Leaders and representatives of ministries, sectors, and 17 northern provinces and cities marked a milestone summarising Vietnam’s 10-year implementation of the project to realise its regional integration commitments in the socio-cultural pillar. 

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang stated that ASCC is one of the three pillars of ASEAN, alongside the economic and political pillars. 

With its integration policy, Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of the ASEAN Community, and it also plays a leading role in certain fields and communities, particularly in ASCC, affirmed Thang. 

In addressing several challenges faced during project implementation, the Deputy Minister urged ministries, sectors, and localities to thoroughly assess the outcomes. This covers employment, labour, social security, care for people who rendered service to the nation, administrative reform, and public access. It goes further to include communication and coordination between the ASEAN Secretariat and the National Steering Committee for the project implementation, as well as with ministries and sectors, and issues facing difficulties and limitations. 

It is also necessary to assess how the new two-tier administration model, the administrative reform programme, and the removal of institutional bottlenecks have had positive mutual impacts on the project implementation, he added. 

According to the official, after the project, the Ministry of Home Affairs will propose to the Prime Minister the issuance of a programme to ensure the effective fulfilment of political mandates entrusted by the Party and the State, while enhancing Vietnam’s role and position within the ASEAN Community as well as globally. 

Participants agreed to strengthen coordination mechanisms and enhance information exchange during the process of finalising the report to be submitted to the Prime Minister by the end of 2025.

Vietnam affirms commitments to ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

Vietnam is committed to further advancing initiatives aimed at strengthening the connectivity within the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) and fostering deeper cohesion and understanding in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, a Vietnamese official stated.