Participants at the event – which was financially supported by the Japanese government and Irish government – included representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA), several international partners, and the drafting committee for reviewing the implementation of Resolution No.15-NQ/TW on social policies. They agreed that Vietnam has made significant progress since 2012 when this resolution was issued.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi said "It is necessary to continue to place people at the centre of the development process.”

“Ensuring that social issues are managed and addressed by social policies should continue in alignment with the country’s economic development,” he added. “It is important to consider investing in people along with the sustainable development of the country."

ILO Vietnam's director, Ingrid Christensen, underlined that for Vietnam to continue progress towards a vision of providing social protection for all, it must continue to dedicate significant effort and resources to strengthening many dimensions of its social protection system.

Bui Ton Hien, ILSSA director, said “The implementation of Resolution 15 has matched the expectations of the nation's people.”

“It has helped to drastically improve the perception of government officials and party members at all levels when it comes to their commitment to formulating and implementing social protection and merits policies,” he added. “Resolution 15 has also underlined the key role social policies can play in the socioeconomic development of the country.”

André Gama, ILO Vietnam’s Social Protection Programme manager stated, “Social protection reforms must be aligned with the reality of Vietnam’s socioeconomic context and build on the progress made over the past decade.”