22nd ASEAN and 7th ASEAN +3 Labor Ministers Meetings Open

The 22nd ASEAN and 7th ASEAN+3 Labor Ministers Meetings kicked off this morning at the Peace Palace under the presidency of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

H.E. Vong Sauth, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training and Chairman of 22nd ASEAN and 7th ASEAN+3 Labor Ministers Meetings said the meetings will focus on the topic of the improvement of social protection and skills development.

Prior to these meetings, five related meetings, including the 5th ASEAN Committee Meeting on Migration, the 5th Working Group Meeting for ASEAN-Japan Cooperative Program on Human Resource Development and Meeting on National Qualification Standards, the 8th ASEAN Senior Labor Officials Meeting, the 5th Meeting of ASEAN Coordinating Committee and ILO-Japan Program on Professional Relations, and the 10th ASEAN+3 Senior Labor Official Meeting and the 3rd Human Resource Conference, have been held successfully since May 4 with a fruitful result, said H.E. Voth Sauth.

The social protection is an investment for development in reducing poverty, creating demands and extending market especially building human resource to have good health, knowledge, skills, which are the basis for the efficient management of workforce following each evolving stage, he said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Samdech Techo Hum Sen said the meetings will contribute to pushing the ASEAN plus three countries to continue their efforts and responsibility in further contributing to the realization of the ASEAN integration, our common target for the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

On this auspicious occasion, the Cambodian premier also urged the participant countries to respect the law and human rights principles by avoiding looking down or causing any harm to the migrant workers.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen further encouraged more cooperation among the participants for the prosperity and development in the region.

akp.gov.kh