The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) General Assembly opened its 59th session in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 30, drawing over 1,000 delegates from 191 member countries.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Chu Ngoc Anh, Minister of Science and Technology.
Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission in Geneva chaired the event. This is the second year Dung has been honoured to take the presidency of the WIPO General Assembly.
On behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Minister Chu Ngoc Anh spoke at the opening ceremony.
He said the bloc’s economy is projected to expand at 4.9 percent in 2019 despite the sluggish global economic growth and increasing protectionism.
The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the region rose 5.3 percent to reach 154.7 billion USD in 2018, Anh added.
ASEAN is stepping up the implementation of innovation initiatives to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), Anh said.
To support innovation, ASEAN is implementing an action plan on intellectual property in 2016-2025 and has gained remarkable outcomes, he added.
According to the Minister, ASEAN’s intellectual property system is deeply integrated with the world’s, manifested by the participation in some international treaties administered by WIPO.
At this year’s meeting, Vietnam submitted a document to join the Hague agreement concerning the international registration of industrial designs.
Anh also underlined the role of science, technology and innovation in changing growth model and escaping from the middle-income trap for developing countries, including Vietnam.
Recognising the importance of innovation, the Vietnamese Government has promulgated many policies and measures to increase Vietnam’s global innovation index (GII), he said.
As a result, Vietnam’s GII has increased steadily in recent years, leaping three places to the 42nd position in 2018, he added.
In August 2019, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a decision approving the national intellectual property strategy through 2030. Previously in June, the National Assembly passed the law on insurance business and law on intellectual property, according to the Minister.
On the sidelines of the 59th session of the WIPO General Assembly, Minister Chu Ngoc Anh had a working session with WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, the Minister presented Vietnam’s document to join the Hague agreement to the WIPO Director General.
With this participation, Vietnam is now a member of all three treaties on international registration for inventions, trademarks and designs administered by WIPO, he said.
Anh also informed about major policies of the Vietnamese Party and State on science, technology, innovation and intellectual property.
The same day, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam signed a cooperation agreement on GII and another on intellectual property environment with WIPO.
The 59th session of the WIPO General Assembly will wrap up on October 9.
The International Day of Older Persons 2026, themed “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives,” highlights the need to develop healthcare, social security, labour-market and social-service systems in response to increasing life expectancy. For Vietnam, rapid population ageing is not only a demographic issue but also a development challenge.
The Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre on September 29 safely brought ashore an unconscious sailor from the Liberian-flagged MSC HERMES III, who was suspected of inhaling toxic gas, for further medical treatment.
This year, lessons will weave Vietnamese culture, history and everyday life into the curriculum, tailored to each age group.
Among the key transport and conference projects, the runway expansion at Phu Quoc International Airport has been completed, while the VIP terminal is 96% complete and Terminal 2 is 72% complete.
Both sides agreed to keep educating officials, Party members, youth union groups and the broader public, especially young people in both provinces, on the great friendship, special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and strategic cohesion between Vietnam and Laos.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc on September 27 inspected Huu Nghi – Chi Lang and Dong Dang – Tra Linh expressway projects, urging local authorities, investors and contractors to speed up construction to connect the two routes before the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2027.
General Secretary and President Lam stressed that bilateral friendship and cooperation have been nurtured by people living and working in both countries, with the Vietnamese community in Canada playing an important bridging role.
Of the total, 631 were individual sets of remains, while 33 were recovered from eight mass graves. Personal artifacts were found with 298 sets of remains.
Vietnam plans to connect its national digital identification application VNeID with the electronic identification systems of Singapore and Laos, with a view to expanding the connection to other ASEAN countries.
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The captain discovered water entering ballast tanks No. 4, 5 and 6 on the port side, causing the vessel to list slightly. Initial assessments indicated that the vessel may have struck an underwater rock formation while underway.
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Authorities urged residents in the eight provinces and cities - Son La, Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An - to remain alert for a high risk of flash floods and landslides on September 17.
Prolonged heavy rains from September 13–17 have caused flooding and landslides, damaging homes, crops, roads and infrastructure in Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa provinces, with local authorities mobilising forces for emergency response.
Quang Ninh city's Public Security Department warned individuals, agencies and businesses not to publicly disclose or provide personal information or bank account details on social media, and urged organisations and businesses to strictly comply with regulations on protecting customers’ personal data.
From a weekend support activity, the “Zero-dong stall” has grown into a widely recognised community initiative, helping ease living costs while fostering solidarity and compassion among local residents.
The continued recovery of martyrs’ remains provides valuable information and further evidence of those who fought and sacrificed their lives for national independence and freedom. It also encourages search teams to persist in locating fallen soldiers still lying on former battlefields, contributing to the effective implementation of the 500-day campaign and reflecting Vietnam’s long-standing tradition of gratitude.
Vietnam will launch nationwide screening for five groups of school-related diseases and health conditions among students from preschool through high school from 2028, including overweight and obesity, refractive errors, spinal curvature, oral diseases and mental health disorders.
Vietnam always regards the Republic of Korea (RoK) as a country with a highly developed press sector and hopes to learn more from its Korean colleagues, said Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper and President of the VJA.