ACCSM 21: Forum discusses good governance amid international integration

A forum on good governance serving international integration took place in Hanoi on August 4 as part of the 21st ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM 21).

The event gathered nearly 100 participants including officials of ASEAN member states and delegates from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Australia.

In her opening speech, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra, who chaired the event, said that given recent significant, unpredictable changes and challenges, the ministry chose the topic of the forum as innovation in training and capacity improvement targeting civil servants meeting requirements of international integration.

The forum is an opportunity for countries to listen to, share with, and learn from one another toward narrowing the gap and encouraging cooperation within ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and partner countries of the bloc to ensure the adoption of effective governance principles, she noted.

Pham Minh Hung, head of the ministry’s administrative reform department, said Vietnam has set a target to have 50-60% of officials holding managerial positions in central agencies and departments and 80% of state-owned enterprise leaders be able to work in an international environment by 2030.

Vietnam has implemented solutions to improve the quality of its personnel, with training considered a regular and continuous task, the official underscored.

According to Hung, since 2021, training of civil service workers has been held following suitable standards of each job as well as trainees’ leadership and management titles. Vietnam has regularly sent delegations for study, research and experience exchange abroad, especially in countries with a high level of development. More than 39,000 Vietnamese personnel were sent overseas for training between 2016 and 2020.

At the forum, international delegates shared information and experiences regarding solutions to building and ensuring personnel capacity, and the building of related strategies and policies towards developing a modern, professional and adaptive ASEAN civil service.