ILO Director-General Hails Cooperation with Vietnam

Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, and Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo. Source: baoquocte.vn

Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, has told Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo that Vietnam hopes for the organisation’s strengthened cooperation and practical support, during their meeting in Geneva.

Congratulating Houngbo for becoming the 11th Director-General of the ILO, Ambassador Mai briefed the ILO leader on Vietnam’s efforts to join ILO conventions and implement projects and programmes on labour management and decent work.

She spoke highly of the ILO’s coordination and support in carrying out the country cooperation on decent work as well as ILO technical assistance through projects, programmes and activities to strengthen institution and enhance the capacity in labour and employment management.

Highlighting that promoting the right to decent work, one of the fundamental rights of human, is one of the priorities of Vietnam as a member of the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure, the Vietnamese diplomat said Vietnam hopes to receive ILO collaboration in implementing this priority.

For his part, Houngbo said he is impressed with the socio-economic achievements that Vietnam has gained, and congratulated Vietnam on being elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure.

He lauded Vietnam’s progress in perfecting labour laws, joining ILO conventions and complying with international labour standards.

He affirmed his support and willingness to assist Vietnam in areas of Vietnam’s interest such as strengthening law enforcement mechanisms, promoting decent work, building and renovating the social security system, improving the quality of human resources, and formalising the informal economic sector.

In 2019 and 2020, the National Assembly of Vietnam adopted the revised Labour Code that perfected the legal framework on the employment relationship, working conditions, and social security that matches the country’s reality and development. It also ratified two more fundamental ILO conventions, namely Convention No 98 on the right to organise and collective bargaining and Convention No 105 on the abolition of forced labour.

On May 27, 2021, the Prime Minister issued a programme on preventing and minimising child labour for 2021 – 2025, with a vision to 2030, which is part of the Government’s efforts to realise the commitments by Vietnam as one of the first countries to take part in Alliance 8.7 – the global partnership to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour.

The country’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the ILO Convention 159 on vocational rehabilitation and employments for the persons with disabilities is a demonstration of its commitment to ensure workers are not discriminated in the workplace.