Twenty years after approving the Convention, Vietnam is making great effort to implement its socio-economic development plans which will help ensure children’s rights in education and healthcare.

So far, 20 percent of communes and wards around country have achieved their targets in making homes, schools and communities “children-friendly”.

At a conference on the Convention, representatives of ministries and sectors involved in childcare and education discussed issues related to the role of the Party, the State and the National Assembly in implementing the Convention and in integrating child targets into the country’s development plans.

In his speech, Mr Hung said Vietnam’s achievements in carrying out the Convention over the past years were due to its cooperation with other committed countries and international organisations.

Vietnam is committed to implementing children’s rights and desires closer cooperation with other countries, international and non-governmental organisations in protecting Vietnamese children’s rights.

The assumption of the ASEAN Chair in 2010 will put Vietnam in a position to make stronger contributions to children’s rights, benefiting children in Vietnam, ASEAN and the world.

To reach the goals of the Convention, Vietnam’s Party and State should focus on poverty reduction to narrow the socio-economic gap between regions and enable children to enjoy their full rights, insisted Mr Hung.