KEYNOTES SPEECH BY ASSA CHAIRWOMAN DR. NGUYEN THI MINH

VICE MINISTER, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF VIET NAM SOCIAL SECURITY

Tuesday, 17 September 2019, Brunei Darussalam

    Your Honorable Dato Aminuddin, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei,

    Madame Puan Chairani Haji Sulaiman, Acting Managing Director of the Employee Trust Fund of Brunei

    Board members of ASEAN Social Security Association

    Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

    Salaam alaikum!

On behalf of the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) and Viet Nam Social Security, ASSA Chairmanship for the 2018 – 2019 term, I would like to  extend a very warm welcome to ASSA Board members, distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen to the 36^th ASSA Board Meeting here in Brunei  Darussalam, a country that is beautiful, hospitable, a country that truly is an “Abode of Peace” like its name Brunei Darussalam. May peace, stability,  development and prosperity reach all people and nations in our beloved ASEAN Community.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One year has passed since the 35^th ASSA Board Meeting - Viet Nam in 2018, we are proud to have joined hands to actively realize the adopted Action Plan to put into practice the signed Joint Statement with practical activities including: forming an ASSA network of social security experts; updating the database of ASSA member institutions; conducting Study on expansion of social security coverage for informal workers within ASEAN; drafting and publishing the “ASSA 20 years together” publication. The recent Workshop on Good Governance for Better Social Security Services have brought the modern expertise and governance experience in management of social security from the International Social Security Association (ISSA) closer to the regional social security network through new approaches and suitable governance models that are responsive and adaptive to the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era. This in turn will contribute to improve quality of social security services for people within the region. This has been a manifestation of the close linkage and cooperation between ASSA and ISSA through the bridge of VSS - ASSA Chairmanship, an active and responsible ISSA member towards an international social security system that is modern, comprehensively sustainable, reliable, transparent and efficient.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Viet Nam joined ASEAN in 1995 right here in this beautiful land during Brunei's ASEAN Chairmanship. For nearly a quarter of a decade, Viet Nam has always strived to work with countries in the region to develop an ASEAN Community of resilience, innovation and prosperity. We will always ready to be a friend, reliable partner, responsible member in the regional and international communities. Recently, Viet Nam officially received the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Chairmanship and actively prepares for ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020. In the exciting atmospheres, with the remarkable results of ASSA in the past year, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the precious and effective support of ASSA member institutions, international partners. You've always been beside and helped Viet Nam Social Security successfully fulfill our ASSA Chairmanship.

  I wish to call on our member institutions' continued close cooperation, strong support for the ASSA Chairmanship for 2019-2020 keeping in mind our strong effort and joint-determination towards building an ASEANS Social Security Community of consensus, development, for the interest of our people, for stability, and prosperity in the region.

  In that spirit, I wish the 36^th ASSA Board Meeting under the theme “ICT: Empowering innovative social security” every success.

  Allow me to wish everyone health, happiness and success.

  Thank you very much!