Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Commend Viet Nam’s National Action Plan for Children, Raise Questions on Early Marriage and Child Malnutrition

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Viet Nam on how it implements the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Committee Experts commended the State on its National Action Plan for Children, while asking questions about issues including early marriage and about child malnutrition.

Committee Experts welcomed the adoption of the 2021-2030 National Action Plan for Children 2021 -2030, noting that all provinces had made implementation plans, which was great progress. The delegation was also asked to explain how the minimum age for marriage would be harmonised in line with the Convention? What was being done to address child marriage? What measures were being taken to eliminate child marriage, particularly in rural communities? What programmes were in place to reduce malnutrition in children under the age of five, particularly in mountainous areas? What measures were being taken to reduce mortality rates in children under the age of five? What strategies were in place to encourage breastfeeding of children up to the age of six months?

Introducing the report, Thi Ha Nguyen, Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Viet Nam and head of the delegation , said the country was recognised as a leader in reducing hunger and poverty. The country’s socio-economic development plan also took children into account. The Prime Minister had approved a 2021-2030 National Action Plan for Children. The plan focused on child protection, education, culture and education and children’s participation in issues which related to them. The Action Plan required localities to develop specific programmes and plans aimed at recognising children’s goals. The programme provided a model for implementing policies to address children’s issues.

The delegation explained that communication work had been conducted to raise awareness regarding child marriage. An intersectoral plan was being created to provide education to children and their families on that issue, particularly those belonging to ethnic minority groups. Children were provided with a programme covering their one hundred first days of life, and a national action programme aimed to address nutrition issues in all localities. Malnutrition was still a prominent problem; one in four children were stunted, and there were clear differences between regions and localities. Often, their mothers stopped breastfeeding before their children reached 18 months of age. It was difficult to encourage breastfeeding through policies, but the Government was working on programmes to ensure nutritious diets for children, particularly in mountainous areas.

In closing remarks, Rinchen Chophel, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, thanked the delegation for their substantive responses. The issue of ethnic minority children continued to be raised and was an area the Government needed to pay attention to.

Ms. Nguyen, in closing remarks, thanked the Committee for creating the opportunity for Viet Nam to share its achievements and challenges when it came to the rights of the child. Viet Nam would develop an action plan which focused on the recommendations provided by the Committee.

The delegation of Viet Nam consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Public Security; and the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the United Nations Office at Geneva .

The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Viet Nam at the end of its ninety-first session on 23 September. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage.

Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here , while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-first session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. this afternoon to consider the combined fifth to sixth periodic report of Philippines (CRC/C/PHL/5-6).

Report

The Committee has before the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Viet Nam (CRC/C/VNM/5-6).

Presentation of Report

THI HA NGUYEN, Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Viet Nam and head of the delegation, said Viet Nam was recording a stable growth rate of 8.6 percent per year. The national poverty rate had decreased, and the country was recognised as a leader in reducing hunger and poverty. Since 2016, Viet Nam had made a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The State had made great efforts to implement the recommendations made by the Committee and was committed to complying with international treaties. Viet Nam’s legal systems were increasingly harmonised with the principles of the Convention, for the protection of children’s rights. The law on children of 2016 stipulated the rights of children in full accordance with the Convention, and provided a clear mechanism for monitoring the implementation of children’s rights at all levels. A national committee had been established which was responsible for directing and handling all issues regarding children, as well as children’s rights. The amendment of the Penal Code stipulated that the death penalty should not be imposed on persons under the age of 18 who had committed crimes. The country’s socio-economic development plan also took children into account.

Viet Nam’s health system was continuously being enhanced, and vulnerable children were entitled to completely free medical care. Preschools, primary schools and secondary schools were available in all communes, and a high percentage of children were enrolled in these educational institutions. Children were supported in expressing their opinions at school, at local and national levels, and in forums. There were 14 provincial Children’s Councils and 21 district-level Children’s Councils in seven provinces across the country. Their opinions had been heard and implemented at all levels in relation to children’s rights.

