A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan is attending the 102 nd session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva from June 5-20.

Themed “Building a future with decent work”, the event gathered over 5,000 delegates from 185 member nations who focused their discussions on sustainable development, green jobs for the most disadvantaged workers, social dialogue, collective negotiations and challenges posed by an aging population.

Granting an interview to a Vietnam News Agency reporter based in Geneva on June 14, Deputy Minister Huan said Vietnam has reaped considerable achievements in law and policy-making, enforcement and the promotion of sustainable jobs.

However, Vietnam also faces challenges like further enhancement of capacity for social partners and effective implementation of national legal policies and international commitments, he added.

As a responsible member, Vietnam deepened its cooperation with the ILO by discussing a number of cooperation contents with its Director General Guy Ryder and other ILO officials, he said.

On this occasion, Vietnam cemented its bilateral and multilateral cooperation by holding a mid-term dialogue with the US side, having working sessions with Saudi Arabian Deputy Minister for Labour Affairs and heads of delegations from ASE AN member nations, and attending a conference of labour ministers from Asia-Pacific and non-aligned nations.

As an official member of the ILO Executive Board and ASEAN representative, and a coordinator between ASEAN and ILO, Vietnam actively proposed and consulted with ASEAN member countries on content including reforms of the Executive Board, ILO General Assembly, finance committees and ILO’s technical cooperation programme.

Established in 1919, ILO became the first UN specialised organisation in 1946. On February 17, 2002, it set up a representative office in Hanoi .

In June 2002, Vietnam was elected as a deputy member of the ILO Executive Board with three consecutive terms until 2011.

At the 100 th session, Vietnam became an official member of the ILO Executive Board for the 2011-2014 term, reflecting Vietnam’s increasingly important position and role in the international arena.-VNA