Report on the results of the first Viet Nam Employment Forum

The first Viet Nam Employment Forum was held in Hanoi from 16-18 December 2007. The theme of the Forum was decent work, growth and integration.

The Forum gathered 200 participants, including senior officials of the Government, policy makers, representatives from the employers’ and workers’ organizations, international organizations, universities, research institutions and enterprises and ILO experts from the ILO Office in Viet Nam, the ILO regional and sub-regional offices in Bangkok (Thailand) and ILO headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland). The Forum was held with the aim to create opportunities for participants to share their experience, and expertise and propose recommendations for promoting employment and decent work in Viet Nam by 2010 and beyond as Viet Nam engages further with the world economy.

The main goal of the Forum was to draw attention to and highlight the importance of employment creation and decent work as central goals of socio-economic development strategies and policies of Viet Nam. The Forum was also an opportunity to review the challenges which Viet Nam faces in the field of labour in the context of its integration into global and regional markets as well as in reaching the goal of becoming a middle income country by 2010.