HCM CITY — The implementation of Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) is a great stride by Việt Nam in international co-operation in migration, said Tô Anh Dũng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"It demonstrates the country’s commitment to and sense of responsibility in maintaining a transparent and safe migration environment for sustainable development," he said.

The Deputy Minister was speaking at a conference in HCM City on Friday about implementing the GCM jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Việt Nam adopted the GCM in December 2018. An implementation plan was approved by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in March this year which focuses on promoting communications, collecting information and data on international migration, perfecting policies and laws, studying migration policies, and boosting international cooperation.

The plan has set inclusive and comprehensive solutions to current international migration issues, with gender and sustainable development matters taken into account, Dũng said.

Park Mi-hyung, Chief of Mission at IOM Vietnam, said Việt Nam has made remarkable progress in carrying out the GCM by introducing principles to protect migrants in accordance with the compact.

The issuance of the plan reflects the country’s strong commitment to promote common perceptions and sharing responsibility for migration, she said.

According to Park, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected global migration, and migrants are the ones who suffering the most.

In this context, migration management in the post-COVID-19 pandemic was a common challenge for every nation, requiring closer cooperation in bilateral, regional and international relations.

She said the GCM is an effective measure when it comes to providing a cooperative framework for legal, safe and orderly migration, helping countries manage post-pandemic migration activities and minimise the impact of COVID-19.

The conference aimed to evaluate the migration of Vietnamese citizens abroad, especially from the Central-Central Highlands and the South. It also reviewed the implementation of the GCM to remove bottlenecks, proposed solutions to emerging problems, contributing to overcoming the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration.

It offered an opportunity for delegates to exchange experience and help formulate policies to protect the rights and interests of migrants while enhancing coordination in managing migration at different levels, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Ngô Minh Châu, vice chairman of HCM City People’s Committee said Vietnamese workers in general, workers in HCM City in particular have contributed to the development of other countries and regions through different forms of migration for many years.

He hoped that, through the conference, agencies in the city would be updated with latest information to ensure benefit for both migrants and receiving localities.

Initiating a legal, safe and orderly migration process would maximise the capacity of Vietnamese people in many parts of the world while legal, foreign immigrants would consider HCM City and Việt Nam as their second home as well, Châu said. — VNS