Enhancing the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange”

Tran Thanh Man

Member of the Secretariat, President of the

Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee

Tran Thanh Man - Member of the Secretariat, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee

Today I’m very glad to attend the National Congress of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) for the 2018-2023 term. On behalf of the leaders of the Party, State and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, I would like to extend my best wishes and congratulations to the leaders, formers leaders of the Party, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and distinguished guests who are present here today. May our congress be a big success!

With my sincerity, through the Congress, delegates here and the mass media, I would like to express my kind greeting and good health wishes to over 3 million victims of Agent Orange and more than 400 thousand members of the Association at all levels throughout the country.

I warmly welcome and highly appreciate the achievements of VAVA during the past tenure as presented in the political report of the Congress and speeches of the localities. As a responsible member of the VFF, though there are still many hardships, VAVA has seen all round and robust development. With the motto of “Solidarity – Kindness – Responsibility – All for the victims of Agent Orange”, VAVA has been proactive in implementing all aspects of its areas of operation, encouraging its staff to stay united and strive for successfully accomplishing its tasks assigned by the Party and State.

Notably, in the past tenure, VAVA has widened and grasped its members, actively coordinated with related agencies to recommend to the Party, State and VFF on the guidelines, policies and mechanisms for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange.

The Association has seen fast developments in its structure and effectiveness in its operations. To date, 100% of the provinces have its affiliates; 87.9% of the districts and 61% of the communes country-wide are capable of founding affiliates of the Association at their levels. VAVA’s prestige has been increasingly enhanced in the society.

The mobilisation of social resources for the caring and support for the victims has been done in an effective and proactive manner. In the past tenure, VAVA has raised over 1,139 billion for its fund to invest in the building of centres for nurturing and rehabilitation, and vocational training. The struggle for justice has been conducted in a number of modality, attracting both domestic and international opinion. External affairs and scientific research have seen much progress. Commendation work has been done extensively.

I acknowledge and highly appreciate the effort, solidarity, proactiveness and determination that VAVA has shown so far. I’m really impressed and believe in you, members of VAVA. Despite yours oldage and hardships, you have done a great job for the victims of Agent Orange in a wholehearted manner, a manifestation of your comradeship and compatriotship which earned the heart and mind of people.

On this occasion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to organisations, individuals, philanthropists both at home and abroad who have donated and supported both materially and spiritually for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange and their struggle for justice. Their contribution has helped VAVA heal the wound of war; supplement, perfect and implement the policies for victims of toxic chemicals; maintain socio-political stability of the country; and effectively implement the external lines of our Party and State.

Our Party is consistent with socio-political development in association with social progress and equality. Especially, our Party always pays attention to the policy beneficiaries, not to leave anyone behind in the progress of renewal and international integration of the country. In the past time, levels and branches have always shown their care for the victims of Agent Orange together with the effort of their families and the support of the community. However, as far as I know, at present, there are still many families living extremely hardship and misery. They are badly in need of the support and sharing from us, organisations, offices and businesses.

I highly appreciate the determination, goals, tasks, and solutions that the 2018-2023 tenure of VAVA has determined. I, hereby, recommend all levels of VAVA to focus on the following tasks:

1. Continue to grasp and implement the Directive No. 43 of the Secretariat and the National Action Program of the Government on alleviating the consequences of Agent Orange caused by the U.S in Vietnam War; stick to the tasks assigned by the Party and State to determine foci and concrete measures in the spirit of “One guideline, ten measures and 20-fold determination” as said by our beloved Uncle Ho when alive.

2. Strengthen propagation to make Vietnamese people of all strata both at home and abroad and world people understand more about the Agent Orange disaster in Vietnam and our struggle to overcome the situation, and the role models in supporting the victims of Agent Orange.

3. Develope and consolidate VAVA to make it strong. Renew contents and methods of operations towards grassroots levels and attach to the victims. Pay attention to enhancing the levels of VAVA’s members, making them enthusiastic, responsible, dedicate to their work and consider the victims as their relatives. Implement the functions of social consultation, criticism and supervision of the policies and preferential treatment for victims of Agent Orange.

4. Enhance the effectiveness of social mobilisation for the support of victims of Agent Orange and consider this a focal and permanent task of the Association and one of the criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of operation of VAVA. Opportunely commend, encourage, stimulate and multiply the good deeds of philanthropists for victims of Agent Orange.

5. Persistent with the mobilisation and struggle for justice for victims of Agent Orange with suitable models and measures with the external lines of our Party and State. The struggle for justice for Vietnam’s Agent Orange victims is not only for remedying the consequences of war but also for preventing the war with weapon of mass destruction.

I hereby propose that all Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front, levels, branches, and localities to continue to have more preferential treatment for victims of Agent Orange; have leadership, direction, coordination to make it easy for VAVA to accomplish its tasks; effectively implement the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims Agent Orange” launched by Vietnam Fatherland Front. Joining hands in alleviating the pain of Agent Orange is the conscience and responsibility of every of us, the entire political system and the community.

I strongly believe that the Central Committee of VAVA in the coming tenure will promote the gained achievements and successfully accomplish all the goals and tasks that have been set out in the 4^th Congress of the Association.

Thank you very much!