The National Assembly should work closely with Government agencies to better fulfil the vitally important task of providing protection, care and education for children, said its chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Speaking at a hearing at the National Assembly's Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children in Hanoi on Feb. 15, the top legislative leader said that despite much efforts, child abuse and trafficking are still increasingly serious concerns in Vietnam as they continue to happen in many localities around the country.

"Over the last three years alone, some 1,000 cases of child abus are reported annually," he said.

During the hearing, the committee's deputy chairwoman Ngo Thi Minh gave a summary of the report on its monitoring activities of relevant policies and laws related to child protection during the period 2008-10.

She said observations showed that child abuse in Vietnam continues in an upward trend and what is more disturbing is it occurs not only in public places as before, but also at home, schools and child care centres which are supposed to be safe for children in the first place.

Minh noted that perpetrators of child abuse came from wider range of backgrounds, nationalities and ages. They could be the child's relatives, teachers or friends, provoking indignation among the public.

Statistics showed that from 2008 to 2010, the police had prosecuted some 3,400 cases related to child abuse.

Participants at the hearing expressed their concern at the limited efficiency of the management role of relevant State agencies as there are no clear divisions of responsibility during implementation.

They also pointed out the child care service system is very much rudimentary, while activities to raise awareness on child abuse prove ineffective.

At the same time, the resources available fall short of what is really needed for child protection. Some localities failed to invest properly in building playgrounds for children.

The compilation of this report was based on the committee's visits to six localities as well as the reports prepared by the People's Councils of 46 cities and provinces.

The Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children asked relevant ministries to review and suggest amendment to relevant legal documentation and guidelines for better implementation work in child protection.

This is the first time a Government hearing has been held at a National Assembly's committee. /.