Vietnam - Japan: 50 Years of Fruitful Partnership in Labor and Social Security

The Vietnam's Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs ( MOLISA ), Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare together with the Embassy of Japan to Vietnam held the conference "50 years of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties: The journey of labor and social ties security cooperation" on August 25 in Hanoi in hybrid form.

At the event, there were Deputy Minister of MOLISA Le Van Thanh, Japan's Deputy Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Hanyuda Takashi, and Deputy Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam Watanabe Shige. The head of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Vietnam Ingrid Christensen also attended as a proud guest.

Labor cooperation goes from strength to strength

Vietnam first sent technical intern trainers to Japan in 1992 under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between MOLISA's Department of Overseas Labor (DOLAB) and Japan International Training Cooperation Organization JITCO.

On July 1, 2019, MOLISA, and Japan's Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare, and the National Police Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on specific skilled labor programs.

In September 2022, during the high-level visit of Minister of MOLISA Dao Ngoc Dung to Japan, Vietnam's delegate successfully consulted Japan to add 9 more professions in the Special Skilled Residence status type 2.

The delegates at the conference "50 years of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties: The journey of labor and social security cooperation" on August 25 in Hanoi (Photo: Nhung Nguyen).

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Le Van Thanh stressed that about 345,000 Vietnamese workers went to Japan over the period of 30 years. A hope 15 countries that send workers to Japan, Vietnam leads the way as the country with the most populated foreign trainees.

Also, Deputy Minister Le Van Thanh and Deputy Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan Hanyuda Takashi both agreed that the two Governments always have paid special attention to the Vietnam - Japan labor cooperation, which caused in many meaningful human resource exchange programs.

Speaker Pham Viet Huong, Deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labor, stated that Vietnamese trainees living and working in Japan made up half of the nation's foreign trainees. There are about 65,000 Vietnamese people working in Japan with technical worker, engineer, and interpreter visas.

The good results show that there is a significant impact from the process of sending Vietnamese trainees to Japan, such as the effective implementation of specific skilled labor programs or programs within the framework of the Vietnam-Japan Economic Cooperation Agreement (VJEPA).

Both sides are actively working to meet the needs of the workers and those of the recruiters. Huong believes that strengthening cooperation with Japanese authorities for better outcomes must be done by raising the workers' awareness of legal regulations, conducting inspections, and seriously handling workers and enterprises that violate regulations and commitments... Also, Vietnam's Department of Overseas Labor is actively contributing ideas in the process of redesigning the technical training program policy in Japan.

Long-term cooperation based on a firm foundation

First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam Ishii Chikahisa (left) and Director of the Department of International Cooperation (MOLISA) Luu Quang Tuan co-chaired the conference discussion (Photo: Nhung Nguyen).

At the conference, delegates from the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam (JICA Vietnam), Vietnam - Japan Human Resource Corporation Center (VJCC) the Vietnam's Social Insurance Department reported the implementation process and results achieved through cooperation programs such as the Hotline 111 Program against trafficking in person for 2012-2016 and 2018-2022 and leadership training courses using Japanese-styled Keieijuku model.

Representatives from leading Japanese corporations in Vietnam such as Acecook and Daikin also shared about social welfare strategies and professional training execution at the conference. Their works are considered examples of Vietnam-Japan cooperation to ensure a legal, civilized, and favorable working environment, for the common development goal set by the two countries.

In his closing remarks, the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam Ishii Chikahisa claimed that the conference successfully summarized the journey of more than 30 years of effective cooperation between the two countries in the fields of labor, employment, and social security. Vietnam and Japan achieved great progress in developing high-quality human resources in Vietnam. Based on the firm foundation of long-term bilateral relations as well as the traditional friendship between the two peoples, both sides are determined to continue the practical and close cooperation in the coming time.

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