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had severely affected Viet Nam’s development. The Prime Minister had approved a 2021-2030 National Action Plan for Children. The plan focused on child protection, education, culture and education and children’s participation in issues which related to them. The Action Plan required localities to develop specific programmes and plans aimed at recognising children’s goals. The programme provided a model for implementing policies to address children’s issues. Ms. Nguyen said that Viet Nam looked forward to receiving specific comments to ensure the effective implementation of children’s rights, and to the continued support of the Committee.

Questions by Committee Experts

RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, said that Viet Nam was one of the first countries which had signed the Convention in 1990, and was the second country in the world to ratify it. That was a great start, but more needed to be done.

MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Chair and Taskforce Member, asked if Viet Nam had a plan or a roadmap for further reviews of legislation? The Committee welcomed the adoption of the 2021-2030 National Action Plan for Children, and it was indicated that all provinces had made implementation plans, which was great progress. Did coordination bodies exist at the national and sub-national levels and if so did they have sufficient budgets? Had budgets in the area of children’s rights been extended in certain sectors, including for social workers? Was data being collected in line with international standards and used to inform policy developments? Was the Convention only taught once in grade six, or was there a plan to expand child rights education to all levels of school? Was social media used for awareness-raising about children’s rights? There was concern that the 2016 law on children promoted the need for children to listen to adults, rather than focusing on children as rights-holders. Could the delegation provide information about children’s rights to become human rights defenders? Were there any plans to monitor children’s rights in the tourism industry?

Ms. Otani said that over 20,000 children in Viet Nam were in institutional care, and the Committee was concerned at the lack of data available about those children. Would all the children in alternative care be registered in the National Population Database? Could more information be provided on the relevant law provisions regarding children being placed in alternative care? Who made the decisions, and were children heard in that procedure? It was understood that many children had lost their parents due to COVID-19; what were the plans to care for those children? Viet Nam was still listed as the eighth highest country in terms of inter-country adoption, and that was concerning. How many children with disabilities were included in the statistics on inter-country adoption? What were the living conditions of children living in detention? Could children visit their parents living in detention centres?

RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, asked the delegation to explain how the minimum age for marriage would be harmonised in line with the Convention? Children in the Mekong Delta continued to be subjected to discriminatory practices regarding their education and cultural rights, among others. Could the delegation provide information on how those issues would be addressed? How were the rights of other marginalised children, such as those with disabilities, upheld? What measures were in place to reduce the high rate of deaths and injuries among children due to road traffic accidents? What types of public campaigns were being implemented and what was their impact? What was being done to promote the meaningful participation of children, particularly those in disadvantaged situations?

While acknowledging recently adopted legislation which met provisions to protect children from violence, the Committee was extremely concerned that corporal punishment was acceptable at home and at school. What was being done to achieve the explicit prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings? Would the Government implement complaints mechanisms in schools so that children could report instances of corporal punishment? What was being done to promote attitude changes among parents? Had responses been implemented targeting the high level of sexual abuse among children? Was grooming for sexual abuse and exploitation explicitly prohibited? What was being done to address child marriage? What measures were being taken to eliminate child marriage, particularly in rural communities?

SUZANNE AHO, Committee Member and Taskforce Member, noted that not all children in Viet Nam were registered. Could the delegation explain that situation and what they intended to do about it? What about children who were born in remote communities? What measures were being taken to help people understand the importance of birth certificates? Were there plans to ratify the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons? What measures were being taken to address the right to identity, especially for children belonging to ethnic and minority groups? What was being done to help human rights defenders and children human rights defenders? What measures were being taken to allow children to express themselves?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that the National Action Plan on Children was a strategic programme which included the targets and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. Data on children was being collected through annual and regular surveys, and through the national child protection hotline. The Government was operating a national database on children, which was successfully connected with the national population database. The budget for children was already allocated in terms of sectors, such as healthcare, social welfare, poverty reduction, culture, sports, and family planning. The Government would continue to allocate resources and budgets for its policies for children’s rights.

