HANOI - The 7th ASEAN Governments and Non-Government Organizations Forum on Social Welfare and Development (GO NGO 7) was open in Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Wednesday, with participation of representatives from ASEAN member countries, ASEAN Secretariat, the international social welfare council, and United Nations relevant agencies.

Participants to the forum, held in the framework of the ASEAN Senior Officials' 8th Meeting on Social Welfares and Development (SOMSWD 8), shared experience in the field and suggested solutions to appropriate mechanism for governments and NGOs in building and evaluating policies and programs on social welfare. Outcomes of the forum will be reviewed at SOMSWD 8 activities which will take place in the following days.

The forum shared the same theme with the SOMSWD 8, "Promoting social welfare and security for the disadvantaged people", aimed at boosting efforts by ASEAN and the world as well in work for social welfare and development.

Participants also exchanged viewpoint of the social security base, typical programs and initiatives carried out by the member countries in improving social welfare, and the people's access to social services in their respective country, under the goal of building a united ASEAN bloc, which takes humans as the core of development.