Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The delegation from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairsof Vietnam would like to extend heartfelt greetings to Mr. President and all participants who have come to the Chinese Employment Forum. Vietnamese delegation appreciate the initiative of the Chinese Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the International Labor Office to organize this important Forum where we exchange views on challenges and opportunities the globalization has brought about on labor and employment.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past few years, the international community has exerted tremendous concerted efforts to ensure a harmony of economic growth, social justice and development in the context of speeding-up globalization and trade liberalization marked by an increasing number of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements signed. Following international commitments made in the 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development, theDecent Work Agenda initiated by the International Labor Organization in 1999, the Employmentt Work Forum in 2001, and as lately the Global Report on Social Dimensions of Globalization have displayed constant efforts by the international community to harness more benefits for human beings, render greater justice for all nations and minimize adverse impacts on labor and employment, from globalization.

All nations are making appropriate and necessary adjustments regarding labor and employment policies in response to multi-dimensional strikes, both positive and negative, dealt by globalization. We would like to grant our compliments to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China on miraculous economic and social achievements China has reaped over the past three decades of reform. We highly appreciate valuable experiences and achievements in the area of labor and employment that China has recorded over years, particularly experiences in social security and state-owned enterprises reform, and private sector development.

Over the past few years, pursuing multi-sectoral economy, the Government of Vietnam has been implementing socio-economic development in the direction of openness, international economic integration and domestic reforms. Vietnamese macro-economic policies have been taking into consideration a harmony of economic growth with social development, poverty reduction, especially in disadvantaged, mountainous areas, ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups.

The policies on labor and employment of Vietnam have been oriented towards creating more and better job opportunities for all. To fulfill the annual target of creating on average 1.4 million jobs, reduce urban unemployment rate to below 5.4% and push the rate of effective work hours upto 80% in rural area by 2005, the Government have created a set of policies and solutions specified in the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, therein emphasizing economic growth as a pivotal driver in creating new jobs. To obtain the annual growth rate averaging over 7%, the Government has been making marked efforts to improve the environment for domestic as well as foreign investment through creating a more liberal legal environment along with pressing on with public administration reform; step up SOEs Reform; boost budget expenditures into national infrastructure development in order to lay firm foundations for economic development and into community development programs, basic social services in poor communes; promote export market enlargement, while stimulating domestic demands.

To ensure a harmony between realizing the target of extending job opportunities and quality of jobs for the sake of enduring and sustainable development, the Government and social partners in Vietnam has reached a common consensus on policies and solutions to strive for the goals of the Decent Work Agenda of ILO, with its primary focus on promoting the implementation of the National Program on Employment and Poverty Reduction; supplement and amend 54 articles of the Labor Code and create a system of labor regulatory documents so as to decision-making rights to the two constituents of industrial relations in all forms of businesses (state, private and foreign invested) to establish sound industrial relations; promote and encourage all sectors to invest into training and retraining human resources for economic restructuring in the direction of industrialization, modernization; develop and complete the social security system in order to protect workers in a effective way from market upheavals in the context of globalization through extending social insurance coverage and diversifying schemes; enhancing occupational safety and health, preventing occupational diseases, including workers in agro-forestry-fishery sectors.

Ladies and Gentlemen ,

To harness benefits of globalization for all people and nations, we need to promote multi-lateral and bilateral cooperation in labor and employment. Creating jobs, reducing unemployment, improving income and welfare for workers present a primary priority given by every nation and the world as a whole. The social security system, occupational safety and health policies should be paid greater attention. We also need issue policies and earmark remarkable resources for enhancing technical capacity and workmanship of men and women of the labor force in response to rapid technological and scientific advancements.

We would like to reiterate Vietnam’ standpoint that labor standards should not be welded to international trade, and that labor standards should not be used as barriers serving protectionism under any form.

We would like to express once again Vietnam’s commitments to the goal of decent work and wish to cooperate with the international community in the area labor and employment. We would like to thank the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of China and the International Labor Office who have given us the opportunity to attend this Forum.