Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Thanh (right) meets with UNICEF Representative to Vietnam Silvia Danailov. (Photo: quochoi.vn)

In her reception in Hanoi on October 2 for UNICEF Representative to Vietnam Silvia Danailov, Thanh said that she is pleased to see the effective cooperation between UNICEF and the NA through specialised committees, contributing to the development of legal frameworks, policies and laws for sustainable development goals.

She affirmed the consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam of attaching importance to economic development associated with social progress and justice, in which women and children are always given special attention.

After more than ten years of implementing the 2013 Constitution, the rights of the child in Vietnam have become a part of human rights, helping concretise the rights of the child in accordance with international practices and the country's conditions.

The NA has made progress in developing laws and policies to protect the rights of the child. The Child Law stipulated and supplemented 25 groups of the child rights, defining the responsibility of agencies, organisations, educational institutions, families and individuals in implementing the rights and duties of the child.

In addition, the rights of the child are also mentioned in laws that are expected to be approved, amended and supplemented in the coming time.

She said that in the context of rapid development of information technology and cyber activities, children are facing opportunities, difficulties and risks, especially bad information and negative effects of social platforms, particularly cross-border ones. Children are also affected by climate change and non-traditional security, she added.

Thanh said she believes under the leadership and management of Danailov, UNICEF in Vietnam will continue making more contributions to building and promoting the rights of the child, women and vulnerable groups.

She hoped UNICEF would continue to accompany, support and coordinate with Vietnam’s relevant agencies and NA specialised committees to perfect institutions and legal regulations, address issues related to gender imbalance at birth, physical and mental health care for children, and malnutrition in children.

For her part, Danailov spoke highly of the Vietnamese NA's contributions to building the legal system on children, saying that she is ready to make more contributions to the activities, helping Vietnam in developing a child support plan in the socio-economic development plan for the coming time.

Commending Vietnam's building the law on justice for minors with new regulations to the child rights, Danailov said that UNICEF has many experienced experts in this field, and is coordinating with relevant agencies to give opinions to complete the draft law.

At the same time, she suggested Vietnam consider raising the age of children to harmonise with the international convention on the child.

She expressed her willingness to accompany and support Vietnam in contributing to the development of child-related policy mechanisms. She said she hopes the NA will coordinate in organising activities to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Vietnam's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 50th anniversary of UNICEF's presence in Vietnam in 2025.