DIRECTIVE

THE STRENGTHENING OF THE TASK OF PROTECTING CHILDREN, PREVENTING AND TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF STREET CHILDREN AND CHILD LABOR ABUSE

After five years of implementation of the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education, the protection, care and education of children, particularly those in difficult circumstances, has seen progress in terms of perception, organization and implementation results. However, the increasing numbers of street children and labor-abused children are posing a burning social problem today. They are the subjects highly vulnerable to social evils. The above-mentioned situation is partly attributed to such socio-economic reasons as unemployment, illiteracy, increasingly widened gap between the rich and the poor, moral degradation in some families...; and also partly to the improper, incomprehensive and ineffective coordination among various branches and levels as well as the lack of their concentrated efforts in addressing this problem.

In order to better implement the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education, the Resolution of the November 25, 1996 tenth session of the IXth National Assembly, Resolution No. 05-CP of January 11, 1997 of the Government and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and in response to the declarations of the international conferences in Stockholm and Oslo aiming to fulfill the goal of effectively preventing, solving and rapidly reducing the numbers of street children and labor-abused children by the year 2000, the Prime Minister hereby gives the following instructions:

1. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall draft and submit to the Government by the end of March 1998 a decree guiding the implementation of a number of Articles of the Labor Code regarding under-age labor; assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children and the concerned agencies in drawing up plans for preventing and tackling the problem of street children and labor-abused children then submit them to the Prime Minister by the end of May 1998, study and formulate a policy on the protection and support of street children and labor-abused children, then report it to the Prime Minister by June 1998, intensify the inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Labor Code relating to under-age labor and the handling of violations thereof.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the concerned agencies in studying a school-fee regime and formulating a study-promotion policy suitable to poor pupils in deep-lying, remote, mountainous and island areas and difficult areas before submitting them to the Prime Minister by the end of the second quarter of 1998; develop proper educational forms so as to attract all school-age children into classes to finish the primary education.

3. The Ministry of Health shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in well performing the task of child health care for children, especially those in deep-lying, remote, mountainous, island and border areas and difficult areas.

4. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Commission for Physical Training and Sports, the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children and the concerned agencies in studying, formulating and implementing policies to raise the cultural and spiritual life and develop a healthy constitution for children; drawing up plans to build centers for young talent training and fostering and children's recreation in communities, with priority given to investment in difficult areas, then submit them to the Prime Minister by mid-second quarter of 1998.

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6. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall, together with the Ministry of Finance, assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in adequately funding the work of preventing and tackling the problem of street children and labor-abused children.

7. The Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in studying and determining the role of families and communities in the child protection, care and education strategy, proposing measures to protect and provide necessary support for families to fulfill this responsibility to the society then report to the Prime Minister by November 1998, intensifying communication activities, inspecting and supervising the implementation of these policies; assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Culture and Information and the concerned agencies in drawing up plans and organizing experimental activities and intensifying the mobilization of resources inside and outside the country, including those from humanitarian and charity organizations to support the prevention and settlement of the problem of street children and labor-abused children, then report them to the Prime Minister by March 1998; to finalize the program of action for child protection to be submitted to the Prime Minister by March 1998; to coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in drawing up plans and mobilizing its member organizations to participate in implementing the policy: the entire people take care of and protect children, strive to reduce the number of street children and labor- abused children.

8. The Vietnam Television Station and the Voice of Vietnam Radio Station shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Vietnam Committee for Protection and Care of Children, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training in guiding local stations and mass media agencies to step up the dissemination of knowledge about law and policies concerning the task of child protection, care and education, the children's rights and duties, the responsibilities of all levels, branches, families and communities and the method for family education of children, good people and good deeds in the work of preventing and tackling the problem of street children and labor-abused children.

9. The prevention and settlement of the problem of street children and labor-abused children must be one of the objectives of the local socio-economic programs and concretely reflected in the programs on hunger eradication and poverty reduction and mutual assistance in practicing the household economy. The People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall direct their functional agencies to thoroughly understand the problem of street children and labor-abused children so as to have effective and comprehensive plans and solutions; participate in directing and organizing the fruitful implementation of the campaigns "The entire people unite in building a new life in residential quarters" and "Exemplary adults and good and diligent children"; coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations in maintaining and developing conciliation teams in rural and mountainous villages, hamlets and population groups to restrict the number of divorce cases, restore family happiness, step up the propaganda and education of every family and every individual to observe law and raise everyone's sense of responsibility for managing and educating family and community members, particularly female children who should not be allowed to leave home and live in streets or hire out their labor at early ages.

The ministries, the ministerial-level agencies, the agencies attached to the Government and the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to seriously implement this Directive and annually report the results to the Prime Minister.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT  




Pham Gia Khiem