Dao Hong Lan, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairsexplained to the newspaper “Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam” (Vietnam EconomicTimes) the process of revising the Law on Child Protection.
* What are the most important points contained in the draft revised law?
Itis proposed that the name of the law be changed to the Law forChildren. It will have five chapters, one more than the current law. Amajor change in the draft law is the definition of a child as a personunder 18, not 16 as defined in the 2014 law.
In the 2014 Law onChild Protection, Care and Education, neither the participation rightsof a child is comprehensively or specifically covered, nor solutions ormeasures to ensure their rights are implemented. But the draft lawdedicates one chapter on the child's rights and measures to ensurerights are respected and implemented. The chapter is a step toinstitutionalise the words in the 2013 Constitution: "Children have theright to participate in children's issues".
In addition, the draft also has a separate chapter on child protection during court proceedings and on juvenile justice.
* Will the new law cite any specific agency to supervise the implementation of the law?
TheNational Assembly, particularly the National Assembly Committee onJudicial Affairs, the Committee for Social Affairs and the Committee onCulture, Education, Youth and Children, will undertake supervisorytasks. Meanwhile the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other political andsocial organisations will provide counter-arguments.
The law alsodedicates a special chapter on the supervision of children's rights.For example, the law requires the Government, ministries and provincialPeople's Committees to submit supervision reports to the NationalAssembly. Meanwhile the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs(MOLISA) acts as a co-ordinating agency for all activities from Statemanagement in implementing children's rights in accordance with the law.
* What did the children say in the polls conducted by MOLISA during the law drafting process?
Westarted to draft the law late in 2011. In 2012 alone, MOLISA organisedthe first poll to collect children's opinion on amendments to the Law onChild Protection, Care and Education. Almost 35,000 children from 63provinces and cities participated, of whom 53.5 percent expressed adesire to raise the age of children to under 18.
In addition,during the law compiling process, MOLISA also organised manyconsultation workshops, particularly the Children Forum in 2014 to heartheir opinions. At present, the draft version of the law is posted onthe Government portal and the website of the Ministry of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs for people to comment. We also plan toorganise another Child Forum in August to listen to their comments onthe revised law before submitting it to the National Assembly.-VNA
* What are the most important points contained in the draft revised law?
Itis proposed that the name of the law be changed to the Law forChildren. It will have five chapters, one more than the current law. Amajor change in the draft law is the definition of a child as a personunder 18, not 16 as defined in the 2014 law.
In the 2014 Law onChild Protection, Care and Education, neither the participation rightsof a child is comprehensively or specifically covered, nor solutions ormeasures to ensure their rights are implemented. But the draft lawdedicates one chapter on the child's rights and measures to ensurerights are respected and implemented. The chapter is a step toinstitutionalise the words in the 2013 Constitution: "Children have theright to participate in children's issues".
In addition, the draft also has a separate chapter on child protection during court proceedings and on juvenile justice.
* Will the new law cite any specific agency to supervise the implementation of the law?
TheNational Assembly, particularly the National Assembly Committee onJudicial Affairs, the Committee for Social Affairs and the Committee onCulture, Education, Youth and Children, will undertake supervisorytasks. Meanwhile the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other political andsocial organisations will provide counter-arguments.
The law alsodedicates a special chapter on the supervision of children's rights.For example, the law requires the Government, ministries and provincialPeople's Committees to submit supervision reports to the NationalAssembly. Meanwhile the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs(MOLISA) acts as a co-ordinating agency for all activities from Statemanagement in implementing children's rights in accordance with the law.
* What did the children say in the polls conducted by MOLISA during the law drafting process?
Westarted to draft the law late in 2011. In 2012 alone, MOLISA organisedthe first poll to collect children's opinion on amendments to the Law onChild Protection, Care and Education. Almost 35,000 children from 63provinces and cities participated, of whom 53.5 percent expressed adesire to raise the age of children to under 18.
In addition,during the law compiling process, MOLISA also organised manyconsultation workshops, particularly the Children Forum in 2014 to heartheir opinions. At present, the draft version of the law is posted onthe Government portal and the website of the Ministry of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs for people to comment. We also plan toorganise another Child Forum in August to listen to their comments onthe revised law before submitting it to the National Assembly.-VNA
