Intergovernmental Group of Experts meeting of UNCTAD on Competition Law and Policy
On 18-21st of July, AP paid a visit to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) meeting of UNCTAD on Competition Law and Policy. This is an annual event when participants meet to discuss ways of improving worldwide cooperation on competition policy implementation and enhancing convergence through dialogue.
Bi-annual event of the Mekong Forum in Khon Kaen, Thailand
AP attended the Mekong Forum, a bi-annual event organized by the Mekong Institute (www.mekonginstitute.org) this year on the theme of “From the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC): Prospects for Human Resource Development and Capacity Building in Regional Cooperation and Integration” in Khon Kaen, Thailand during the 12th and 13th July 2011. Key themes were:
- Human Resource Development and Capacity Building are critical factors in strengthening GMS countries ability to integrate into ASEAN
- GMS countries need to leverage on the rise of China as well as their commitment to ASEAN to improve their economies
- Successful capacity building is demand-driven, long-term, uses a variety of methods and must pay attention to the role of partner institutions
- Tangible interregional cooperation is already taking place (connectivity of infrastructure, institutions and peoples)
- Achieving AEC 2015 depends on closing “The Prosperity Gap” between CLMV and other ASEAN countries.
2nd National Reference Group Meeting organised by STAMEQ
On May 15th 2011, TT participated in the 2nd National Reference Group (NRG) Meeting organised by STAMEQ in the capacity building project entitled “Strengthening capacity on Sustainability Criteria for Bio Energy (ISO 13065) in South and Southeast Asia regions” implemented by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in partnership with the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS). The project is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). This NRG meeting is organised as a preparatory task for the Pre-Seminar and the subsequent ISO PC248/WG Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, 14-20 May.
Final meeting of the project “Strengthening the Competition Authorities in Vietnam”
The final meeting of the project “Strengthening the Competition Authorities in Vietnam” took place in Hanoi, Vietnam on 4-5 April. Within the framework of the meeting, a Seminar on M&A Control in Vietnam – Swiss Experience and a Conference on The Role of Sectoral Regulatory Bodies in Promoting Competition were held. AP gave a presentation during the conference and also a TV interview on the sidelines regarding the competitive environment in Vietnam.
Conference “Capacity Building on Consumers’ Complaint Handling for Vietnam Standards and Consumer Association”
NTH attended the conference entitled “Capacity Building on Consumers’ Complaint Handling for Vietnam Standards and Consumer Association” organized by EU – Vietnam MUTRAP III in Meliá Hanoi Hotel on October 13, 2010. More than 30 participants altogether attended the conference, including VINASTAS, local consumer associations, Vietnam Competition Authority as well as representatives from media and press. From MUTRAP III, Mr. Claudio Dordi and Ms. Lucette Defalque were chairmen for the conference. From VINASTAS, Mr. Doan Phuong, Mr. Do Gia Phan and Mrs. Dinh Thi My Loan were also present.
“Regulatory Approaches to Anti-Competitive Behaviour in Telecommunications” Policy Networking Session
TT attended a Policy Networking Session entitled “Regulatory Approaches to Anti-Competitive Behaviour in Telecommunications” on 20th September 2010 organised in Nikko Hotel, Hanoi. This activity is within the framework of the EU-Vietnam Mutrap III Project which is phase 3 of the Multilateral Trade Assistance Project (MUTRAP), initiated by the EC and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade. Dr Thomas Hart delivered a presentation on draft summary for the report prepared by the project, which seeks to put the Vietnamese status quo on telecommunications market development and regulatory framework into the context of international good practice, with a particular focus on the EU policy framework for electronic communication as a reference framework. In addition, a number of participants such as representative of Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, Military Telecommunications Corporation, Vilaf-Hong Duc Law Firm contributed detailed and specific comments on the report.
“Consumer protection law in Vietnam: The current situation and solutions” Conference
In the end of August 2010, CUTS HRC collaborated with Hanoi Law University to organise a research conference entitled “Consumer protection law in Vietnam: The current situation and solutions”. There were 60 participants in the conference. AP contributed a presentation on Indian experience on consumer protection.
Meeting on the 5-year development strategy of VINASTAS
On June 15, 2010, AP and TT attended a VINASTAS’s meeting on the 5-year development strategy of VINASTAS (2011-2015) at the headquarter of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association in 53 Nguyen Du, Hanoi. Participants are VINASTAS’s standing committee and representatives of relevant industries and departments (the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Director-General of the Vietnam Competition Administration Department). A lot of useful comments have been made to VINASTAS and the 5-year strategy would be revised accordingly in time for the organisation’s General Assembly in Oct 2010.