The handover ceremony of the chairmanship took place on September 19 in the central province of Khanh Hoa during the 35th ASEAN Social Security Association Board Meeting. 

Deputy Minister and VSS General Director Nguyen Thi Minh said taking the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Social Security Association is a privilege for Vietnam as this year marks the association’s 20th anniversary.

“Vietnam wants to work with ASEAN Social Security Association members to make the ASSA family bigger and stronger,” Minh said.

She called for effective cooperation among all ASSA members in the coming time to bring out the best of the association for sustainable social security for all ASEAN people.

Dao Viet Anh, VSS Deputy Director General was nominated as ASSA Secretary General.

Founded in 1998, ASSA’s members now comprise 19 social security institutions from ten ASEAN nations.

The association was formed to promote the development of social security in the region in consonance with the aspirations, laws and regulations of the member countries; promote regional cooperation in all areas of social security; and exchange experience and information on social security.

It works in cooperation with other social security institutions in the region and East Asia, and with similar or related organisations of social security in any part of the world; and cooperates in the protection, promotion and development of social security schemes through training, seminars, consultations and dialogues, among others.

This is the fifth time the VSS has chaired the ASSA Board Meeting. It first undertook the chairmanship during the 2002 – 2003 term and successfully organised the ASSA Board Meeting in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2010.-VNA