Southern NGOs get informed and prepared for regional people’s forum

An information sharing meeting on ASEAN and Vietnamese NGOs’ participation in the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF) was held on 20 April in Ho Chi Minh City, organized by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), member of the Vietnamese National Coordinating Committee for APF-2016.

Present were representatives of Vietnamese people’s organizations, NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs) and social networks from Vietnam’s Southern provinces and cities working in such fields as women’s rights, children’s rights, climate change, natural resources, the environment, immigrants, and water resources.

The session provided participants with general information about the ASEAN Community, and the role of Vietnamese people’s organizations in building a people-oriented community of solidarity, cooperation and development.

The event is part of  Vietnamese NGOs’ preparation for the APF-2016, scheduled for 2-5 August 2016 in Dili, Timor Leste. A  similar meeting reserved for organizations from Northern provinces and cities was held by VUFO on 28 March in Hanoi.

Source: VPDF

NGOs should get State development support

The State should create a fair environment and legal system to help associations and civil social organisations to develop.

This was a comment by the participants of the seminar on the legal environment for social organisations referring to the draft Law on Social Organisation which was co-held yesterday by the Việt Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the Non-Governmental Organisation Information Centre.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are more than 500 associations and organisations at central-level, 4,000 ones at city and provincial level, and over 10,000 at district level.

Besides, about 1,200 international non-Government organisations have been operating in the country with the total assistance worth US$3 billion from 1991-2012.

Speaking at the seminar, Dr. Hoàng Ngọc Giao, director of Law and Policy Research Institute, said “the rapid increase in the number of civil organisations in Việt Nam meant bigger roles and effects of associations and civil organisations to society”.

The associations and civil organisations have attracted hundreds of thousands of employees, contributing to job creation, said Giao.

At present, the associations and civil organisations have been widely involved in all fields of society including monitoring activities of the State apparatus.

Notably, the civil organisations have been permitted to contribute their opinions to the Party and State’s policies.

“In short, associations and civil organisations’ contribution to the country’s development for the last years was appreciated by the State, society and international community”, Giao told the meeting.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hàn Mạnh Tiến, chairman of Business Managers’ Association, raised the concern about relations between the business community and civil organisations.

“Three major pillars in a good society are State, businesses and civil organisations”, Tiến said.

“In last years, only the relationship between the State and civil organisations was taken into consideration. So, the legal system was focusing on the ties”, he said.

But in fact, the relations between businesses and the organisations should be enhanced. It was because ten years ago, the civil organisations were given big funds from international NGOs.

However, in recent years, the funds have been dramatically reduced due to many reasons, including the economic crisis.

Luring businesses to granting funds to civil organisations should be considered a strategy of State.

But, presently, few businesses have given funds to the organisations because of a lack of information. Besides, businesses still doubt the financial transparency of the organisations, he said.

At the meeting, the participants agreed that to encourage civil organisations, the State should boost the right of setting up associations and civil organizations, considered a policy of ensuring and protecting human rights and citizenship.

Besides, the procedures of association establishment should be simplified, said Giao.

Under the draft Law on Social Organisation, it takes 105 days to get an operation licence. It is too long, he added.

Souce: VNS

Talk seeks ways to improve NGOs’ aid activities

Opportunities and challenges stemming from the country’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the ASEAN Community, and the aid activities of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Vietnam were discussed at a talk in Hanoi on May 26. 

Speaking at the event, Phan Anh Son, head of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, said that Vietnam has set up relations with around 1,000 NGOs, of which over 500 have carried out programmes and projects supporting Vietnam in numerous fields; including health, education, environmental protection, rural development and settlement of war consequences. 

According to Son, Vietnam’s participation in the TPP agreement and the ASEAN Community affects not only its Government, people and businesses, but also NGOs operating in the country. 

He suggested the organisations base their planning on the information they receive, the actual situation in Vietnam and their resources, to make long-term and sustainable programmes and projects to facilitate Vietnam’s participation in the agreement and the community. 

Tran Viet Thai, deputy head of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, emphasised the role of NGOs in assisting Vietnam’s integration process. 

He said that the organisations should help popularise information related to the agreement and the community to localities and businesses, and help them effectively implement measures related to human resource training, address commercial disputes and increase competitiveness. 

Meanwhile, head of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Kim Dung, stated that improving the implementation of issues related to employment and sustainable poverty reduction requires the involvement of many parties, including foreign organisations, in boosting legal and mechanism reforms, and improving the investment and business environment. 

At the event, participants from NGOs and foreign diplomatic representative offices in Vietnam, and Vietnamese ministries, also discussed opportunities and challenges in agriculture, and cooperation potential between NGOs and businesses during Vietnam’s integration process.

Source: Vietnam+

NGOs share experiences in gender-based violence policy in ASEAN

Representatives from non-governmental organisations from ASEAN countries gathered for a workshop opened in Hanoi on May 10, discussing NGO experience in gender-based violence (GBV) policy for an ASEAN without gender based violence.

