Ms. Greve has promoted the work created by ILO and Vietnam in different areas, such as labour co-operation, jobs for young people and labour relations. She has been known for her success in supporting Vietnam to organize a job fair in Da Nang and the labour hygiene and safety week, which have become models for launching similar activities later. ILO’s programmes in Vietnam include microfinance, child labour elimination, safety at the work place and improving the effectiveness and working conditions at enterprises. Ms. Greve states: “All work between ILO and the Vietnamese partners, including the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, goes smoothly. Although facing many difficulties, the projects have run well and reached international standards, contributing to ILO’s success in recent years”. In the global integration trend, Vietnam has been constantly developing, with numerous industrial parks established and many improvements in the labour relations have been realized. A lot of strikes happened and ILO worked out labour agreement projects which have been implemented in cities and provinces where many industrial parks are based, producing good results. Programmes on improving the working conditions for the labourers have also been implemented. Vietnam has a rather high ratio of children and a great wave of people migrating from rural areas to urban areas. The problem is how to make this labour force meet the employers’ requirements. Ms. Greve and ILO have collaborated with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs to tackle three problems including vocational training, skill improvement and assessment of the labourers’ skills (helping Vietnam in the issue of labour export and helping the investors to have specific knowledge to invest in Vietnam ). Due attention has been paid to other issues, such as social protection, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, assistance for disabled people, policy-support consultancy, amendment to the Labour Law and insurance for unemployed people. Rose Marie Greve acknowledges: “We always strive for Vietnam , trying to Vietnamize ILO’s programmes to turn them into Vietnamese programmes and ensure their sustainability in the future. Vietnam is a dynamic and successful country with rapid changes. It has great potential partly due to the Government’s policy considering people as a key factor. Creating sustainable jobs, increasing the job quantity and quality and enhancing the ability to access these jobs can help realize the human development policy in the labour area. ILO and its partners have pledged to implement the co-operation framework on sustainable job promotion with an aim to support the development strategies and policies to promote Vietnam ’s shift to the market economy and enhance the Government’s efforts to ensure a close connection between economic development and social progress”. For her contributions to the social activities in Vietnam , Rose Marie Greve has been awarded the medals “For the Cause of Women’s Emancipation”, “For the Cause of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs”, “For Young Generation” and “For the Cause of Building Vietnamese Trade Unions”.
Ms. Greve felt comfortable when arriving in Vietnam . For her, Hanoi is a wonderful city in landscapes and people. She recalled: “Once while I was walking across the street and confused because of the heavy traffic, an old woman who had passed half of her way returned and helped me. I was really impressed by her action”. Rose Marie Greve has a simple wish, i.e., to have an opportunity to tour around Vietnam when she retires.
