APEC: Giving Priority to Development of High-quality Human Resources

APEC Human Resources Development Ministers got together discussing the development of human resources in the 6th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum themed "Promoting quality employment and strengthening people-to-people connectivity through human resources development " recently hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam (MPI). The main content of the Ministerial meeting is to find ways to strengthen APEC cooperation of the member countries in terms of human resource development. In the past five meetings, Ministers had initiatives and projects on human resource development, bringing practical results, which will serve as an important prerequisite to human resources in the future.

 

The meeting in Hanoi this time once again offered the opportunity to realise the joint statement by the APEC leaders. At this meeting, the delegates from APEC member countries actively expressed their candid views and exchanged topics. Although each country has many regional differences in the working environment and levels of employment, APEC economies must consider the task of human resource development as primary concern to have healthy competition and keep the growth pace. In addition, in terms of regional and even global issues related to employment, it needs the collaboration of the APEC members to solve. On the basis of unity of direction and views, the meeting issued the Joint Declaration and the Action Plan for the period 2015-2018. Accordingly, the APEC economies will rely on the content to implement cooperation activities in the field of human resource development in the future. The Joint Declaration of the 6th APEC ministerial meeting on development of human resources had content namely supporting inclusive and sustainable growth to address the social consequences of globalization, including equality issues and the needs of vulnerable groups such as youth and the disabled; enhancing the quality of human resources to meet the needs of the supply chain; facilitating labour mobility and skills development and strengthening women's participation in the economy, said MPI Minister Bui Quang Vinh.

 

Addressing this important conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the Asia - Pacific region is regarded as the world’s most dynamic economic region with locomotives which are 21 APEC member economies. Over 25 years of development, APEC region has really become an economic forum representing 40 percent of the population, contributing 54 percent to the global GDP. Cooperation between the member economies is increasing, bringing more opportunities and benefits for the development of every economy of the region and the globe. Besides, Prime Minister Dung said that human resources have been an important leverage to maintain the stability and growth of the region in the recent years. Specifically, the programmes, projects and initiatives launched by APEC created many new jobs for the young and met the requirements of the international supply chain and enhanced the competitive advantage of the APEC economies.

 

However, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also stressed that the current world economy still faces many difficulties, so many issues are set for each APEC member such as: The slow recovery, lack of steady high unemployment rate; imbalance in supply and demand of skilled labour; social instability and other risks. This is not a private matter of each country but has become something of a national, regional and global concern. Determination and efforts of each economy is extremely essential, but not sufficient. With its important role and position, APEC should further strengthen the cooperation and share experience especially in developing human resources, encouraging dynamism, creativity and people-to-people connectivity and consider them important measures to restructure, restore economic growth, ensure social security, social welfare and human development.

 

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam is in the period of "golden population" and this is an important opportunity for Vietnam to have breakthrough and push efforts to improve the competitiveness of national human resources, thereby contributing to the development, efficient and deeper integration into the regional and international mechanism of cooperation and integration, especially the Agreement on the Trans-Pacific partnership (TPP) and the free Trade Agreements with the requirements and high standards of human resources in the world. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung believes that, with the success of the 6th APEC Ministerial meeting on the development of human resources hosted by Vietnam is not only the important event of APEC but also contributes to the empowerment of Vietnam in the international arena, further tightening linkages, effective cooperation towards an united, even developed, equal and sustainable Asia – Pacific.