Viet Nam was party to the two Optional Protocols of the Convention and was considering joining the third Optional Protocol. There was a need to prioritise amending the domestic legal system, to harmonise it with the Optional Protocol. National law stipulated that it was the responsibility of families and schools to ensure children’s education. The Government was working on a programme of social mobilisation to ensure nutritious meals for children, and to give children from ethnic minorities clothes to help limit school dropout rates. Conferences and workshops had been conducted in the languages of ethnic minorities, and textbooks had been developed for those children. A number of ethnic minorities in Viet Nam did not have a written form of their language, which was an obstacle to maintaining those languages within the educational system.

The delegation said that a decree stipulated alternative care for children who could not enjoy a family environment. Those procedures were in place to provide the best conditions for organizations providing care for children, and to prevent child abuse in alternative care. The Government provided funding and financial assistance on a monthly basis for alternative care providers. Loans and vocational training were also prioritised for alternative care providers. The State admitted that there were challenges in alternative care, and Viet Nam was encouraging relatives to provide care for children when possible. Viet Nam was working with international organizations to create a model for moving children from institutions to family care, which was being actively implemented around the country. The pandemic had had a profound impact on the children of Viet Nam, with many orphaned and left without care. The Government had been consulted with a view to providing emergency assistance, food, and supplies for orphaned children, and to ensure their continued education.

The Government was consistent in its policy that institutionalised care for children was a last resort, and the family environment was prioritised. However, Viet Nam’s resources remained limited. Given the country’s geographical conditions, many children were living in remote areas, including mountain ranges which were far from cities. That meant there were limitations in providing care and education for those children. The system of boarding schools was still in place to ensure education for children, and regular inspections would be conducted to prevent violence and abuse at those institutions. Viet Nam was working on a system of justice for minors and was harmonising its national legal system with the Convention, prioritising the best interests of children. Nearly all children under the age of one were vaccinated, and nearly all children under the age of five were enrolled in preschool.

There were several challenges in the country which left children behind, including the increased risk of child labour, trafficking in children, child abuse, climate change and national resources depletion. Each year in Viet Nam, nearly 2,000 children became casualties of traffic accidents. Awareness remained low about the dangers of traffic to children and parents, and traffic infrastructure was poor, while the safety of public transport and individual vehicles was not ensured. Viet Nam was considered as one of the countries with the most effective programmes in preventing injuries, and the Government had conducted a national programme to prevent child drowning. The Government was working toward a safe environment, mitigating accidents, including a model against traffic accidents near schools and in densely populated areas.

Mothers with children under the age of 36 months were permitted to live with their children in detention centres. Kindergartens were required to be established outside the detention area, and caregivers were employed for the children. In Viet Nam, the Government was working on increasing the responsibility of families, schools, and social organizations regarding care for children. Over 93,000 associations were active in Viet Nam and important work was being conducted regarding the rights of children. Religious organizations were also harnessing their role in providing services for children.

There was no regulation in the law of Viet Nam requiring a marriage certificate for the parents in order for children to enjoy birth certificates. Social workers in charge of birth registration were locals and were able to provide instructions in local languages. Viet Nam had proposed that the age of marriage should be 18 years old. Communication work had been conducted to raise awareness regarding child marriage. An intersectoral plan was being created to provide education to children and their families on that issue, particularly those belonging to ethnic minority groups. The Government was incorporating programmes of cultural exchange in communities and was working on training social workers from ethnic minorities. Strict punishment and sanctions were applied to those who encouraged child marriage and violated the law on family.

The State was integrating models and raising awareness for parents and communication programmes regarding a happy family, with the assistance of organizations including the United Nations Children’s Fund. Laws were being drafted regarding sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. Those efforts had proven to be effective, and awareness was being raised with regard to prevention and control of that area in an inter-sectoral manner.

Questions by Committee Experts

RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, asked about the language of instruction in schools, noting the efforts to include minority group languages. Was it correct that that would be incorporated within the curriculum? What was the status of the National Council for Children? What type of powers did it have?

SUZANNE AHO, Committee Member and Taskforce Member, asked about unmarried mothers who gave birth; were the children not declared? In cases where traditional names were given to children, was the birth certificate issued in the minority language?

MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Chair and Taskforce Member, asked about independent child rights monitoring; was there dialogue with countries which had independent human rights monitoring institutions?

A Committee Expert asked about the National Assembly: What was the role of Parliament regarding implementing the Convention? How was Parliament involved in the adoption of legislation?

A Committee Expert asked about programmes being carried out to raise awareness about corporal punishment; had the impact of those measures been evaluated? What was the age of marriage according to law in Viet Nam?

A Committee Expert asked how children who were victims of abuse were heard in the system. Were there support services for child victims of sexual abuse?

A Committee Expert asked how freedom of expression could be ensured? Had Viet Nam set out support for children who had been adopted internationally?

PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, commended the State for acceding to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and for all the measures detailed in its report. What programmes aimed to reduce inequalities in levels of services between urban and rural areas for children with disabilities? What was being done to modify the stigma of disability to a view that was more positive? Around 40 per cent of children with disabilities were not enrolled in schools; when would higher levels of enrolment be achieved? What was the percentage of the budget allocated to primary education, and what was the percentage allocated to preschool care? There were many violations of children’s rights occurring at boarding schools. How were children selected to go to those boarding schools? Were all the children from a particular region selected to attend those schools?

Could more data be provided on school dropouts? What were the milestones and targets being set to raise the standard of education? Was there any data on the difference in successful employment of girls, boys, and children of minority groups? How were child asylum seekers welcomed into the school system? What kind of outreach was the Government carrying out to seek out those children? Had there been situations where employers had been prosecuted for violating children’s rights? How many children were currently deprived of liberty in Viet Nam? Was there a way of tracking those children? What was the longest time a child had been deprived of liberty in the country? Were there independent inspections of those places? Were children deprived of liberty separated from adults? Was there any use of solitary confinement for children? There were concerns that children were deprived of liberty due to drug offences; why were there no community-based programmes targeting those issues? Was the delegation aware of cases of children being trafficked to Cambodia? Were they mainly from minority groups? Were there any instances where repatriation had taken place?

SUZANNE AHO, Committee Member and Taskforce Member, asked which measures Viet Nam had taken to respond to infrastructure needs in hospitals? What programmes were in place to reduce malnutrition in children under the age of five, particularly in mountain areas? What measures were being taken to reduce mortality rates in children under the age of five? Leprosy was a concern in Viet Nam; what measures were being taken to prevent and treat that disease? What strategies were in place to encourage breastfeeding of children up to the age of six months? What measures were being taken to address mental health disorders among children? What measures were being taken to tackle tobacco use among children? What was the HIV positivity rate, and what measures were taken regarding children affected with HIV? Were there programmes in schools to address disasters?

MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Chair and Taskforce Member, asked about the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, noting the law on sexual exploitation in travel and tourism related to that. Were there any plans to review all the obligations of the State under the Optional Protocol? When Viet Nam ratified the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, a declaration had been made stating that children would not be used in armed conflict unless necessary. Were there plans to review and withdraw that declaration? Were there any systems to identify asylum-seeking children who were victims of recruitment by armed groups?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the National Assembly was the highest body of supervision in the State and had the highest power when it came to harmonising national law with international treaties. The 2016 Law on Children stipulated that the National Assembly must be in charge of law-making on children’s rights, and the Government must submit a report on children’s rights each year. In 2019 the National Assembly conducted supervision to prevent violence and sexual abuse against children. Another monitoring mechanism on children’s rights was the youth union, which represented the voice and opinions of children. Provisions were in place stipulating labour conditions for those under the age of 18. The Government had conducted a national programme aimed at mitigating child labour.

Children’s forums were organised throughout the year at all levels; national, district, provincial, and communes. Those forums always followed policies of non-discrimination, and children participating in those forums represented all areas, as well as those in special circumstances, including children with disabilities. Around 1.8 million children participated in such forums nation-wide.

During the period of 2016-2020, all Children’s Councils had organised meetings, with over 11,000 children participating. Over 1,000 opinions by children had been submitted to the bodies which were in charge of children’s rights.

