Inter-sectoral cooperation to prevent and reduce child labor

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The head of the Department of Children affirmed that the network for preventing, detecting, supporting, and intervening in cases of child labor in violation of the law and children at risk of becoming child laborers has been implemented.

Reduce the rate of child labor.

The decision approving the Program for the Prevention and Reduction of Child Labor in Violations of the Law for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030, sets the goal of preventing, detecting, supporting, and intervening in cases of child labor in violation of the law and children at risk of becoming child laborers.

Accordingly, the goal is to reduce the rate of child labor and labor among minors aged 5 to 17 to 4.9%.

100% of children at risk, child laborers, and children trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation receive timely support and intervention, and are managed and monitored upon notification; over 90% of children at risk and child laborers have access to general education and appropriate vocational training.

Better protection and care for children (Illustrative image: Son Nguyen).

In communication efforts regarding the prevention and reduction of child labor, the goal is to ensure that 90% of staff and teachers in educational institutions and childcare facilities, and 70% of parents and caregivers, are provided with information and knowledge about preventing and reducing child labor.

In addition, 70% of children received information and knowledge about preventing and reducing child labor.

90% of businesses, cooperatives, and households, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, and households in craft villages, have been provided with information and knowledge on preventing and reducing child labor.

By 2030, the goal is to reduce the rate of child and adolescent labor (ages 5-17) to 4.5%; and to minimize the proportion of child and adolescent laborers engaged in strenuous, hazardous, or dangerous work among all child and adolescent laborers.

Immediately after the Decision was issued, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs issued a document guiding ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the Program; and providing guidance on identifying children and minors working illegally.

In addition, 50 out of 63 provinces and centrally-administered cities, and 8 ministries and sectors have developed plans to implement the Program, and 13 localities have integrated the implementation plan of the Decision into their action plan for children in their respective areas.

The rate of child labor is lower than the regional average.

Over the past three decades, Vietnam has made significant progress in poverty reduction, resulting in a child labor rate that is 2% lower than the Asia- Pacific average.

Vietnam's efforts to reduce child labor have been recognized by the international community.

The Vietnamese government has signed and ratified numerous international conventions on children's rights and the prevention of child labor, such as ILO Conventions 138 and 182. The 2016 Law on Children clearly stipulates the rights of children, including the right to protection from child labor and other forms of exploitation.

The law also proposes strict penalties for violations of children's rights.

The 2019 Labor Code completely prohibits the employment of children under 15 years of age, except for certain light work that does not affect their health and education; for children aged 15 to 18, the law also has strict regulations regarding working hours, types of work, and working conditions.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Children (Photo: Tong Giap).

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in recent times, many solutions and forms of communication, education, and social mobilization have been continuously innovated and expanded to address the awareness of families, parents, and children themselves regarding education, employment, and sustainable poverty reduction.

Communication campaigns are launched at both the central and local levels; communities, families, children, and minors are continuously updated with information through various forms such as: newspapers and mass media, social networks, clubs, and community-based communication groups.

Ms. Nga believes that the awareness, capacity, and responsibility of all levels of government, schools, social organizations, employers, especially parents and children, have significantly improved, contributing positively to the reduction in child participation in economic activities, child labor, and particularly child labor.

In particular, the legal system for preventing and reducing child labor in violation of the law has been perfected and is in line with international conventions that Vietnam has ratified.

To date, the process and network for preventing, detecting, supporting, and intervening in the illegal labor of children and children at risk of becoming child laborers, linked to the child protection system, have been implemented.

There is only one year left to complete the 8.7 initiative, which aims to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 8 and move towards eliminating child labor in all its forms by 2025, with Vietnam being one of the 15 pioneering countries in the Asian region.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Children believes that achieving this requires continuous and long-term efforts from many sides, including the Government, ministries, departments, the community, families, and the children themselves.

"Only through close cooperation and strong commitment can Vietnam achieve its goal of protecting children and ensuring a bright future for the younger generation," Ms. Nga emphasized.

Because children have the right to be protected from labor exploitation, from working before the legal age, for excessive hours, or from performing strenuous or hazardous work as stipulated by law.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/an-sinh/lien-nganh-chung-tay-phong-ngua-giam-thieu-tre-em-lao-dong-trai-quy-dinh-20241219114032021.htm