ASEM stands for Asia Europe Meeting, a biennial forum of heads of government from Europe and Asia. Alongside the biennial top, a ministerial ASEM is also held. This time this ASEM Employment and Social Affairs Ministers Conference was held in Leiden from 12 to 14 December 2010. Henk Kamp and his fellow ministers of Social Affairs and Employment from the EU and Asia met at the three-day conference. They discussed a number of issues including collaboration with social partners, youth employment, safety at work and the economic and financial crisis.

On Friday 10 December students from Europe and Asia who are studying in Leiden attended an ASEM Youth Model Day. This youth conference was organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and the IIAS, the International Institute for Asian Studies.

The students were addressed by Rector Magnificus and President of the Board of the University Paul van der Heijden, whose field of international employment law means he is active in the ILO, the International Labour Organization of the VN. He highlighted the impact of youth unemployment on, among others, poverty and international crime. Van der Heijden called on the students to let the policymakers and ministers know where there are blind spots in their policy plans for youth employment.