President Tô Lâm talks to children at the first-ever meeting in Hà Nội on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — President Tô Lâm held the first-ever meeting in Hà Nội on Tuesday with and presented gifts to children of police martyrs, foster children of the Police Women's Union and communal police, and children of officers and soldiers who won national and international awards during the 2023-2024 academic year.

The event was part of the "Summer of Love" programme held by the Ministry of Public Security to mark the Action Month for Children, International Children's Day (June 1), and in the lead-up to the Vietnamese Family Day (June 28).

Maj. Gen. Ngô Hoài Thu, Deputy Director of the ministry’s Party and Political Affairs Department affirmed that the Central Public Security Party Committee and the ministry’s leaders pay special attention to about children's affairs and building happy, sustainable families for police officers.

So far, there have been 3,084 orphaned children with difficult circumstances are being cared for by various police units and local authorities. Among them, 1,886 orphaned children are being fostered and nurtured by Women's Unions at different levels.

President Lâm reiterated the Party and State’s consistent policy of caring for the disadvantaged and families of martyrs, especially young children.

He commended the officers and soldiers of the People's Public Security, the People's Army, social organisations, authorities at all levels, and the public for directly providing care, fostering, and educating thousands of children living in need. Additionally, he praised the children of martyrs, poor children and winners of national and international awards for overcoming challenges and attaining outstanding academic accomplishments.

The President proposed that the Central Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union direct its chapters to oversee the enforcement of the 2016 Children Law. He emphasised the importance of addressing social issues related to children, especially in fighting school violence, accidents, injuries and child abuse in disadvantaged, ethnic minority, border and island areas.

He also called for spreading effective childcare models and campaigns and assigned the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to effectively perform children-related tasks in the National Target Programme for the 2021-2025 period and the National Action Programme for Children for the 2021-2030 period. — VNS