Capacity Building Support to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare: Study Tour to Vietnam

A number of countries in ASEAN, including Vietnam, have initiated new social protection policies and programmes which are generating new learning on best practice for implementing social protection in low- and middle-income countries.

The Laos Social Protection Conference, which was hosted by the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (GOL) in February, has created more interest social protection issue among relevant government agencies. Two speakers from the government agency and academic institute in Vietnam participated in the event and shared the Vietnam experience. Laos and Vietnam have already been in regular exchange learning on different policy issues .The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) is now keen to further learn and discuss the social protection with the government of Vietnam, and to apply to development of social protection in the country.

Learning through sharing experience between countries is one of the most effective ways for capacity building on different areas of development. Therefore, a series of study tour on social protection to ASEAN countries and beyond was included as one of the key activities to enhance capacity on social protection strategy for GoL staff, and the first one is a visit to Vietnam.

The study tour aims to provide an opportunity for GoL staff to expose and learn about different social protection policies and programmes in Vietnam. It will focus on non-contributory social assistance and productive safety nets in the context of a life cycle approach. This is because it is relatively underdeveloped in Laos, and Vietnam has wealth of experience to share.