The workshop, as part of the European Union (EU)-funded programme on Improving Synergies Between Social Protection and Public Finance Management (SP&PFM Programme) is being held in Hanoi. The four-day event brings together more than 40 participants, including representatives from ministries of labour and of finance, workers’ and employers’ organizations from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam.

In his opening remarks, Mr Nguyen Van Hoi, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said, “The training course is held in the context of global efforts to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic and the role of social security policies were highly appreciated.” He added, “Recovery will only be sustainable and impacts from future crises will be minimized if countries move towards comprehensive, inclusive, sustainable and shock-responsive social security systems.”

Ms Kristina Buende, Head of Cooperation Department, EU Delegation to Viet Nam shared that the EU-funded SP&PFM program was developed and implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has revealed many shortcomings in the social protection system of several countries. Implemented since 2020, the program has been supporting many countries, including Viet Nam, to strengthen the social security system and link it with the public financial management system to achieve universal coverage.

The training, organized in partnership with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), intends to foster dialogue and exchange by bringing together officials responsible for public finance management (PFM) rules and those dealing with social protection policies from different countries, with the aim of overcoming potential bottlenecks in PFM systems and improving the utilization of social protection resources at both national and regional levels./.