Population law must protect elderly: experts

The meeting was aimed at gathering recommendations for the draft Law on Population, which will be submitted to the fifth National Assembly session for discussion.

Truong Hai Cuong, member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, said the country’s population was aging rapidly, so the draft law should have provisions that ensure the rights, interests and responsibilities of the elderly, and encourage senior citizens to do suitable jobs, based on their health and experience.

The nation’s population policy must be integrated with other socio-economic factors including national defence and security to ensure rapid and sustainable development (Photo vtc.vn)

Quach Sy Hung, also with the VFF, said the draft law should have clear regulations on responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies on family planning services and taking care for old people.

International principles and commitments should be observed in building population policies, said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam.

She said the draft law should meet international standards and comply with human rights principles, including the right to decide to have babies, time to have babies and the number of children.

Regulations should ensure the provision of full and clear information, education and qualified services on reproductive health, with priority given to population in disadvantaged areas, she said.

Dialogue participants also discussed and shared their experiences on the development and implementation of population and development policies; raising awareness and changing societal behaviour; and integrating population variables into development policies.

The dialogue organised by the VFF, the UNFPA in Vietnam, the General Office for Population and Family Planning and the Ministry of Health.