ASEAN+3 promote social welfare, development

Vientiane (VNA) – The sixth ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development was held in the Lao capital city of Vientiane on November 22.

The meeting brought together officials in charge of social welfare and development of 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and China.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh.

Themed “Strengthening Social Protection for Vulnerable Children in ASEAN,” the meeting reviewed the outcomes of cooperation between the ASEAN and the three countries in social welfare and development since the fifth event.

Delegates also made proposals to enhance social protection for vulnerable children in the ASEAN, and commitments to new suitable projects proposed by the ASEAN countries.

The ASEAN members and the three countries should continue to support personnel training while helping and protecting children, people with disabilities, the elderly and other disadvantaged groups through projects within the framework of the ASEAN or bilaterally, they said.

They adopted a joint statement of the sixth meeting.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam./.