A seminar to connect separate partners in social welfare and poverty reduction efforts was held in Hanoi on November 26 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). This activity is within a GIZ project in support to Vietnam’s social welfare. Addressing the event, MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam said recently, MoLISA has received significant support from many international partners and non-governmental organizations to different aspects of social welfare. However, there is no effective and harmonious coordination mechanism to create strategic changes. Therefore, it is high time to form a partnership group in order to share information and coordinate policy dialogues. Participants put forward ideas to make the group’s working plan. They believed the plan will help share information and promote policy dialogues on social welfare and poverty reduction towards creating positive changes and an effective cooperation environment in Vietnam. They were introduced to four main fields that Vietnam’s social welfare system focuses on, namely employment, income and poverty reduction; social insurance; social support for specific groups; and basic social services. The system aims to ensure social welfare for everyone and their fundamental living condition in terms of income, education, health care, housing, clean water, information and communications and gradually raise income to ensure a safe, equal and happy life for people by 2020. With support from international partners and organizations, Vietnam is implementing comprehensive measures to deal with challenges to meet social welfare targets. (vov.vn Nov 26)
