HANOI (ILO News) - The ILO Country Office for Viet Nam and Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) are launching the project on “Occupational Safety and Health in hazardous work in Vietnam – RAS/12/50M/JPN” and organizing a National Workshop on “Strengthening OSH in hazardous industries in Vietnam” on 12 June, 2012 in Hanoi under the approval of the Vietnamese Government dated 17 Feb 2012 and MOLISA’s Decision No. 601/QD/-LDTBXH dated 17^th May 2012.

The event is chaired by key leaders of the MOLISA and ILO namely: Vice-Minister of MOLISA Bui Hong Linh; Director General of the Bureau for Safe Work Ha Tat Thang; Director of ILO Country Office for Viet Nam Gyorgy Sziraczki and Ozawa Shinichi, CTA and Overall Coordinator of ILO/Japan Muti-bilateral Cooperation Programme from ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The event also brings together around 80 participants from Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Viet Nam Cooperatives Alliance, DOLISAs, Departments of Health, provincial trade unions, and other relevant stakeholders from 5 target selected provinces.

Funded by the Japanese Government, the project which is a part of ILO/Japan Multi-bilateral Cooperation Progamme and a component of a regional project on “Occupational safety and health in hazardous work in Southeast Asia”, aims to promote occupational safety and health in Vietnam through the effective implementation of national policy framework in hazardous industries and encouraging vulnerable people to ensure sustainable occupational safety and health practices. In particular, the project will focus on two specific objectives: Improving the implementation of OSH standards in hazardous industries (including construction, mining and chemicals) and; addressing occupational health hazards and risks including asbestos and chemicals in hazardous industries in cooperation with WHO and Ministry of Health. Moreover, the project will accelerate cooperation among ASEAN countries and promote the One-UN Policy in Vietnam and inter-ministry, inter-agency partnership.

The project aims to reach out to OSH practitioners, workers, employers and informal sector and agricultural area in three regions covering five provinces in Viet Nam (Bac Kan, Hai Phong, Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai and Dong Nai). The project’s main government partner is Bureau for Safe Work, MOLISA but other stakeholder Ministries, provincial organizations and social partners will also play a critical role in its success.