Porto Alegre (VNA) - After six days of sitting and about 2,500 conferences, workshops and roundtable meetings, the 5th World Social Forum concluded in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre on Jan. 31 with a range of proposals having been adopted for the construction of a fairer and better world.

More than 155,000 people from 5,700 delegations representing social movements, people's organisations and non-government organisations in 135 countries attended the event. These were the highest figures ever recorded at an international forum.

The forum, held annually parallel to and as a counter to the World Economic Forum, provided an opportunity for participants to speak out against war, social injustice and environmental degradation.

The next forum will be organised simultaneously in several countries.

Earlier, on Jan. 30, speaking at a workshop on fair trade, Nguyen Chu Hoi, a representative of the Vietnamese delegation to the forum, criticised developed countries' protectionism, citing the US anti-dumping lawsuits against Vietnamese catfish and shrimp exporters. His criticism received backing from other delegations, which branded the US protectionist policy as unreasonable and unfair.

The Vietnamese delegation took this occasion to stage a forum, entitled "Meeting Viet Nam 30 years after the war", and a photo exhibition to showcase Viet Nam, its people and the achievements the country has made in its doi moi process.

 The delegation also attended many meetings and workshops, whose topics ranged from poverty reduction, agriculture and rural development, workers' rights, to environmental protection, and joined activities showing solidarity with Cuba and Palestine.

The delegation was received by President of the Brazilian Communist Party Renato Rabelo, who praised the Vietnamese people for their past struggle for independence and the great achievements they have made in building their nation, saying that Viet Nam's success in doi moi has proved the strong vitality of socialism.

He said that his party will launch a campaign to collect signatures in support of the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims who have filed a lawsuit against American chemical companies./.