The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), in its capacity as Chair of the ASEAN Social Work Consortium, held a national consultation on October 5 in HCM City on promoting social work in the bloc.

At the event

Deputy head of the ministry’s Department of International Relations Ha Minh Duc told the gathering that as the ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam has joined hands with other ASEAN member states, the UN Children’s Fund, and partners to build the ASEAN Declaration on promoting social work towards a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community.

He added that the Vietnamese Government has issued a number of important legal documents to develop social work as a professional vocation in the country. He also suggested devising a law to set orientations towards the field.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh from MoLISA said targets in the ASEAN Declaration will be submitted to regional leaders in November to set common priorities in the field.

A representative from UNICEF Vietnam suggested building a network of social work staff at the district and provincial levels, developing social work services, and building professional standards for social work staff in various fields.

Vice President of the Malaysian Association of Social Workers Amy Bala proposed issuing regulations for the recruitment and licensing of social work staff, guaranteeing that social work education meets international standards, and increasing the network of social work staff in localities and the world.