At the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – DeputyPrime Minister Vu Duc Dam attended the opening of the ninth Asia-PacificRegional Conference on Early Childhood, the first of its kind held in Vietnam,in Hanoi on December 4.
Themed“Working across sectors to promote nurturing and sustainable environments for young children”, the event was co-organisedby the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and theAsia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood, with over 500 delegates from35 countries and territories taking part.
Thethree-day conference aims to raise awareness among policymakers andpractitioners of the substantial threats to children’s present and futureenvironments, as well as opportunities to protect these environments.
Delegateswill share experience in multi-sectoral models and programmes to mitigate theimpact of toxic environment on children, promote a nurturing environment forthem and increase multi-sectoral partnership in the field.
Speaking at the openingceremony, Deputy PM Dam said laws and policies of countries, including Vietnam,always give priority to children.
He called for joint workbetween the State, organisations, business community and families to raiseawareness among parents and future parents of the responsibility and necessaryskills to give birth to and raise children.
Minister of Labour, Invalidsand Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said the conference took place at a time whenthe world is marking the 30th anniversary of the United NationsConvention on the Rights of the Child.
Vietnam hopes to learn frominternational friends’ experiences to better enforce rights of the child andtake effective measures in child work, he said, adding that the event marks animportant step in the implementation of the Global Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, especially Target 4.2.
Participants will holdworking sessions with Vietnamese departments and agencies to share experiencein laws and programme for children, extensively discuss environment’s threatsto the health and development of children, and solutions to them. Besides, theywill discuss countries’ responsibilities for issuing legal framework,multilateral strategies and policies on comprehensive child development./.
VNA
