Vietnam co-founds UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention
The UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention made debut at an event co-chaired by the permanent missions of Vietnam and Fiji at the UN headquarters in New York on March 22.
The event to debut the UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention on March 22 (Photo: VNA)
New York (VNA) – The UN Group of Friends onDrowning Prevention made debut at an event co-chaired by the permanent missionsof Vietnam and Fiji at the UN headquarters in New York on March 22.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Nguyen PhuongNga, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN, stressed that drowningclaims 360,000 lives a year across the globe, higher than malnutrition ormaternal mortality. However, this topic has never been discussed at the UN.
The World Health Organisation recently describeddrowning as a “silent epidemic”. Statistics show that drowning usually occursin low- and middle-income countries while the drowning rate is also higheramong vulnerable groups. Every minute, a child loses his or her life to thewater.
She noted that Africa has the highest drowningrate, but the highest child drowning rate is in the Asia-Pacific region.
In fact, drowning is completely preventable bysimple solutions such as swimming lessons, lifebuoys, and public servicesdelivered at a large scale and low cost which can save hundreds of thousands oflives each year.
Ambassador Nga said it’s time for countries tobe united to prevent drowning. She called on UN member states, UN agencies, andrelevant organisations to join efforts to minimise drowning in the world,thereby helping to attain the goals in the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment and leave no one behind.
With the support of the Bloomberg Philanthropiesand Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the UN Group of Friends on DrowningPrevention was founded by the permanent missions of Vietnam, Fiji, Bangladesh,Ireland, Tanzania and Thailand to the UN with a view to improving publicawareness of and promoting support for drowning prevention.
The debut of the UN Group coincides with theWorld Water Day (March 22) and the UN’s launch of the International Decade forAction on Water for Sustainable Development.-VNA
All districts in HCM City have been told by the city’s People’s Committee to give priority to allocating land and funds to build at least one new swimming pool each year in their localities until 2020.
Drowning is still one of the leading causes of mortality among children in Vietnam, despite efforts to deal with the problem. Concern is re-surfacing ahead of the coming summer months.
Given increasing incidences of drowning, the Hanoi Red Cross Society has opened a free swimming class for children in suburban districts to equip them with skills to prevent drowning.
Being aware of the alarming number of drowning deaths among children in Vietnam, Nguyen Quynh Huong in Ho Chi Minh City took her seven-year-old son to the local swimming pool for lessons.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
The event to debut the UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention on March 22 (Photo: VNA) 
