From Vision to Action – Viet Nam celebrates the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Viet Nam
Ha Noi, 23rd February 2010 – In the spirit of the lunar new year (Tet), Viet Nam proudly celebrates the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and announces the organization of the national conference “Convention on the Rights of the Child – From Vision to Action”. Viet Nam has achieved impressive results in realizing children’s rights since its ratification of the CRC. Infant and child mortality rates have declined substantially: between 1990 and 2009 the infant and under-five mortality rates fell by half. The country’s consistently high immunization coverage resulted in the eradication of polio in 2000, and the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in 2005. Children in Viet Nam are also better educated now, with around 95 per cent of eligible children enrolled in primary education. Opportunities and activities for child participation have increased, while Viet Nam has paid great attention to the development of safe and healthy environments for all children, and to the prevention and control of any form of child abuse. Increasing focus on a child rights-based approach to planning and development is another great example of the country’s strive for realization of children’s rights. However, Viet Nam also faces many challenges in ensuring the rights of every girl and boy. “Viet Nam is now on its way to becoming a middle income country. But the global financial crisis, climate change and increasing disparities among regions and different groups in society have been considerably affecting the implementation of child rights in Viet Nam,” says Mr Jesper Morch, UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam. Guided by the CRC, UNICEF has been actively supporting the Government of Viet Nam in realizing children’s rights for more than 30 years. For more effective implementation of the CRC in Viet Nam in the future, Madame Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, says that: “It is necessary for us on the one hand to maintain and implement the CRC with higher quality. On the other hand, we have to continuously address children’s rights to protection and participation in order to ensure that every child realizes their rights to access social welfare services in order to develop to his/her full potential, and to grow up in a happy family environment.” For more information, please contact:
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