ASEAN labour ministers look to develop competitive workforce
The 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting convened in Vientiane on May 15 with a focus on creating sustainable jobs and a competitive workforce in the ASEAN Community.
ASEAN ministers at the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (Photo: VNA)
Vientiane (VNA)💖 – The 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM 24) convened in Vientiane on May 15 with a focus on creating sustainable jobs and a competitive workforce in the ASEAN Community.
Under the theme of “Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment Towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN”, participants reiterated commitment to realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community Blueprint 2025, of which developing a competitive workforce and improving social security is among key tasks.
The ministers approved the ASEAN Labour Ministers (ALM) Work Programme for 2016-2020 and action plans of the Working Group on Progressive Labour Practices to Enhance the Competitiveness of ASEAN (SLOM-WG), the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW), and the ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network (OSHNET).
Those programme and plans are expected to lay the foundation for regional human resources cooperation throughout the five-year period.
During discussions, Vietnam’s Minister of Labours, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung underlined the country’s commitment to boosting cooperation among ASEAN members in protecting migrant workers’ rights and interests and improving competitive edge of the bloc’s work force.
At the same time, ASEAN labour ministers took note of the importance of protecting the rights of migrant workers in the region while taking into account difficulties in drafting relevant documents due to different views of bloc members. They urged the drafting board to complete negotiations as soon as possible so that it can be submitted to the ministers and subsequently to high-ranking leaders for approval and signing by April 2017 at the latest.
In the afternoon, the ministers adopted the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN and the ALMM 24 joint communique.
They agreed to convene their next meeting in Singapore in 2018.-VNA
ASEAN labour ministers wrapped up their meeting in Hanoi on May 24 with a consensus on an action plan during the 2010-2015 period to improve protection of regional migrant workers and boost regional labour cooperation.
The 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-43) wrapped up in Hanoi on July 20 after adopting a joint communique with the theme "Enhanced Efforts towards the ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action”.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen led a Vietnamese delegation to the 23rd ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM 23) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, from May 20-22.
The 12th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (SLOM) was held in Vientiane, Laos within the framework of the 24 th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) from May 11-12.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
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The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
ASEAN ministers at the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (Photo: VNA)
