HANOI (ILO News)- The Government of Viet Nam, the workers’ and employers’ organizations and the ILO signed the new Decent Work Country Program 2012-2016 on 24 May 2012.

It is a forward-looking program setting out the areas of cooperation between Viet Nam and the ILO to address the major challenges of the Decent Work Agenda, most notably the “middle-income country trap”. This is crucial as Vietnam moves ahead towards realizing the vision of becoming an industrialized economy by 2020.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen highlighted the significant contribution of the ILO in Viet Nam in various fields such as: industrial relations, employment, occupational safety and health, social protection, child labor, disabled support, and gender equality.

Attending the ceremony were Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Mr. Vu Tien Loc, President of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Dang Ngoc Tung, President of the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, Mr. Dao Xuan Can, President of the Viet Nam Cooperative Alliance, and Mr. Gyorgy Sziraczki, Director of the ILO Office in Ha Noi.

Decent Work Country Program Priorities:

1. Labour Market and decent employment

Effective policies, strategies, data and analysis support the labor market development and decent employment at national and provincial levels.

2. Business environment

Enterprises, cooperatives and informal business establishments have an improved business environment, access to services and better working conditions for sustainable development.

3. Social protection

Social protection coverage is effectively extended.

4. Vulnerable groups

Disadvantaged and vulnerable groups have equitable access to decent work and are protected from discrimination and exploitation.

5. Industrial relations

Effective employers’ and workers’ organizations and social dialogue institutions and mechanisms strengthen industrial relations.

6. Tripartite constituents

Tripartite constituents have strengthened capacity to apply international labor standards, including through strengthened labor administration, and to meet the challenges of international integration.