Children nationwide will have a chance to voice their opinions on the amendments to the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education at the National Children’s Forum, slated for August 8-9 in Hanoi.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the National Assembly Committee on Culture, Education, Youth and Children, this year’s event will gather 180 children, aged from 10 to 16, from 29 provinces and cities nationwide.

At a press conference on August 1, Nguyen Hai Huu, Director of the MOLISA’s Child Care and Protection Department, said that the biennual forum aims to provide a venue for children to express opinions and expectations on issues related to themselves, and for policy makers to hear children’s ideas.

The focus of this year’s event will be life safety and entertainment for children, measures to prevent child abuse, child marriage and child labour, as well as measures to ensure the right to access education of HIV-infected children and those with disabilities, among others.

The children will also be provided with information on how relevant agencies dealt with their recommendations at the 2009 and 2011 forums.

The forum’s participants will meet and talk with leaders of the Party, State, ministries and sectors about issues of their concern on the evening of August 9.

In June and July, thousands of children participated in children’s forums held at provinces and cities across the country to discuss achievements and challenges in child protection and care.-VNA