Vientiane, Laos – The governments of Vietnam and Laos have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in the fields of labor and social welfare, despite facing economic challenges in recent years.

On December 4th, in the Lao PDR, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam, alongside the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos, convened the Vietnam-Laos Senior Officials' Conference on labor, social welfare, and human resource development.

The cooperation report for the 2021-2023 period highlighted several practical programs that have been implemented for workers, despite the general economic difficulties faced by both nations.

From Vietnam's side, investors have sent nearly 9,000 workers to Laos, encouraging local governments and inter-ministerial cooperation in the field of employment. This includes sharing information and coordinating labor management for workers of both countries on each other's territories and supplying human resources for important projects in Laos.

During the 2021-2023 period, both Vietnam and Laos managed to implement practical programs for workers despite the economic challenges.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs dispatched lecturers to provide training for instructors at the Xieng Khouang Provincial Vocational College and facilitated employment for Lao students post-graduation in enterprises within Quang Ninh province.

On the Lao side, four officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare were sent to Vietnam for master's degree training under the ODA fund allocation supported by the Vietnamese government. Additionally, 15 officials from Lao vocational training centers were sent to Vietnam for advanced training in the Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

Both parties have also engaged in sharing national experiences in implementing social security programs during an online workshop for members of the Lao National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs in June of this year.

Furthermore, the two sides have met to exchange experiences in developing and implementing social security policies in Vietnam, encouraging mutual support in labor and social welfare during meetings and forums at ASEAN and international levels.

Speaking at the conference, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan emphasized the special friendship and cooperative development process between Vietnam and Laos. He highlighted that cooperation in labor and social welfare has always been a priority and is continuously expanding.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan recalled the end-of-2022 event where leaders from both ministries met in person during the Special Ministerial Conference on labor, social welfare, and human resource development in Quang Ninh province, discussing specific and practical topics.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam, I highly value the significance and importance of organizing today's high-level officials' conference, a crucial activity in the series of cooperative actions between the two labor ministries in 2023,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan summarized.

He reflected on the past year since the Special Ministerial Conference in Vietnam, noting that both ministries have regularly exchanged and promoted specific cooperative activities in developing and implementing social security policies, such as sending Vietnamese lecturers to train Lao instructors and supporting scholarships for Lao students.

The cooperation between the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Laos is becoming increasingly concrete and practical.

However, Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan acknowledged certain limitations and difficulties, such as supporting training for Lao candidates participating in the ASEAN Skills Competition and providing employment for Lao graduates in Quang Ninh.

The Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam expressed a desire to effectively promote policies and programs for vocational skill development to meet labor market demands, enhance employment for workers, and address foreign labor management issues in both countries, as well as to implement digital transformation in the labor and social sectors.

Additionally, he suggested discussions on policies for social protection beneficiaries, persons with disabilities, autistic children, the elderly, and experiences in establishing and operating funds such as the Social Protection Fund and the Child Protection Fund, as well as mobilizing social resources.

Emphasizing the significance of the conference in the context of Laos assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan proposed further discussions on labor and social welfare priorities that Laos wishes to promote, as well as coordination and support from the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs for related proposals and initiatives.