The Union of Friendship Organizations of Vinh Long province set three specific goals in the new term during the second congress for the 2021-2026 term held on Dec.27.

The congress is held via both in-person and online formats. Photos: Khanh Trinh

According to the report at the Congress, the term 2015-2020 takes place in the context of many advantages, difficulties and challenges, which significantly affect people's diplomacy and foreign non-governmental aid mobilization in the world. In that context, Vinh Long Friendship Union actively coordinated with departments, branches, unions and member associations to effectively implement many people-to-people diplomacy activities; making an important contribution to the Party's and State's foreign affairs, contributing to socio-economic construction and development, and ensuring national defense and security of the province.

Peace, solidarity and friendship activities continued to be maintained, especially creating conditions for foreign guests to interact and exchange with local people, which has contributed to increasing mutual understanding about the region, national cultural identity and solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese people in general, the people of Vinh Long in particular, and other countries.

Regarding non-governmental aid mobilization, Vinh Long Friendship Union actively established relationships, contacted 32 organizations, registered to implement 361 programs, projects, and non-projects with a total aid value of more than VND 416 billion (USD 18.2 million), the average annual disbursement is over VND 80 billion (USD 3.5 million). The mobilized funding mainly focuses on supporting communes, including increasing income, building/repairing housing, inter-hamlet and inter-village roads, clean water and sanitation, and schools.

The congress consulted and voted to elect the executive committee of the Vinh Long Friendship Union for the 2021-2026 term, consisting of 21 members, led by President Tran Van Ut.

The newly-elected executive committee.

The congress also set specific goals and tasks for the 2021-2026 term, which is to continue to well implement the Party's directives and resolutions, the 11th Provincial Party Committee Resolution and the VUFO's VI Congress Resolution. Under the motto "Active, flexible, creative and effective", the organization plans to strengthen the relationship of solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the people of Vinh Long and people of other countries; mobilizing international resources to participate in socio-economic development of the province, contributing to building a favorable environment to promote friendly exchange activities and popularize the local image to international friends.

Promoting activities of member associations in the direction of expanding and deepening in order to enhance understanding and contribute to promoting the image of the province to international friends. Improve the form and content of people-to-people diplomacy activities to improve the work quality and position of the Friendship Union in the political system.

President of Union of Friendship Organizations of Vinh Long Tran Van Ut.

Speaking at the congress, Vice Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh praised the achievements of the Vinh Long Friendship Union in the past term, and suggested that the Union continue to innovate and improve operational efficiency in the new situation.

Accordingly, Vinh Long Friendship Union and provincial friendship organizations need to maintain and develop friendly cooperative relations between the province and people around the world. Thereby, helping international friends to understand more properly and fully about the country and people of Vietnam in general and Vinh Long province in particular, taking advantage of the broad consensus and support of global friends for the construction and defense of the Fatherland, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam and the development process of Vinh Long.

Vice-Chairman of Vinh Long People's Committee noted that the Vinh Long Friendship Union needs to be proactive and coordinate with sectors and localities to actively implement the program to promote and mobilize foreign non-governmental aid in the 2021-2025 period and pay attention to renewing the form and content of external activities in a specific direction, effectively implementing activities in the context of economic recovery associated with effective control of Covid-19.

The Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations needs to better perform its role as a focal point in mobilizing and coordinating foreign non-governmental aid, effectively mobilizing funding sources together with authorities at all levels to well implement the work of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, social security, investment in development of education and health care.

Speaking at the congress, VUFO President Nguyen Phuong Nga recognized and highly appreciated the achievements of Vinh Long Friendship Union and its member associations in the past term.

Sharing some suggestions about the future tasks of the Friendship Union in the coming time, Nga said that the Vinh Long Friendship Union should actively implement the activities plan approved by the congress, and participate in the meeting, consult with the provincial leaders for direction to have a unified awareness to successfully implement the contents of people-to-people diplomacy in the Resolution of the XIII Congress of the Party and the Charter of the Friendship Union.

In addition, Vinh Long Friendship Union needs to continue to innovate and improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy under the motto "Active, flexible, creative and effective", focusing on a number of contents:

Firstly, proactively deploying and renovating the content and form of people-to-people diplomacy activities to improve practical effectiveness, to strengthen relations with neighboring countries and in the ASEAN region, and deepen the relationship with traditional friendship partnerships; advise the province to be twinned with localities and countries.

In the last term, three more member organizations have been established. Nga hopes that the union will diversify types of activities, associate political advocacy with economic cooperation promotion, science and technology, education and training, and tourism. Thereby promoting the image of beautiful Vinh Long, rich in potential to attract cooperation and investment, contributing to the realization of the local socio-economic development goals.

Second, actively implement the program of mobilizing foreign non-governmental aid projects in the province, building programs and priority projects for foreign non-governmental work to meet provincial development objectives and requirements. Focusing on implementing programs and projects related to the environment, climate change, health care, education, social problem-solving.

Third, to strengthen the work of information and communication abroad, focus on applying information technology, developing an English-Vietnamese website to provide information about Vinh Long, development achievements of the locality and Vietnam in general, the foreign policy of Party and State, especially achievements in ensuring human rights, sovereignty over sea and islands, timely and effective fight against false claims.

Fourthly, well implement Conclusion 12-KL/TW of the Politburo on overseas Vietnamese work in the new situation. The overseas Vietnamese community is an integral part and an important resource of the Vietnamese community; strengthens the connection and promotes the role of Vinh Long people living abroad to contribute to the construction of the homeland.

VUFO President Nguyen Phuong Nga virtually attends the congress from Hanoi.

The VUFO president believes that with the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and the support and coordination of departments, agencies and mass organizations, on the basis of valuable traditional experience in many years of operation, the Vinh Long Friendship Union will well complete the tasks set out, and achieve many new achievements in the people-to-people diplomacy.

"VUFO and its member organizations at the central level will do their best to continue to support and coordinate with the union to make its activities more and more effective, a worthy part in the socio-economic development and foreign affairs of Vinh Long province and building a growing friendship union system," Nga emphasized.

On this occasion, VUFO presented the Vinh Long Friendship Union with an Emulation Flag bearing the words "Active, flexible, creative, effective" motto of people-to-people diplomacy.

Kien Giang Friendship Union Mobilizes Fund For Local Brigdes A bridge can make a huge difference for a community.

Thua Thien Hue Gifts Books to Lao Students in Salavan, Sekong Provinces The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Union of Friendship Organizations of Thua Thien Hue province donated textbooks and learning tools to children in Salavan ...

Vietnamese Organizations Collaborate on Children's Rights, Equality Several organizations came together to discuss ways better the lives of girls in Lai Chau and KonTum provinces.