The event is an initiative of the Gender-based Violence Prevention Network (GBVNet) facilitated by CARE International in Vietnam and the Centre for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Family, Women and Adolescents (CSAGA), and funded by the Australian Government. Reports at the workshop showed that the ASEAN region has seen significant progress in addressing violence against women in recent years through concerted policy action at both the regional and national levels. Most ASEAN member states have enacted dedicated national laws on violence against women and/or domestic violence, while some have developed National Action Plans to support the implementation of laws and policies. Government and civil society actors have provided services for women and girls who have experienced violence, including shelters, hotlines and One Stop Crisis Centres while police stations with dedicated women’s and children’s desks are now operating in several countries. Many countries have also implemented awareness-raising campaigns to reduce acceptance of violence against women. Speaking at the opening, Director of the Family Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Tuyet Anh affirmed Vietnam’s strong efforts to secure equal rights for women and girls through a range of laws and policies, adding that the country has achieved positive results in addressing violence against women and girls and ensuring their rights that has been widely recognised by the international community. Anh also noted that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has submitted important documents to the government on interdisciplinary co-ordination regulations on domestic violence prevention and a national education programme on family. The issuing of such documents in the coming time will facilitate relevant ministries, agencies and localities to develop practical action and information programmes on gender equality, she said. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS) in 2016, the belief that it is natural for men to commit violence against woman because they have that right is still common. Most cases of domestic violence (98.57%) are not reported. Furthermore, GBV negatively impacts Vietnam’s economy and productivity. According to UN Vietnam, the economic loss due to GBV represented nearly 1.41% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2010. On average, women experiencing violence earn 35% less than those not abused. Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam David Devine stressed the importance of addressing GBV to achieve social balance, saying that it is necessary for governments to look into social balance issues such as gender equality and changing social norms to help promote the role of women and girls. Recent research on the experiences of civil society organisations (CSOs) in influencing GBV policy in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam shows that CSOs in ASEAN countries face obstacles in advocating for laws and policies to prevent and respond to GBV, including the legal environment in which they operate, funding, and their own organisational capacity. CSOs have had more success in advocating for policies related to GBV in the home than in public spaces and have found that “one-off” advocacy initiatives rarely work. The two-day regional workshop offers an opportunity for NGOs to discuss GBV policy, particularly as ASEAN member countries, including Vietnam, are building laws and enforcement guidelines for the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It also helps the network of NGOs in the region to closely co-operate to work more effectively on the development and implementation of GBV policies. Delegates at the event will discuss topics related to the development and implementation of policies and laws to prevent and respond to GBV, the relationship between GBV policy development and social changes, challenges and measures to GBV policy development, and an ASEAN action plan on eliminating violence against women and chances for further co-operation.

Source: Nhan Dan

NGOs as Bridging Organizations in Managing Nature Protection in Vietnam

Comanagement in Vietnamese Special-Use Forests (SUFs) has been constrained by an administrative mode of state control. Consequently, SUF Management Boards have limited scope to engage local resource users in conservation and management. Concurrently, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have developed capacities as bridging organizations between SUF Management Boards, local communities, and the government by coordinating collaboration across levels, sectors, and knowledge systems. We analyze the extent bridging roles of NGOs can overcome the constraints of administrative comanagement by facilitating knowledge sharing, a common vision, conflict resolution, and local empowerment. Our analysis is based on a national survey of SUF managers and four in-depth case studies of NGO engagement in SUFs. The results indicate NGOs are only partly able to fulfill their bridging roles and thus overcoming the dominant mode of administrative comanagement in Vietnam. We conclude that the structural barriers of state engagement with NGOs demonstrate a need to better contextualize the form and function of bridging organizations in natural resource management.

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Foreign NGOs and businesses pledge to support Vietnam’s drought-hit localities

22 foreign non-governmental organizations (NGO) and businesses have pledged to provide long-term assistance for Vietnamese localities hit by prolonged drought and saline intrusion. Assistance efforts will include clean water, food and nutrition supply programs.

The commitment was made during a consultation conference to build plans and guidelines to cope with the ongoing drought and salinization in 13 central, Central Highlands, and Mekong River Delta regions. The conference was held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) in Hanoi on April 4^th.

According to the 2016-2019 agreement inked with the VUFO, these organizations and businesses will conduct 30 programs and projects worth US$ 12.3 million, to help Vietnamese localities deal with disasters. 

Recently, prolonged drought and saline intrusion in Vietnam have threatened the livelihoods, food security, and water resources of around 1.8 million people, including 455,000 children in central, Central Highlands, and Mekong River Delta regions. In addition, thousands of hectares of rice and other plants were destroyed. Many households have been facing water shortages. So water for daily use is in short supply, increasing risks related to health, nutrition and hygiene conditions.

In a bid to cope with drought and salinization, the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) worked with the Disaster Management Working Group (DMWG) and international organizations to survey the demands of locals in six affected localities.

At the conference, participants announced the results of the survey and recommended calling upon non-governmental organizations, partners, development agencies, international organizations, businesses, and experts to provide assistance for affected localities. Conference participants also suggested measures to use such aid effectively.

Source: People's Army

International NGOs pledge $12.3m aid for drought hit areas

Initial support totaling 1.1 million USD will focus on clean water, food and nutrition supply programs for Vietnamese communities hardest hit by drought and saline intrusion.

Over 20 international NGOs pledged to implement 30 programs and projects from 2016 to 2019 in 13 affected areas in the central region, Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta, with a total budget of 12.3 million USD.

The commitment is denoted in a framework agreement signed with Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), which was announced at a conference on April 4.

Experts and representatives from foreign NGOs, international diplomatic and development cooperation agencies, international organizations and enterprises discussed a strategy to deal with the ongoing drought and saltwater intrusion.

Prior to the conference, VUFO’s People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) coordinated with the Disaster Management Working Group (DMWG) and international organizations to evaluate the support needed in six of the affected areas.

Conference participants assessed the resulting findings on damage, needs and local governments' measures to cope with the situation. Recommendations were then made to call for assistance from international organizations. They also shared ways to effectively use aid.

Drought and saline intrusion in Vietnam are threatening livelihoods, food security and water resources of nearly 1.8 million people, including 455,000 children. Thousands of hectares of cultivation land have been damaged, and many households are facing water shortages, along with other risks related to health, nutrition and hygiene.

Source: VnExpress