First ASEAN socio-cultural conference held in Bangkok

VGP – Ministers in charge of culture, information, foreign affairs and social welfare from ten ASEAN member countries yesterday gathered in Bangkok for the first time to map out a master action plan for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, one of three pillars to be built by the bloc after the ASEAN Charter came into effect on December 15, 2008.

August 26, 2009 11:13 AM GMT+7

ASEAN convenes its first conference of Ministers in charge of culture, information, foreign affairs and social welfare, Bangkok, August 25 - Photo: VOV

Delegates to the conference discussed and concluded socio-cultural issues of common concern proposed by the ten members, including education, global crisis, climate change, healthcare and epidemic diseases.

They also issued a draft mechanism for coordination within the community and agreed on the agenda for the next conference, scheduled to take place on October 22 at the same time with the 15^th ASEAN Summit.

The Vietnamese delegation led by Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, put forth the idea of assessing impacts of the global financial crisis in fields of social affairs and healthcare across ASEAN.

On the occasion, Minister Ngân consulted Thailand’s experience of preparing and organizing conferences as she will take over the chairmanship of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community next year.

By Hải Minh