State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan pledged to provide the best possible conditions for children to take part in social activities and asked relevant agencies to consider children’s concerns and interests.

Doan made the pledges at a dialogue with 126 children from all parts of the country as part of a four day Children’s Forum that concluded in Hanoi on August 4.

The forum heard children raise their voices on their aspirations to live in a healthy environment, be well protected, go to school, play and enjoy better health care.

“The Party and Government always listen to children and will take action on their proposals,” said the Vice State President.

She called on ministries, agencies and local administrations to work harder to implement the national action plan for children for the 2001-10 period and to integrate addressing the needs of children into socio-economic development plans.

A thorough review should be made to assess the complex issues in this area and work out proper solutions, focusing on proposals raised by children at this forum, she emphasised.

In a report on eight years of implementing the decade-long national action plan for children, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said Vietnam has made encouraging progress in this field.

She cited free medical check-ups and treatment for all children under six and the allowances almost all disadvantaged children receive.

“The child malnutrition rate is dropping steadily while the proportion of children going to school and the number with access to recreational facilities are increasing dramatically,” Ngan confirmed.

Vietnam is the first in Asia and second in the world to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Minister also acknowledged numerous difficulties and challenges ahead.

“Child abuse, child injuries and child crime are trending upward, while care for HIV/AIDS-infected children remains a pressing issue.”

“ Vietnam is one of the 20 countries with the highest child malnutrition rates,” Ngan admitted.

The forum therefore will serve as a basis for relevant agencies to draft targets for an action plan for children in the decade.

The Resident Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Jesper Morch, praised the forum as evidence of the Government’s seriousness in its commitments to let children take part in the policy-making process for the nation’s future.

The national forum on children-2009 was held by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs with assistance from international organisations such as UNICEF, PLAN International, and World Vision.

The forum is scheduled to convene annually from this year./.