A national cooperation program on sustainable employment for 2017-2021 between Vietnam and the International Labor Organization (ILO) was signed in Hanoi on December 5. The five-year program, the third of its kind since 1992, priorities will be given to poverty reduction by expanding social welfare coverage for all and building a working environment that offers sustainable business opportunities. It also aims to reduce unacceptable forms of employment, especially for vulnerable people, and design an effective workforce management mechanism that respects basic principles and rights in labor. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said Vietnam will continue paying heed to employment, human resources development and social security as part of the nation’s international economic integration progress in line with its sustainable growth strategy. Dung proposed the ILO and involved partners to build an action plan for the program. He also expected that the ILO will assist Vietnam in reforming social insurance and wage policies and improving international integration capacity. ILO Vietnam Director Chang-Hee Lee said the 2017-2021 program should shift focus from resources to knowledge, with assistance offered simultaneously to the Government, employees and employers at the local level to boost their capacity in preparation for sustainable changes. The ILO is committed to joining hands with its partners to achieve common goals, he stressed. In 1994, the ILO helped Vietnam build the labor law when the country was in need of a new legal framework to monitor its workforce. (english.vietnamnet.vn Dec 6)
