On the morning of September 20th 2021, the 8th Congress of the City Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese for the term 2021-2026 was solemnly held at the City Convention Center. The event was attended by Mr. Le Anh Quan, Standing Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee; leaders of the following units: Vietnamese Fatherland Front of the city, Department of Foreign Affairs and other agencies of the city.
Under Decision No.924/QD-UB dated September 12th1989 of the City People's Committee, Hai Phong’s Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese was established with its Charter being approved by the City People's Committee in Decision No.356/QD-UBND dated March 15th2011. The Association, a voluntary social organization of Hai Phong citizens whose relatives are living abroad, is a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of the city, under the direct authority of Department of Home Affairs and Department of Foreign Affairs of the city. Up to present, the Association has been working for 32 years with 7 Congresses, in which the most recent one was for 2016 – 2021 tenure.
The Association has now developed from 2 branches (Liaison Units with Overseas Vietnamese in France and Thailand) of 40 members at the early time to 12 units, 02 clubs and a Center for Community Development with a total official members of 800 people and 100 honorable members abroad.
According to Chairman Le Manh Cuong, throughout 32 years, the Association keeps upholding and well consolidating its role as a bridge between overseas Vietnamese and state agencies of all levels; mobilizing and gathering members as well as Vietnamese expatriates to participate in humanitarian and charity activities in the city with the total value from 2016 onwards of over 2 billion VND. The Association has also regularly coordinated with state agencies in information dissemination to overseas Vietnamese and their relatives about the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws as well as the current situation of socio-economic development.
Addressing the Congress, Mr. Le Anh Tuan, Director of Haiphong Department of Foreign Affairs congratulated and lauded the Association for its achievements in the past tenure 2016 – 2021, besides which he pointed out several tasks for the following term for discussion. First, it is necessary to fundamentally reform and improve the quality of information dissemination regarding three aspects: information channels, information content and information recipients; continue to consolidate and promote its role as a bridge between the city’s all-level units and the overseas Vietnamese community. Second, it is of vital need to actively find out overseas Vietnamese individuals having significant social influence among the Vietnamese community living abroad and ask for their participation in connecting people towards building the city and country; listen to the thoughts and wishes of the expatriates and make proposals to the authorities for solutions. Third, the Association continues to mobilize all resources among members, especially from young qualified members in order to gradually improve the Association’s performance regarding quality and quantity.
On this occasion, Mr. Le Anh Quan, Standing Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee presented the canvas with meaningful content “Solidarity, Cooperation, Friendship, Development” to the Association as well as a certificate of merit to the Association, units and individuals for outstanding performance throughout the term 2016 – 2020. Other certificates of merit were also granted by Chairman of Vietnamese Fatherland Front of the city to groups and individuals for remarkable contributions to the Association’s work.
The Congress was held successfully, completing the election with 33 people into the 8thExecutive Committee; Mr. Le Van Quy, former member of the Party Committee, former Director of the Department of Culture and Sports was elected as Chairman of the Association. All delegates agreed to pass through the Congress’s Resolution focusing on important missions in the following tenure with the guideline “Solidarity, democracy, innovation, development, encouraging members and Hai Phong expatriates to actively contribute to the country and city’s building”./.
Division of Consular Affairs and Overseas Vietnamese