The 35^th ASSA Board Meeting marks a milestone in Vietnam’s social security.  This is an opportunity for Vietnam's social security sector to promote image, integration, and international cooperation while affirming the position of Vietnam in its activities in ASEAN region.

At this year’s meeting, Vietnam took over the rotating ASSA chairmanship in the 2018-2019 term on the occasion of the association’s 20th founding anniversary (1998-2018). 

This not only contributes to improving the image of Vietnam and the Vietnam Social Security but also helps the VSS integrate into international social security community under the motto of multilateralisation and diversification of international relations.

Suradej Waleeittikul, Secretary General of Thailand Social Security Office and Chairman of ASSA for the 2017-2018 said he believes that the VSS will be successful in its role in the next term.

“It is shown in VSS’ preparation for the Chairmanship over the past year and two-working days of ASSA board meeting,” according to the former ASSA Chairman.

VSS initiatives proposed at the meeting received support from the board members, he said, adding that this is important as ASSA works on the basis of cooperation and unanimity between members.

A representative from the Malaysian delegation said VSS organized “an excellent, well organized meeting, in line with 20^th anniversary of ASSA.”

“The delegates are happy for the hospitality, the venue arrangement, the topics discussed at the meeting,” he said.

Following VSS’s initiative which receives the unanimity of the Secretariat and ASSA’s members, ASSA adopted the meeting’s joint statement, expressing the association’s viewpoints, common perception and unanimity on the objective and orientation of social security cooperation in the region in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 which was signed at the 27^th ASEA Summit in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 2015.

To the VSS, the document contributes to improving the position and image of the country and Vietnam’s social security sector following the policy of new international integration, changing from “active participation” to “active integration, proposing cooperation initiatives,” being a friend, and a reliable and responsible partner of the social security community in the region and the world.

At the meeting of the ASSA Secretariat as part of the ASSA 35, VSS Deputy Director General Dao Viet Anh, who is dubbed as ASSA Secretary General in the 2018-2019 term, proposed the building of an action plan for the new term.

The plan will focus on strengthening internal and external activities through organizing seminars, training programmes and collaborating with other international organizations, such as the International Social Security Association or World Bank.

The Vietnamese side also proposed the building of an inter-ASSA database as well as compiling publications on ASSA’s 20 years of development.

All the VSS proposals were agreed, supported and highly appreciated by ASSA members. 

The VSS joined the ASSA as an observer since the association’s inception on September 12, 1998.

Later the year, the VSS became the member of the association at the second ASSA board meeting in Malaysia.

Since joining the ASSA, the VSS has always made efforts and actively taken part in the building and development of the association following its common criteria and principles, according to Nguyen Thi Minh, VSS General Director.

“The VSS has proposed initiatives, shared experience within the association cooperation framework and made efforts to become a friend and reliable and responsible partner of the social security community in the region and the world at large,” Minh, who is ASSA Chairman in the 2018-2019 term stressed.

Over the past 20 years since joining ASSA, VSS has always actively and positively participated in all the association’s activities, making contribution to building ASEAN Community’s socio-cultural pillar./.