As the ASEAN's chair in 2020, Vietnam sees the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) as a decisive factor in the development of the bloc and a solid foundation to promote regional connectivity, the Vietnam News newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, taking over the coordinating role in the ASCC in 2020, will engage in 33 activities within ASEAN 2020, including 10 of ASCC, 15 in the labor sector, five in social welfare, two on women and one with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children.

The ASCC's coordinating conference in central city of Da Nang in April, and the 21st ASCC Council Meeting scheduled in Ho Chi Minh City in October will look to recommend two high-level announcements on human resources development and social works in ASEAN, the Vietnam News daily quoted Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung as saying.

Vietnam assumed the ASEAN's annual rotating chair on Jan 1 and has chosen "Cohesive and Responsive" as the theme for ASEAN 2020.