The 21st meeting of labor ministers from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened?in Hanoi?on Monday to focus on the theme of human resources for economic recovery and development.

Participants will discuss measures to enhance quality of human resources and are expected to adopt an action plan of the ASEAN labor ministers for the 2011-2015 period.

Delivering a speech at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the meeting would promote ASEAN labor cooperation and help reach the aims of sustainable jobs and social fairness initiated by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Dung said that the ministers would work actively to pass the action plan for the next five years which includes the development of human resources, promotion of sustainable jobs and social welfare, protection and enhancement of the rights of migrant workers.

The Vietnamese prime minister expressed his hope that delegates would come up with solutions to improve working conditions and life of laborers, reduce work-related accidents and diseases, and build harmonized labor relations in the bloc's member countries.

According to the meeting's agenda, ASEAN labor ministers will also review and assess the implementation of their action plan for the 2005-2010 period and decide the priorities for their activities in 2010.