“The ASEAN Community is cohesive and responsive, people-centered and socially responsible”

This is the affirmation of the Minister of Home Affairs of Viet Nam, H.E. Mrs. Pham Thi Thanh Tra, at the 6^th Heads of Civil Service Meeting for the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM +3) held on August 5, 2022 in Hanoi.

Attending the meeting were the heads of civil service from ASEAN countries and ASEAN +3 countries (China, Japan, Republic of Korea), senior officials, ACCSM+3 focal points, ASEAN Secretariat, representatives of ministries and central agencies of Viet Nam and a number of units under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra warmly welcomed the Ministers, Heads of Delegation and distinguished guests and delegates attending the Heads of Civil Service Meeting for the 21^st ACCSM.

According to Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, within the framework of ASEAN cooperation in general and cooperation in civil service in particular, many successful and effective cooperation activities have been witnessed with the participation of three partner countries, namely China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). On this occasion, as the Chair of ACCSM 21, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra sincerely thanked the cooperation and support of the three partner countries, the effective and close cooperation among ASEAN countries, as well as the guidance and enthusiastic cooperation from the ASEAN Secretariat. All these valuable contributions have created conditions for ASEAN countries to develop together, cooperate, and share benefits from the regional integration process.

The Minister affirmed that as an active and responsible member of the ASEAN Community, Viet Nam is ready to cooperate with the countries in the ASEAN Community and partner countries, namely China, Japan, ROK, as well as other partners in the region and the world, to share and learn from experience and knowledge on civil service reform, achieve the goal of administrative modernization, and work together towards a cohesive, responsive, people-centered and socially responsible ASEAN Community.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang reported the results of the 6^th ACCSM+3 Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) held on August 3, 2022 and the implementation of the ACCSM+3 Work Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period.

Accordingly, the 6^th ACCSM+3 SOM reviewed 32 projects/activities. In which, there are 7 completed projects, 4 ongoing projects (accounting for 34%), and 21 projects planned for implementation (accounting for 66%).

As of August 3, 2022, there are 11 completed or ongoing projects/activities (accounting for 38%) and 21 projects being planned for implementation (accounting for 62%). Thus, the five-year ACCSM Work Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period is still on schedule.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang also said that after the SOM+3 on August 3, the ASEAN Secretariat compiled a report on the results of this meeting and sent it to all member countries. Up to now, it has been found that the countries have basically agreed on the content of this report and have preliminarily approved it to report to the 6^th Heads of ASEAN+3 Civil Service Meeting.

At the meeting, Mr. Lee Jeongmin, Director, Ministry of Human Resources Management – Head of the ROK Delegation, said that ROK will have an international conference on human resource management and has carefully prepared for this conference. He hoped that ASEAN member countries would send delegations to attend the conference, which has a very practical and useful theme for ASEAN member countries.

Speaking at the Meeting, Mr. Mitsuyoshi Harada, Deputy Director General in charge of administrative policy issues, the Secretariat of the National Human Resources Agency of Japan, informed that Japan has proposed to include 01 activity in the ACCSM+3 Work Plan for the 2021-2025 period, which is the organization of the “International Workshop: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Partnership” to be held in Japan in 2023. Japan hoped that the ASEAN countries would pay special attention and send delegations to attend the workshop.

Ms. Xi Hui, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Viet Nam – Head of the Chinese Delegation, said that in the past time, the Civil Service Administration of China has always attached great importance to the cooperation mechanism between ASEAN and the Civil Service Administration of China. China has actively participated in activities as well as sent delegations to meetings, seminars, and conferences with ASEAN member countries. In the coming time, the Civil Service Administration of China will continue to cooperate and dialogue with relevant parties and the public authorities of ASEAN countries to discuss topics of mutual interest.

Besides, the Head of the Singaporean Delegation also introduced the basic contents of the civil service delivery to the meeting. This is a topic of concern to all countries, so Singapore will inform member countries when this topic is published.

