Expanding children’s rights is progress in human rights

Children from nationwide attended the 4th National Children Forum entitled “Listen to children” in Hanoi on August 8, 2015

VOV | Aug 12, 2015

The revised Law on child protection, care, and education adds regulations concerning children’s participation in child-related issues. The revised law will be discussed at the current session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee and is expected to be approved later this year.

The revised Law on child protection, care, and education adds the right of children to contribute their opinions and desires on child-related issues. It also specifies the responsibilities and rights of administrative agencies, social organizations, and individuals involved in child protection, care, and education.

Progresses in ensuring the rights of children

In the 25 years since Vietnam signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Vietnam has obtained important achievements, in particular, creating legal documents to ensure such rights. Vietnam has built a national action program for children, exerted efforts to implement it, and improved communications to improve community awareness about children’s rights. Dao Trong Thi, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, says: “The Party and State have always cared for children. We have the law on Child protection, care, and education and national programs on ensuring child rights. Children are cared for, educated, and protected.”

Jesper Moller, Deputy Head of UNICEF Vietnam, says that UNICEF appreciates Vietnam’s approval in 2004 of the Law on child protection, care, and education. The Vietnamese government has fulfilled commitments to ensure the right to adequate nutrition, the right to go to school and access to clean water and adequate sanitation.

More rights for children

Thanks to good policies and good implementation, Vietnamese children now enjoy better living conditions, but there is a wide gap between urban and rural areas in basic healthcare and education services.

Vietnam, in collaboration with UNICEF, has launched the “Believe in zero” program in 8 provinces. The aim is to give all Vietnamese children in urban, rural, mountain, and ethnic communities equal access to healthcare and education services and to reduce the under-5 mortality rate and malnutrition rate to zero percent.

The Vietnamese government has paid greater attention to children’s demands. Previous Vietnamese law made no mention of children’s right to participate. Now children have the right to participate and voice their opinions on issues relating to them. Mr. Thi said: “The 2013 Constitution mentions children’s rights and other rights. We propose to revise and change the name of the Law on child protection, care, and education to the Law on children. It will include the 4 rights mentioned in the UN Convention on the rights of the child: the right to survive, the right to grow, the right to be protected, and the right to participate.”

Children have the right to express their opinions and aspirations for the future. Their voices should be taken into consideration in the policy-making process.