9th September 2010
From Richard Hugman, Chair IFSW Ethics Commission:
“There have been important developments in Vietnam. Since the Government of Vietnam issued a Decision to establish professional social work in March this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs has just in the last couple of weeks now issued a Circular specifying the “professional code” (this is a Vietnamese government instrument that established the terms of a profession). Today and tomorrow (9 and 10 September) there is a large national meeting of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids & Social Affairs in Ha Long City, Quanh Ninh province, to present the new structure for professionalizing the government social, welfare services to their senior people, government officials and NGOs. My colleagues at UNICEF continue to have a major role in this (the responsible section there is led by one of the few Vietnamese nationals to have an MSW, in this case from Canada). We are all delighted that the work of the last six years, and our recommendations have been acted on so fully.”
”Much work still is to be done and I am waiting to hear after this meeting what the next steps will be. I and many others continue to be involved in various ways in supporting social work developments there. One of my UNICEF team colleagues, Ms. Le Hong Loan, MSW a lecturer from the University of Labour & Social Affairs, is now here at University of New South Wales in Sydney Australia, undertaking a PhD under my supervision. She tells me also that steps are under way to formalize an association, but that had to wait until the “professional code” was issued. The excitement continues!”
IFSW President, Gary Bailey, MSW, ACSW said:
“IFSW applauds the hard work that has gone into supporting these efforts, besides the work of Dr. Hugman, IFSW would also like to acknowledge the leadership provided by immediate past President David N. Jones, and John Ang, Vice President for Asia /Pacific Region IFSW, both of whom have been actively involved and whose efforts in part contributed to this very important outcome. Other colleagues from countries in membership of IFSW, including the Philippines, Korea, Canada, the UK, Singapore and the United States, are also playing important roles in the development of social work in Viet Nam. “