Month: May 2023

The three astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou-16 spaceship entered the country’s space station and met with another astronaut trio on Tuesday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

The Shenzhou-15 crew opened the hatch at 6:22 p.m. (Beijing Time). The three space station occupants greeted the new arrivals, and they took group pictures.

The space get-together kicked off the second in-orbit crew rotation in China’s space station.

According to the China Manned Space Agency, the six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work.

Source: Lao News Agency

Laos Counter Trafficking in Persons Project (Laos CTIP Project) in colLabouration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) held an event to celebrate International Labour Day with the aim to prepare vocational students for future employment and to raise their awareness about safe migration and counter trafficking in persons, in Vientiane on May 31, 2023, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Labour Day is observed throughout the world to recognize the value and contributions of workers to economic growth and development. The Lao PDR observes International Labour Day to preserve workers’ rights, increase solidarity, and ensure proper working conditions.

Mr. Mixay Sengchanthavong, MoLSW’s Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department and Ms. Silavanh Pongphosy, USAID Governance Program Advisor and Mrs. Kaoru Yamagiwa, Deputy Chief of Party of the USAID Laos Counter Trafficking in Persons Project opened the ceremony together with more than 170 participants from the government, private sector, vocational and technical school students.

The celebration provided students of vocational training institutions an opportunity to set personal goals, learn about career options, receive assistance with job applications and interviews, and information about work ethics in order to boost their employability.

Furthermore, the event connected students with the private sector and prospective future employers. Participants had the opportunity to increase their awareness about discrimination, Labour exploitation, forced Labour, harassment, or unfair treatment, including sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the workplace.

During the event, Mr. Mixay Sengchanthavong, expressed his appreciation to USAID for supporting this event. He added, “Laos continues to face a human resource shortage, skilled Labour remains limited, and several young people are looking for new opportunities in countries such as Thailand, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. This JOB FEST is an important venue for youth, including at-risk and vulnerable populations in Laos to prepare themselves for employment.”

In her speech, Ms. Silavanh stated, “USAID is proud to support the Government of Laos in organizing the JOB FEST that supports young people from across the country, of all ethnicities, identities, and economic backgrounds. Today’s event is not only a space to raise awareness of the risks of Labour exploitation and human trafficking, but a chance to promote equal opportunity and non-discrimination.”

The USAID CTIP project supports the government of Laos to strengthen its response to human trafficking cases; reduce the vulnerability of women, children, and marginalized people to trafficking; and improve trafficking victims’ access to services and safe economic opportunities.

Mrs. Kaoru Yamagiwa, Deputy Chief of Party of the USAID Laos Counter Trafficking in Persons Project said that the planned activities would connect the vocational students with potential employers, help them set personal goals, and build interview skills and CV development as these skills would better prepare them to enter the Labour market in Laos.

Source: Lao News Agency

Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Vu Hai San hosted a visiting delegation from the Lao People’s Army’s general department of logistics in Hanoi on May 30.

Highlighting the special relations between Vietnam and Laos, San said the countries’ defence cooperation has so far been developed toward effectiveness and practical outcomes in personnel training, delegation exchange, and the sustaining of bilateral dialogue and consultation mechanisms.

The official lauded outcomes of joint work between the two maries’ general departments of logistics, particularly in professioanl experience sharing, human resources training, and delegation exchange.

He said he supports their orientations for cooperation in the near future and requested the sides organise more health check-ups for and present gifts to people living in the countries’ border areas; and increase their exchanges for capacity improvement.

The head of the Lao department, Khamphet Sisaone, expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Party, State, and Ministry of National Defence would create favourable conditions for the two agencies to implement joint work effectively, serving the promotion of the Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation.

Source: Lao News Agency

MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will be working with the Supreme Court (SC) to carry out the plan of pursuing an ‘open justice’ policy. This developed after SC Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, in a meeting with DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Wednesday, expressed full support for the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP). ‘We are independent of each other, but we must work together,” Gesmundo, as quoted by the DBM, told Pangandaman who currently serves as chairperson and secretariat of the PH-OGP steering committee. Pangandaman assured the judiciary of the DBM’s full support for its open justice efforts. The DBM said the partnership with the judiciary is part of the whole-of-government approach in promoting open governance in the country. It said the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027, which serves as its blueprint of action to deliver greater access to justice, will be aligned with the OP-PGH’s 6th National Action Plan. ‘For the first time, the PH-OGP and the Judiciary will align the outcomes of the SPJI 2022-2027 with the 6th National Action Plan for the overall realization of opening justice – one of the key OGP policy areas for reform,’ the DBM said. In 2011, the OGP was formed to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive, and accountable governance. The Philippines is a co-founding member of the OGP, a multilateral organization of reformers from government, civil society networks, businesses, and non-profits reflective of the values of access to information, public accountability, citizen participation, and leveraging technology and innovation to strengthen governance. According to the OGP’s report, open justice applies the principles of open government, such as transparency, civic participation, and public accountability to the justice system. The OGP said transparency, civic participation, and public accountability are vital in ensuring a fair and effective justice system. Data privacy Meanwhile, the DBM signed the DBM Data Privacy Manual and Data Privacy Commitment Statement on the first day of its two-day learning sessions conducted in line with the celebration of the annual National Data Privacy Awareness Week. The two documents were inked Tuesday by Pangandaman and Undersecretary Maria Francesca del Rosario who serves as the Functional Group Head of the DBM’s Information and Communications Technology Group. Under the Data Privacy Commitment, the DBM is mandated to maintain transparency and openness and ensure prompt response to inquiries or complaints related to personal data protection. The DBM is also directed to inform its client government agencies, employees, and partners of their rights and provide a means to exercise them effectively. It is also tasked to continue the evaluation and improvement of data privacy strategies to ensure the effective delivery of the agency’s commitments, in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. The DBM conducted the two-day learning sessions from May 30 to 31 to promote awareness of data privacy and cybersecurity. ‘We’re not just managing the cybersecurity or security of financial information, we also have the personal information of all government employees nationwide. That’s how important these sessions are,’ del Rosario said. Republic Act (RA) 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 declares as a state policy the protection of the fundamental human right of privacy of communication while ensuring the free flow of information to promote innovation and growth. Under RA 10173, the state recognizes the vital role of information and communications technology in nation-building and its inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in information and communications systems in the government and the private sector are secured and protected. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency