Seminar on the Draft Convention on preventing violence, harassment at workplace

Recently, in Hanoi, MOLISA in coordination with CARE International in Vietnam held the seminar on the Draft Convention of ILO on preventing violence, harassment at workplace. Attending the seminar were member of the tripartide delegations of Vietnam who participate in the 107th International Labour Conference; representatives from the ministries, sectors and the units under MOLISA; ILO Vietnam. and the representative from localities and the domestic and foreign organization in the field of labour.

Vietnam is committed to actively joining the international efforts on ending violence and harassment at workplace, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director General of the International Cooperation under the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs has said.

In the opening speech, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs said that the seminar was the chance to update the context and progress of building the Convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on “Ending violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work”.

The event presents opportunities for stakeholders to discuss and update the progress of making the Convention as well as to evaluate Vietnam’s possibility to join the Convention. The event saw the participation of delegation to attend the upcoming ILO’s 107th session, officials from ministries, sectors, localities, and representatives from relevant domestic and international organisations.

 Mrs. Le Kim Dung, Director of CARE International in Vietnam attached significance to ensuring safety at workplace, saying that it contributes to enhancing economic efficiency in general, the welfare for employees in particular. Mrs. Le Kim Dung expressed that Vietnam will make significant contribution to the process of making the Convention as well as completing the nation’s legal framework in order to end violation and harassment in the world of work.. For her part, Andrea Prince, ILO expert on labour law said that the Convention would be the important step to stop violence and harassment at the world of work. “There is no internationally-agreed definition of violence and harassment, nor international guidance on how to address it”, the ILO expert said. “This is why we need new standards on violence and harassment in the world of work,” Andrea reiterated.

The Convention will come up with key definitions, concepts and disciplines, while recommending ways to obey the disciplines and monitor and support affected people. On the occasion, participants review the progresses and challenges in Vietnam’s legal system related to preventing violence and harassment at workplace as well as the role of the Convention amid Vietnam’s membership to regional free trade agreements. They also discussed potential impacts of the Convention to Vietnam.

Accordingly, in June 2018, Vietnam will send a delegation of Governmental officials, employers and employees to the 107th annual Session hosted by ILO in Sweden’s Geneva to join the second-round discussion for the draft Convention. At this Session, the delegation will participate the 2 round of the discussion on the draft of this Convention.