At the meeting, ASEAN Secretariat reported on relevant decisions at other ASEAN meetings, briefly presented the ACCSM Strategic Partnership Framework that was provisionally adopted at the ACCSM SOM on June 15, 2021, and summarized plans for the 7th ACCSM+3 Heads of Civil Service Meeting.

The ASEAN Secretariat also briefed relevant decisions of other ASEAN meetings held since the ACCSM Focal Points Meeting in November 2021, including ASEAN Summit, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting, and other relevant ASEAN meetings held since the ACCSM Focal Points Meeting in November 2021.

Assuming the Chairmanship of the ACCSM 22, Mr. Ajman bin Haji Meludin, Deputy Secretary General, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam, said that the ACCSM 22 in Brunei will have the theme of “Strengthening the ASEAN Civil Service: Suitable for the future”, including 4 contents (1) technology, diversity, transformative changes, learning mindset, creativity, adaptation, and social awareness, (2) proactively strengthening resilience and adopting strategies to better respond to future risks, (3) building and maintaining a high-performance, dynamic and people-centered civil service, and (4) practicing agility: a culture of collaboration, an innovation system, opportunity discovery, and alternative future. In 2023, there will be preparatory meetings and a Senior Officials Meeting in May; in 2024, there will be ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting, ASEAN+3 Senior Officials Meeting, Forum on Good Governance, Heads of ASEAN Civil Service Meeting, and Heads of ASEAN+3 Civil Service Meeting.

In addition, representatives of ASEAN and ASEAN+3 countries (1) exchanged and updated the status of the implementation of projects/activities in the ACCSM Work Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period, and (2) gave opinions on issues related to ACCSM, including (a) building the ASEAN Community Vision Post-2025, (b) implementing the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, (c) implementing the ASEAN Action Plan on the Culture of Prevention, (d) implementing the ASEAN Comprehensive Framework on Care Economy, (e) implementing Consolidated Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for ASEAN, and (f) implementing The ASEAN Strategic Policy Framework on Promoting an Adaptive ASEAN Community of greater understanding, tolerance and a sense of regional agendas among the peoples of ASEAN.

Speaking at the closing of the meeting, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra highly appreciated the contributions of the civil service authorities of China, Japan and ROK, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat to make the positive achievements of ASEAN, especially during the two difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The valuable and close cooperation of the three partner countries, and the flexibility and initiative among ASEAN member countries have brought practical results for a serving civil service.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized that, at the ACCSM 21 meetings, all countries have jointly discussed proposals and initiatives under the framework of the ACCSM Work Plan and ACCSM+3 Work Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period, the implementation of Frameworks, Action Plans, Strategies, orientations to build the ASEAN Community Vision Post-2025 and together commit and affirm the determination:

Firstly, successfully implementing the activities under the ACCSM Work Plan 2021-2025, the ASEAN Declarations in the public sector, the Strategic Partnership Framework, etc., to achieve the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

Secondly, continuing to maintain and promote ACCSM among ASEAN member countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, and with dialogue partner countries, namely China, Japan, and ROK, while expanding relations with other ASEAN dialogue partners.

Thirdly, strengthening inter-regional cooperation, inter-pillar and inter-sectoral coordination to promote good governance, contributing to a strong, stable, resilient, cohesive ASEAN Community with quality lives for people, economic integration, and being socially responsible, people-oriented, people-centered and rule-based.

Fourthly, building a truly innovative, modern, and professional civil service that better responds to new challenges, which is the driving force for good governance and sustainable development in ASEAN and ASEAN member countries.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra believed and hoped that all countries would continue to cooperate, coordinate, and support each other, thereby realizing the goal of modernizing the civil service to promote people’s trust in the government as well as promoting investment, business, and international integration. To achieve that goal, civil service authorities of ASEAN member countries always trust and highly appreciate the efforts and contributions of experience and technology of the three partner countries and of the ASEAN Secretariat. The support and cooperation of countries on all three pillars of the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community have been and always will continue to make positive achievements to the ASEAN Community, not only bringing benefits to its member countries and partner countries, but also significantly contributing to the world’s common achievements.

(Source: https://moha.gov.vn)