At the opening ceremony of the 4th meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC4) on August 16 in Da Nang, PM Nguyen Tan Dung recommended four focal points for the faster construction of the community by 2015
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PM Nguyen Tan Dung (7th from R) and heads of the delegations to the 4th meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council, Da Nang City, August 16, 2010
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The meeting, chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, aims to review the realization and surveillance of the community’s overall development plan.
The meeting will also finalize two draft documents before submitting them to the 17th ASEAN Summit in October for approval, including a declaration of ASEAN leaders on human resources and skills for economic recovery and growth, and their declaration on social welfare for women and children.
Building a sharing and caring community
Addressing the ASCC4, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said that to build the ASEAN Community by 2015, ASEAN countries have for many years fostered socio-cultural cooperation to construct the ASCC. That is a united, sharing, caring and open community, which ceaselessly narrows development gaps and builds up common identities.
That is a people-centered community towards better-quality life and development of people, strengthened social welfare, and ensured social justice, basic human rights, sustainability and environmental friendliness, he said.
According to the PM, in 2010, the ASCC should prioritize coping with current global challenges, including post-crisis difficulties, climate change, natural disasters and diseases; developing human resources for economic recovery and growth; improving social welfare and development for women and children in the ASEAN; and enhancing the bloc’s cultural identities.
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PM Nguyen Tan Dung makes a speech at the opening ceremony of the 4th meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council, Da Nang City, August 16, 2010
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Four directions for realization of ASCC construction plan
The Vietnamese PM recommended four directions for the faster construction of the ASCC by 2015.
First, taking suitable measures to fulfill commitments and priorities defined in the community’s overall development plan. Specifically, to focus on proper resources, and intensify inspection and surveillance to ensure the effective realization of the deals.
Second, attaching importance to strengthening coordination of activities and actions among agencies in charge of the Cultural and Social Pillar of the ASEAN, especially the ASCC Council.
Third, seeking solutions to ensure resources for the realization of the overall development plan on schedule. Building up a suitable mechanism to mobilize and effectively manage resources from ASEAN members and the bloc’s partners, during which greater attention is paid to the private sector.
Fourth, ASEAN members should actively embed targets and measures of the community’s overall development plan to their own national plans. They will support and supplement national development needs and better realize the overall plan.
ASEAN highly appreciates VN’s role
The ASCC has gained remarkable achievements, including the construction of legal frameworks for the community’s activities, building roadmaps, defining prioritized phases, mapping out programs and solutions to labor, healthcare, education, environment, climate change problems and other issues such as the protection of the rights of migrant workers, women and children.
At the meeting, delegates from ASEAN countries highly appreciated the role of Vietnam in the bloc, especially as the ASEAN Chair in 2010. The country has made active contribution to the development of the ASCC via activities at regional and national levels.
Vietnam has put forth and chaired the drafting of the two documents, raised initiatives and actively realized commitments relating to the ASCC, including the organization of ASEAN ministerial meetings on labor and social welfare.
Vietnam has also played an active coordinating role in the development of the ASCC towards a stable and strong ASEAN community.