13th ASEAN - OSHNET Conference opens in Da Nang
DNO - The 13th edition of the ASEAN - OSHNET Conference (AOC-13) officially opened in Da Nang on Tuesday under the theme “Advancing Digital Transformation in Occupational Safety and Health Management in ASEAN Towards the ASEAN 2045 Vision”.
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Hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs, the event marks the country's assumption of the ASEAN - OSHNET Chairmanship for the 2026 - 2027 term and kicks off a series of regional activities running through July 9.
It brings together 120 delegates from the 11 ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Plus Three partners, international organizations, and representatives of many regional enterprises.
In his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy stated that ASEAN is now home to over 350 million workers and is one of the world’s most dynamic hubs for production, services, and innovation.
However, alongside rapid economic growth, the region continues to face significant occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges.
Included are persistently high rates of workplace accidents and occupational diseases, limited accident insurance coverage for informal and platform workers, the emergence of new occupational diseases, economic restructuring and an aging workforce.
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Deputy Minister Cao Huy emphasized that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is reshaping the world of work.
Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, the Internet of Things, and digital platforms are opening up unprecedented opportunities to predict, prevent, and promptly address occupational safety risks, he noted.
He added that Vietnam is developing a national occupational safety and health database and an online workplace accident reporting portal.
The country is also reviewing amendments to the Law on Occupational Safety and Health and improving the Occupational Accident and Disease Insurance Fund to expand coverage and increase investment in preventive measures.
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Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Tran Anh Tuan said Da Nang is a major economic, tourism and service center in central Vietnam and one of the three Vietnamese cities that joined the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) when it was established.
As a destination for many large foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, Da Nang regards occupational safety and health as a cornerstone of sustainable development, stressing that a smart city must first and foremost be a safe city.
AOC-13 focuses discussions on four key priorities: developing a common ASEAN policy framework for digital applications in occupational safety and health in line with international standards on AI ethics and data protection; promoting the sharing of best practices among member states, particularly in the use of big data, AI and tripartite digital platforms for workplace safety governance; ensuring an inclusive digital transformation that leaves no informal workers, platform workers or small and medium-sized enterprises behind; and formulating recommendations for the ASEAN Labor Ministers’ Meeting to implement commitments under the ASEAN - OSHNET Action Plan for 2026 - 2030.
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Hosting the conference demonstrates Vietnam’s strong commitment and proactive role in ASEAN’s sectoral cooperation mechanisms.
The event also provides an opportunity for the country to share its experience in digital transformation in the labor sector while promoting image of Vietnam and Da Nang to partners in the region.