The prioritised areas include developing human resources, ensuring social welfare for women and children, promoting cooperation to cope with global challenges and creating an ASEAN cultural identity.

The delegates approved the two draft declarations to be submitted to the 17^th ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting scheduled for Hanoi this October. There were a draft declaration by ASEAN Leaders on human resources development and skills for economic recovery and growth, and a draft declaration on social welfare for women and children.

ASCC’s Meeting is one of the regional bloc’s important events held twice during one ASEAN presidential term to scrutinise the implementation of the ASCC Blueprint and report to senior ASEAN leaders on the progress towards the ASEAN community by 2015.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Socio-Cultural Community Council said as the host country, Vietnam wants to share information on ASEAN countries’ activities towards the priorities listed in the ASCC Blueprint for 2010 and reach a high consensus on the approval for important documents related to the community’s responsibility.

Mrs Ngan also said the MoLISA together with 12 ministries and agencies, has actively engaged in ASEAN forums.

The ministry will exert its effort to make cooperation in social affairs with ASEAN countries more effective and substantive as a contribution to boosting ASEAN’s development, Mrs Ngan confirmed.