Active external activities, international integration

The VSS carried out and reformed external and international integration work in an active and flexible manner last year. External activities were enhanced in terms of quantity and quality, as well as across multilateral and bilateral aspects. They helped convey the world’s knowledge, experience and technology to the sector, helping to professionalise and modernise the sector for the sake of all participants.

One of the highlights of the VSS’ external work in 2018 is the strong combination of regular activities and big events, bilateral and multilateral external activities, and regional and international multilateral external activities.

Within the year, Deputy Minister and Director General of the VSS Nguyen Thi Minh accompanied Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his official visits to Australia and New Zealand. During the trip to New Zealand, she signed a training cooperation agreement between the VSS and the University of Waikato in the presence of the two government leaders. This was a new stride in the VSS’ cooperation with foreign partners within the framework of state-level diplomatic activities, thereby creating important prerequisites for expanding the VSS’ relations with social security agencies of other countries.

Additionally, bilateral cooperation with traditional partners like those of Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, and Laos continued to be strengthened through delegation exchanges at all levels, experience sharing workshops on issues of common concern, and mutual technical support.

In 2018, the VSS actively coordinated with international partners to push on with many technical assistance projects, including the World Bank’s technical support project in social insurance, health insurance, and fund investment management; and the cooperation project with the International Labour Organisation to expand social and health insurance coverage between 2018 and 2020. The VSS has increased cooperation with British, French, US, and Danish partners to provide pharmacy and pharmaceutical economics training, assess new medical technologies, design the insurance-covered drug procurement bidding, and build forecasting models for the health insurance fund.

It coordinated with the Ministry of Health to implement a joint project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on enhancing the management of payment methods and basic health service packages covered by the health insurance fund. Additionally, the VSS worked with Korean partners in personnel training and expertise exchanges to share experience in retirement pension payment, e-government in the health sector, public services, and the operation of customer service centres. It has also continued assisting the National Social Security Fund of Laos to increase social insurance participants, apply information technology, and build the single-window services model.

Last year also witnessed a new stride by the VSS in integrating further into the world. The agency’s activeness and proactiveness were clearly reflected through its reforms and achievements as recognised at meetings of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA). It received the chairmanship and successfully hosted the 35th ASSA Board Meeting with the participation of many foreign guests. Multilateral cooperation continued to develop with many important activities, such as sending representatives to the ISSA’s technical commission and general assembly.

Successfully organising 35th ASEAN Social Security Association Board Meeting (ASSA 35)

The 35th ASEAN Social Security Association Board Meeting (ASSA 35) was the sector’s most important external event in 2018, marking the Vietnam Social Security’s breakthrough in regional multilateral integration following the Government’s direction of shifting from “actively participating in integration” to “actively contributing, building and forming general rules”.

VSS received ISSA's award

The theme “Challenges and opportunities of ASEAN social security institutions in the Industry 4.0, and the free flow of labour” of ASSA 35, initiated by the VSS, conformed with the tendencies and situations of each country and region, and earned high praises from ASSA members. The meeting attracted the participation of more than 200 domestic and foreign delegates with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam delivering a speech, demonstrating the attention paid by the Government, the support by ministries and sectors, as well as the consensus of ASSA members. Member organisations’ election of the VSS as the rotating chairman of the ASSA in the 2018-2019 term, as well as their approval of the ASSA Joint Statement and Action Plan, contributed to increasing the efficiency of the association’s operations and deepening its cooperation activities in accordance with member organisations’ potential and strength, and affirming the roles and positions of the VSS and the ASSA in the global social security system.

The successful organisation of the ASSA 35 and many other international events in 2018 left a good impression on foreign friends and raised Vietnam’s position in social security integration.

Continuing to speed up external activities and international cooperation

The year 2018 wrapped up with many achievements and successes in external relations and international integration, creating an important foundation and premise for the years to come. This year, the sector’s external activities and international cooperation and integration will focus on several major contents as follows:

Firstly, the VSS will actively step up international integration in various fields following the Government’s Resolution No.125/NQ-CP dated October 8, 2018 on the promulgation of an action programme to carry out Resolution No.26-NQ/TW on reforming social insurance policies, while negotiating and signing agreements on the implementation of bilateral agreements on social insurance with other countries.

Secondly, the VSS will well assume its role as ASSA chairman in the 2018-2019 tenure by allocating general cooperation activities in accordance with the ASSA action plan approved by member organisations, combining cooperation activities of the ASSA with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and other international partners, and speeding up the formation of a network of social security experts in the region with the active role of the VSS.

Thirdly, the organisation will gain access to; attract; and use the assistance, experience, and technology of other social security partners in the region and the world by boosting and expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation, towards developing the social insurance sector in a modern, professional manner and better serving local populations.

Fourthly, the organisation will step up overseas training with a focus on professional training to improve the level of foreign language and working skills, and coordinate with international partners such as the International Labour Organisation and international training centres of regional countries in designing specialised training courses for officials at both central and local levels.

Finally, it will carry out dissemination activities for the 2018-2020 period in accordance with the plan approved, while implementing international assistance programmes and projects in each field and demand of those professional units, and donor response capacity./.