UNICEF emphasises investment in youth
UNICEF-Vietnam Representative Lotta
Sylwander has emphasised the urgent need to invest in young people to
help them overcome numerous challenges.
There are
some 26.7 million children, youths and young adults aged from 10 to 24
years old in Vietnam, who account for one-third of the national
population and are facing numerous challenges coming from economic
insecurity, HIV/AIDS, climate change, mass immigration and rapid
urbanisation, the UN Children’s Fund representative told reporters on
February 28.
She said further investment was
needed to speed up the fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS as well as to
narrow the socio-economic gap and reduce gender inequality.
Children and youths should be given access to higher-quality
healthcare and education, and be equipped with strong life skills to
overcome challenges and fully engage in social development, she added.
The UNICEF residential representative also pledged
close cooperation and strong assistance for Vietnam in materialising
UN millennium goals, especially in providing best possible care and
development conditions for young people.
UNICEF
Goodwill Ambassador Nguyen Vu Ha Anh called on the entire community to
give the youth the best of what they have to make their dream come true.
Residential Representatives from the Joint UN
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) also supported recommendations
for investment in children and youth. They include better information
and analysis, assistance in policy making, better conditions for
implementing the rights of children, more accesses to social services
and the battle against poverty and inequality./.