UNICEF in Viet Nam
Children have long played an important role in the country’s culture and traditions. Viet Nam was the first country in Asia and the second country in the world to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. The Government of Viet Nam has integrated the issues of children and families into its Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2006-2010, one of its most important documents providing a framework for different ministries and sectors to develop their own plans of actions to the year 2010. As Viet Nam enters a new era of economic, political and social change, UNICEF is committed to continuing its partnership with the country to ensure that all children – girls and boys - enjoy equal development opportunities. UNICEF embarked on its nation-wide programme of cooperation in Viet Nam right after the reunification of the country in 1975 and supported the Government in its quest to improve the lives and wellbeing of Vietnamese children since then. Over the last three decades, UNICEF’s work in Viet Nam has evolved from emergency and reconstruction to longer-term development, focusing on education, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation. The 8th programme of cooperation with the Government of Viet Nam for the period 2006-2010, has adopted ‘Continuity and Change’ as an overarching theme. This programme defines UNICEF’s ongoing commitment to the traditional areas of development, while also starting to tackle the emerging agenda for children: child protection, prevention of childhood injuries, effects of HIV/AIDS, and the overall need to focus on the issues of young people and foster their participation. The new programme sees greater engagement of UNICEF in strategic policy dialogue and contributing to the development of legal frameworks and systems that support the overall fulfillment of children’s rights. The programme operates through seven focus areas:
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