are being addressed or have been addressed. Both sides agreed to explore innovative ways to implement activities.

Both sides exchanged views on the recent developments in ASEAN and Chile, and discussed several priority areas of cooperation such as trade and investment, minerals cooperation, sustainable and renewable energy, including energy efficiency, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), private sector engagement, sustainable forest management and investment in the forestry sector, sustainable salmon sourcing and fish meal circular economy and cooperation in capacity building in the area of digital agreement development.

The meeting was co-chaired by Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community and Gustavo Ayares Ossandon, Ambassador of Chile to ASEAN. In attendance were the members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, officials from the Chilean Embassy in Indonesia and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage arrived at the Changi international Airport at about 6:45 pm on February 24 (local time), starting a three-day State-level visit to Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean President Halimah Yacob.

The President, his spouse and the high-level Vietnamese delegation were welcomed at the airport by Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung.

During the visit, the Vietnamese President is scheduled to meet his Singaporean counterpart, hold talks with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and meet with Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.

These high-level meetings aim to promote cooperation agreements signed by the two countries, discuss new joint programmes, and deepen the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership. Ministries, sectors and enterprises of the two countries will also exchange documents for bilateral collaboration in many fields including economy, trade, defence, information and communications, and science-technology.

President Phuc will also attend and speak at the Vietnam-Singapore Business Dialogue and receive many leading Singaporean companies.

Forty nine years after establishing diplomatic relations and nine years following lifting their ties to a strategic partnership, Vietnam-Singapore trade hit 8.3 billion USD in 2021, and over 783 million USD in January 2022, up 23.3 percent and 6.8 percent year-on-year, respectively. Singapore is now one of the three biggest foreign investors in Vietnam with nearly 2,900 projects worth 66 billion USD in total.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Health has issued new guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in children, especially children under 12 months who are at high risk of severe disease.

The number of children infected with COVID-19 has tended to increase recently.

The new guidance has replaced the one issued on November 8, 2021.

Under the new guidance, the ministry has changed the instructions on confirmed cases of children with COVID-19.

A child identified as a COVID-19 patient has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test; has been in close contact with a COVID-19 case and has a positive rapid test result for SARS-CoV-2; a child who has epidemiological factors or clinical symptoms suspected of being COVID-19 and a positive rapid test result of SARS-CoV-2; or a child with epidemiological factors and test results positive for SARS-CoV-2 twice within eight hours.

In the previous guidance, confirmed cases are defined as all cases with suspected symptoms and a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR.

Also following the new guidance, the ministry has added the level of asymptomatic in children with COVID-19. Thus, there are five levels of asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critical levels in children with COVID-19.

The new guidance also regulates treatment with the antiviral drug Remdesivir to treat children with mild cases of COVID-19.

Accordingly, Remdesivir is indicated for the treatment of mild inpatients with at least one risk factor, or patients with respiratory failure requiring oxygen, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) or non-invasive ventilation. In the previous guidance, it did not regulate the use of the drug to treat children with mild symptoms.

The ministry also said that children with COVID-19, who have mild risk factors, need to be considered for treatment at a medical facility.

There are 14 risk factors that could cause severe illness for a child with COVID-19, consisting of premature babies and low birth weight; obesity and overweight; diabetes, genetic diseases and metabolic disorders; chronic lung diseases and bronchial asthma; cancer; chronic kidney disease; organ transplant or haematopoietic stem cell transplant; cardiovascular disease; neurological diseases; sickle cell disease, thalassaemia, other chronic haematological diseases; congenital or acquired immunodeficiency diseases; liver failure; systemic diseases; and children treated with corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs.

According to the ministry, SARS-CoV-2 causes illness in both adults and children but it is less common in children.

However, recently, the number of children infected with COVID-19 has been increasing. The majority of children with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or mild with upper respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms (over 55 percent), moderate (40 perent), severe (4 percent) and critical (0.5 percent).

Infants under 12 months are at high risk for severe illness. Children with COVID-19 usually have mild symptoms, so hospitalisation and death rates are low compared to adults.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) with COVID-19 is rare, occurring between two and six weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is a serious complication that can be fatal and tends to increase, the ministry said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency