Ta Van Ha, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for Culture and Education, made the remarks at a seminar on the comprehensive development of children under six years old, which was held in Hanoi on August 18.
The event was jointly organised by the NA’s Committee for Culture and Education and theUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Ha said that Vietnam's legal system and policies are improving, providing conditions for children to develop comprehensively in terms of morality, intelligence, physique and aesthetics.
The NA passed the Law on Children and promulgated a number of related laws such as the Law on Marriage and Family, the Penal Code, the Law on Education and the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment which include regulations that institutionalise the viewpoint on prioritising the implementation of children's rights, he went on.
The Government also issued initiatives for the comprehensive development of children in their early years within families and communities during the 2018-2025 period, and approved the National Action Programme for Children for the 2021-2030 period, Ha said.
However, Vietnamese children are facing challenges related to nutritional care, he noted.
Access to preschool education has not yet been fully covered, especially for certain disadvantaged groups of children, he said, adding that child accidents and injuries continued to occur.
The implementation of the 2016 Law on Children and the responsibilities of People's Councils at all levels have not been fully realised, he noted.
Lesley Miller, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam, said Vietnam is a pioneering country both regionally and globally in fostering the development of children with the early ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Amid the challenges posed by the impact of COVID-19, global economic recession, natural disasters, and climate change, Vietnam, like many other countries, must make efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to children, she said.
Miller recommended the Vietnamese Government to lead and closely direct the implementation of children development programmes.
She also underlined the need to enhance its data system with essential indicators for child development, enabling tracking progress and providing information for policy planning and implementation.
At the workshop, participants focused on discussing and setting forth solutions to further promote the development of children, especially those related to nutrition for children under 6 years old, access to preschool education and the role of families in their development.
Some delegates also proposed ideas concerning resources to ensure the implementation of children's rights and the responsibility of the People's Councils for the care, protection and development of children.
