Seventh National Children’s Forum opens in Hanoi

The forum is being co-organised from August 5-8 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee under the theme of “Children participate in building a safe, friendly and healthy living environment for children”.

Participants are expected to discuss how to prevent child abuse and violence; prevent and reduce injuries, drowning and traffic accidents; protect children in the cyber space; respond to climate change, epidemics and natural disasters; and fight child labour.

Participating children are also hoped to share initiatives and solutions that their peers nationwide have taken part in implementing to create a safe and healthy living environment for themselves.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha shared that the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and MoLISA have paid special attention to and issued many relevant policies, decrees, resolutions and official dispatches to these above-mentioned issues to protect a safe and healthy living environment for children, which have been well implemented by provinces and cities.

Basically, Vietnamese children have been living in an increasingly safer environment, with better learning, playing and entertainment conditions. However, there are still many who are subject to violence and abuse, and forced to work in contravention of the law.

Therefore, the forum would be a venue for children to express their opinions and aspirations or for agencies and organisations to collect children's opinions on issues related to them, Ha added.

Participants' messages and recommendations will then be sent to agencies, organisations, policy makers, and people working for children.