Children with disabilities could enjoy their full rights and were supported in their education and integration into society. Children with disabilities were given priority access to social welfare programs. Those children were eligible to receive free education or a reduction in tuition fees. The Government had established a national programme for the care and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. A decree had been issued which stipulated the degree of disabilities, decided by the Council in each province. The education sector had conducted programmes to receive children at schools and organise appropriate inclusive education programmes. Schools were working closely with centres for inclusive education, to ensure a smooth transfer between specialised education and inclusive education, for children with disabilities. Viet Nam had the fourth highest percentage of persons with disabilities within the population, and was working toward ensuring those people could enjoy social assistance and health care within their communities. The Government was working on a national-level programme to ensure children with disabilities could receive the best services.

The delegation said the law on marriage and family stipulated that early marriage occurred when a male was under the age of 20 and when a female was under the age of 18. The rate of child marriage within ethnic minorities had decreased, yet challenges remained in reducing the rate of child marriage, and the national reduction target had not been reached. Child marriage was rooted in outdated and obsolete customs from ethnic minorities, which would take a long time to eliminate. Local authorities had also not been resolute in their actions to address cases of child marriage. Viet Nam planned to actively include the problem of child marriage in the social development plan for ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, and the abolishment of child marriage was outlined in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Pilot programmes were being conducted focusing on communication work, to change the mindset around child marriage, and increase access to information and advice services for those living in remote areas.

Corporal punishment was considered child abuse and was prohibited. That was stipulated in several laws and in school regulations. The Government was working on a parenting programme with the United Nations Children’s Fund, which focused on positive discipline. Children with drug addictions were considered as needing special care. Courts would decide if the children needed to be sent to rehabilitation centres. Viet Nam was working on policies regarding the treatment of children with drug addictions, and was working on providing them with food, clothing, and health care. The new law on drug prevention and control in effect from 2022 had reserved facilities for drug addicts between the ages of 12 -18 for detoxication and rehabilitation.

Children were provided with a programme covering their one hundred first days of life, and a national action programme aimed to address nutrition issues in all localities. Malnutrition was still a prominent problem; one in four children were stunted, and there were clear differences between regions and localities. Over 35 per cent of children in mountainous regions were stunted. Often, their mothers stopped breastfeeding before their children reached 18 months of age. It was difficult to encourage breastfeeding through policies, but the Government was working on programmes to ensure nutritious diets for children, particularly in mountainous areas. The target of reducing malnutrition, stunting, overweight and obesity in children was one of the key indicators in the country.

The delegation said the healthcare network in Viet Nam was being improved. The current situation for reproductive health was reflected in the number of abortions for adolescents and girls. A decrease had been recorded over the years, but there were still many challenges in ensuring reproductive health for women and girls. The legal system guaranteed the right to abortion; legal abortion or abortion which harmed the health of the woman was prohibited. The provision of mental health services was under the management of several ministries. Counselling was provided at schools and non-governmental organizations were increasingly working on the provision of psychological and mental health services. A programme had been developed to assist children who had been mentally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions by Committee Experts

SUZANNE AHO, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked for further information about the rate of vaccine coverage in the country. What explained the record rates of children with disabilities? Were there early detection mechanisms in place? There were reports of children with disabilities being kept in crates in institutions; could more information on that be provided? How many children were currently in institutions? What was the budget allocated to the State’s action plans?

RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, expressed concern about reports of the prosecution of a Buddhist sect within the country. Could the State party provide information about that and how it would be addressed? Could information be provided about how instances of cruel treatment of children in places of detention were punished?

PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, thanked the delegation for the data provided and asked if there were figures and data concerning relapse rates? Was there a professional core of social workers, and how many were there?

MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Chair and Taskforce Member, asked for further information about the procedures for recognition of non-governmental organizations?

A Committee Expert asked if the level of acceptance of the views expressed by children were periodically assessed, and whether children had a direct impact on decision-making? Regarding children with disabilities in institutions, did the State plan to adopt any de-institutionalisation processes? What measures were being taken to increase the number of inclusive schools? Were there any programmes for the prevention of self-harm, suicide, and depression in children?

