ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community’s master plan reviewed

An inter-ministerialmeeting to review the mid-term implementation of the ASEANSocio-Cultural Community’s master plan in Vietnam was held inHanoi on August 27.

The event was co-chaired byASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh, Minister of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen and Deputy Foreign Minister PhamQuang Vinh.

Participants at the meeting agreed thatVietnam has positively taken part in the implementation of themaster plan, which was approved by ASEAN leaders at their summit inThailand in 2009, nationally and regionally.

Between 2009 and 2012, the country integrated the implementation of thecommunity’s common goals in related projects and made progress insocial, educational, cultural, environmental andscientific-technological sectors.

At a regionallevel, the country figured out priorities that need to be addressed,such as enhancing social welfare, developing human resources,strengthening the power and welfare of vulnerable groups and coping withclimate change.

In its capacity as ASEAN Chair in2010, Vietnam made efforts in building ASEAN declarations regarding theenvironment, human resources development and social welfare for womenand children.

The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community’smaster plan covers such issues as the living environment and the rightsand welfare of people, especially vulnerable groups, which are suitableto all ASEAN member nations’ desires.

The effective implementation of the master plan will contribute to accelerating the formation of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, comprisesBrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA