Vietnam has demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Ms. Lesley Miller - Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam - assessed that Vietnam has demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as one of the first countries to ratify this convention, and Vietnam has seriously and fully implemented the reports to the United Nations National Committee.

Recently, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs held a conference to review and evaluate the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decisions on children. The conference was coordinated with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Ms. Lesley Miller, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam, Mr. Dang Hoa Nam, Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and more than 160 delegates from ministries, sectors, socio -political organizations, social organizations, associations, experts and representatives of 43 provinces and cities attended the conference.

[caption id="attachment_596569" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Conference scene. Photo: molisa.gov.vn[/caption]

Multiple child-friendly support models

Reporting on the 3-year review of the implementation of the National Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Violence and Child Abuse for the 2020-2025 period, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa - Head of the Child Protection Department, Department of Children, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs said that from 2020 to the end of September 2023, the whole country discovered 7,483 cases, 8,788 subjects, abusing 7,883 children, of which the number of child sexual abuse cases accounted for over 80%.

After 3 years of implementation, the implementation of the National Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Violence against Children 2020-2025 has achieved important goals.

Specifically, over 50% of children/students are instructed and educated on knowledge, life skills and self-protection skills against acts of violence and sexual abuse with age-appropriate content; about 75% of staff working in child protection at all levels, collaborators and volunteers are enhanced in child protection capacity; 100% of education management agencies and educational institutions organize communication to raise awareness, capacity, professional ethics and responsibility for preventing school violence and child sexual abuse; 75% of commune and district-level health facilities are enhanced in their medical capacity to provide health care services for children; about 40% of police officers working in investigating cases of violence and sexual abuse of children are enhanced in their capacity to conduct child-friendly investigations; 60% of provinces and cities have established child-friendly investigation departments.

According to the report, there are currently 17 provinces and cities that have developed and issued regulations and procedures for coordination in supporting, intervening, and resolving cases of child abuse: Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long, Binh Duong, Hoa Binh, Da Nang, Binh Thuan, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, An Giang, Dien Bien, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, Ca Mau, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Nghe An.

In addition, innovative, creative and typical child protection service models have also been implemented in many provinces and cities such as: One-stop model to support women and children who are victims of violence in Ho Chi Minh City; Sunshine House model in the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang.

From 2020 to present, the Ministry of Public Security has deployed the construction of 39 models of "Child-friendly Investigation Departments and Juvenile Law Violators" in 38 units and localities to serve the verification and investigation process of cases related to people under 18 years old.

In particular, in addition to the Friendly Investigation Department model that the Ministry of Public Security has supported, some local police have proactively implemented the model at the district level. As of the first quarter of 2023, there have been over 1,200 uses of the Friendly Investigation Department model in the process of handling cases related to people under 18 years old. In addition, inter-sectoral coordination in child protection and prevention of child abuse has received attention and direction from ministries, branches and localities.

[caption id="attachment_596571" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ms. Lesley Miller speaks at the conference. Photo: Molisa[/caption]

UNICEF appreciates the long-term commitment of the Government of Vietnam to promoting and protecting children's rights.

Speaking at the conference, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Vietnam Lesley Miller highly appreciated the Vietnamese Government's long-term commitment to promoting and protecting children's rights. She said that the Prime Minister's Decisions on national action plans demonstrate this strong commitment.

Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitment to implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as one of the first countries to ratify the convention, and Vietnam has fully and seriously implemented reports to the United Nations National Committee.

At the conference, nearly 30 presentations and reports were presented and discussed on the results achieved after the implementation of the following Decisions: Decision No. 1437/QD-TTg approving the Project on care for the comprehensive development of children in the early years of life at home and in the community for the period 2018 - 2025; Decision No. 1438/QD-TTg approving the Project on supporting children with disabilities to access protection, care and education services in the community for the period 2018 - 2025; Decision No. 1863/QD-TTg approving the National Action Plan on preventing and combating violence and child abuse for the period 2020 - 2025; Decision No. 588/QD-TTg approving the Project on Mobilizing social resources to support children in extremely disadvantaged communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2019-2025; Decision No. 55a/2013/QD-TTg on policy to support heart surgery for children with congenital heart disease.

Many recommendations and solutions to achieve the goals, results and effectiveness of projects, plans and programs on children by 2025 and 2030 were also proposed by delegates.

Based on the opinions of experts, ministries, central agencies, leaders and representatives of nearly 50 localities participating in the conference, the Department of Children will collect information, data, synthesize reports of units to complete the quality report, re-evaluate the implementation results of 5 Decisions of the Prime Minister and submit to competent authorities and share with localities as a basis for continuing to perform well the assigned tasks.

5 Decisions of the Prime Minister on child care and protection:

Decision No. 1437/QD-TTg approving the Project on care for comprehensive development of children in the first years of life in the family and community for the period 2018 - 2025

Decision No. 1438/QD-TTg approving the Project to support children with disabilities in accessing protection, care and education services in the community for the period 2018 - 2025

Decision No. 1863/QD-TTg approving the National Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Violence and Child Abuse for the 2020-2025 period

Decision No. 588/QD-TTg approving the Project on Mobilizing Social Resources to Support Children in Extremely Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2019-2025 Period

Decision No. 55a/2013/QD-TTg on policy to support heart surgery for children with congenital heart disease.

Hai Anh