Speaking at the first ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW1)held in Vientiane, Laos on October 19, Vietnam’s Minister of Labour, WarInvalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen stressed the need tostrengthen cooperation between ASEAN countries and dialogue partners andUN organisations to further the role of women in building a sustainableenvironment, thus contributing to the sustainable development of eachcountry, the region and the entire world.
Themeeting, themed “Strengthening gender perspectives and partnership amongASEAN women for sustainable environment”, focused on assessing theimplementation of the ASEAN Committee on Women’s 2011-2015 projects andplans to promote gender equality, women’s rights and social equality forregional women.
It also affirmed a commitment topush for the inclusion of gender issues in the building of the ASEANSocio-Culture Community in the 2009-2015 period.
The meeting issued a Vientiane Statement pledging to improve women’sknowledge and skills in environmental conservation and adaptation toclimate change and natural disasters as well as to enhance their role inbuilding, implementing, supervising and assessing national, regionaland international programmes on environment.-VNA