A Committee Expert asked about children in the Mekong region and indigenous children in the mountain areas; information had been received which stated that those groups faced extreme discrimination. Which measures were being taken to address that issue?

A Committee Expert asked about the procedural rights given to children who were sent to rehabilitation centres against drug abuse. How many children were sent to such places? Did the State consider an approach based on prevention, rather than deprivation of liberty? How many children were deprived of liberty?

Responses by the delegation

The delegation said that from 2011 to 2020, Viet Nam had settled more than 20,000 children to be adopted by Vietnamese families, and more than 3,000 children had been adopted by foreign families. In cases where children were born outside medical facilities, the child’s parents must submit a form to apply for a birth certificate. The name could be provided in Vietnamese or the name could be in the language of an ethnic minority.

To protect children’s rights in cases of child abuse, an intersectoral decree had been introduced and a draft law on juveniles was being prepared. By August 2022, over 22 model “friendly investigations” had been conducted, and that would spread to all localities throughout the country. The testimony of children was crucial to collecting data. With the support of expert examiners, “friendly” questions which did not have a harmful impact on children’s mental health would be posed during questioning, and options such as video interviewing could be used. Viet Nam strictly prohibited corporal punishment in all facilities, including detention facilities. Viet Nam was party to the Convention Against Torture and was working to prevent all forms of torture within the State.

Vaccination rates for children under the age of 1 was around 95 per cent. The State worked to prevent all discrimination against children with disabilities, and was consistent in transferring those children from institutional care to community-based care. More than 20,000 children were currently in institutions in Viet Nam, with more than 170,000 in community-based care. There were no recorded cases of discrimination against lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and intersex children. Mental health support for children was provided via a telephone hotline.

To mitigate the impact of climate change, the State was cutting down on greenhouse-gas emissions, and gave priority to low carbon manufacturing and industries. Children were the most vulnerable to malaria and diseases caused by water pollution. Viet Nam was among countries hardest-hit by climate change, particularly by floods and droughts. Those had multi-faceted impacts on children, including on their social welfare and living conditions. The country had recently faced one of the worst droughts in nine years. It was forecast that the frequency of floods would increase in the coming years. Solutions were being sought to come up with child-centred responses to climate change.

Children under the age of 16 who were orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic were provided with monthly assistance up to the age of 20 years. Children from households affected by poverty, or children infected with HIV were also provided with financial assistance. Relatives caring for children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic also received assistance. In 2017, a framework had been drafted to expand social assistance. Irregular assistance was aimed at emerging issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The Viet Nam Association for the Protection of the Child had a mandate to monitor the rights of the child, and was tasked with receiving recommendations from non-governmental organizations and other bodies in order to inform policy-making on children’s rights.

Questions by Committee Experts

PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, suggested that Viet Nam could set a more ambitious target when it came to climate change.

Another Committee Expert asked for more information about children with disabilities linked to “Agent Orange.”

Closing Statements

RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Viet Nam, thanked the delegation for their substantive responses. In all presentations, the delegation had referred to children under the age of 18. It might be time for Viet Nam to harmonise its legislation regarding the age of children, raising it from 16 to 18. The issue of ethnic minority children continued to be raised and was an area the Government needed to pay attention to. Mr. Chophel wished the government all the best in their endeavours and hoped that when they met with the Committee again, there would be numerous positive actions to celebrate.

THI HA NGUYEN, Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Viet Nam and head of the delegation, expressed gratitude to the Committee for creating the opportunity for Viet Nam to share its achievements and challenges when it came to the rights of the child. Viet Nam had made great efforts to promote the rights of the child and had achieved many outstanding successes, however there was still more to be done. The State looked forward to receiving valuable advice from the Committee with a view to to further strengthening its implementation of the Convention. Viet Nam would develop an action plan which focused on the recommendations provided by the Committee.

MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for their strong commitment to the Committee’s recommendations and extended the best wishes of the Committee to all the children of Viet Nam.

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