At the forum, a child from Lao Cai province Nguyen Manh Thuat asked about measures to curb human trafficking across border. Nguyen Manh Te, deputy chief of the General Department of Police at the Ministry of Public Security said that the ministry is implementing four projects on promoting communications service, anti-trafficking activities, international cooperation and further assistance to trafficked victims to reintegrate into the community. In July and August, the Ministry of Public Security launched an anti-trafficking campaign specifically targeting the Vietnam-China border, which broke up 30 criminal gangs and led to the arrest of more than 50 traffickers. A child from Quang Ninh province Nguyen Minh Hong asked about procedures for trafficked victims to reintegrate into the community. Some children asked about granting the birth certificates to children who went with their parents to China when they were very small.

Children between the ages of 11-18 from the Vietnamese cities and provinces of Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Hung Yen, and Bac Giang, and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan to shared their viewpoints at the forum and made recommendations for preventing human trafficking.

The forum co-organised by the Vietnam Women’s Union, the China Women’s Confederation and UNICEF, aimed to prevent the trafficking of thousands of Vietnamese woman and children across the Vietnam-China and Vietnam-Cambodia borders.

Listen to children and act
UNICEF chief representative Jesper Morch said trafficking, exploiting and abusing children is a global problem. Currently, around 246 million children are tricked into labour exploitation and trafficked for prostitution. According to statistics, the number of trafficked children for prostitution is increasing in Vietnam, Mr Morch said.

Mr Morch said most discussions and programmes to resolve the problem of child trafficking have been conducted by adults without taking children’s thinking into account.

“Trafficking in women and children is a cruel violation against the rights of women and children,” said Nguyen Thi Oanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union. “Children need to further participate in activities against the crime. We will get together to fight trafficking in women and children for a better future.”

“Listening to stories about child abuse at the forum reminds us that we should further cooperate at regional and international levels to prevent and resolve trafficking in humans in general and in women and children in particular”, said Jesper Morch.

Before taking part in the forum, children had a two-day discussion to share experiences and talk about the impact of human trafficking on their lives. They proposed border cooperation between Vietnam and China, as well as specific suggestions to protect and help child victims.

The forum has boosted the role of Vietnamese and Chinese children in the fight against trafficking. The forum ended by issuing messages from children themselves. The messages will be sent to relevant Vietnamese and Chinese agencies and will be underscored in national policies and programmes to prevent trafficking in humans in general and in women and children in particular.

UNICEF Vietnam and UNICEF China will continue to cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the problem.