Cambodia hosts 3rd ASEAN Human Resource Conference

Members of the Cambodian prime minister's bodyguard unit stand in front of the Peace Building in Phnom Penh on March 28, 2012 consisting of the Cambodian leader's office. Cambodia has prepared thousands of police officials, military police and bodyguards for the upcoming 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (ASEAN). AFP PHOTO/ TANG CHHIN SOTHY (Photo credit should read TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/Getty Images) 2012 AFP

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The 3rd ASEAN Human Resource Conference kicked off here on Wednesday, focusing on skills development towards a greater mobility of skilled labor in ASEAN.

The one-day forum was organized by Cambodia's Labor Ministry and attended by senior labor officials from ASEAN member states, national and international organizations and development partners.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodia's Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam On said the conference would focus on strengthening human resources development within ASEAN countries in order to address the qualitative needs of the labor market.

It would also discuss how to manage and harmonize skilled labor mobility within the member states.

"The conference would provide a very good opportunity to the ASEAN member states and the development partners to share their valuable experiences in both skills development and in the labor market information system," she said.

"It would give participants a better understanding about skills development and skilled labor mobility to improve regional cooperation and sustainable development and to narrow the development gaps among the countries in the region," she added.

The free flows of labor forces among ASEAN member states will be begun in 2015 when the ASEAN becomes a community.

Peter Brimble, deputy country director of the Asian Development Bank, said human resource development is a primary element of the future prosperity of ASEAN.

"The conference is timely as it is only three years away for ASEAN to achieve the 2015 target for the realization of a community, and the region and its labor markets are at a critical juncture," he said.

In education sector, key regional challenges remain to improve the quality of education in general, and skills development training in particular, he said, adding that the harmonization of skills standards is required to support increased and improved labor mobility.

In addition, he said, the mutual recognition of qualification and competency standards, especially in the area of technical and vocational education and training, would facilitate and support greater mobility of skilled labor in ASEAN.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.