HÀ NỘI — Protecting and caring for children and creating a healthy environment for them is a focus for sustainable and long-term development of Viet Nam, according to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

The PM made the statement yesterday in Hà Nội while chairing a national online conference on protecting children against violence, abuse and harm to their health and lives.

As many as 18,000 representatives joined the conference.

“It is the responsibility of the whole political system, from the central to local levels, from every community and every family,” he said.

Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) statistics showed that on average, about 2,000 cases of children being abused or living under violence are discovered and resolved each year. More than 60 per cent of them involves sexual abuse.

During the first five months this year, 682 cases of child sexual abuse were reported. About 21 per cent of them were abused by their family members, 59 per cent by acquaintances and 12 per cent by strangers.

Representatives attend the national online conference on protecting the children. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said that the reported number of children being abused was not the real figure which would be much higher.

“Many behaviours are considered normal, but in fact, it is violent, child abuse and adversely affect the children’s development. Another painful problem is that many children are abused by relatives or neighbours, leaving psychological consequences for the children,” he said.

Most experts at the conference agreed that close co-operation between different ministries, sectors, social organisations and the community was needed. More education on self-protection and legal support should be given to children. Organisations and individuals that hide child abuse cases must receive strict punishment, they said.

Chairing the conference, PM Phúc agreed with measures detailed by the MoLISA to protect children against violence and abuse.

The PM said that organisations and authorities at local levels should pay attention to protecting children. All regulations and laws on protecting the children and preventing violence and abuse against them must be implemented strictly.

"Concerned organisations should strengthen ethics education, while schools should change the method of educating children, give parents, teachers and students knowledge and skills in injury and violence prevention,” said Phúc.

Training and providing legal knowledge for the whole society to care for, protect and support children was necessary, the PM said.

Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh presents gifts from the National Fund for Vietnamese Children to 200 disadvantaged children from the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre.— VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Phúc Hậu

PM Phúc asked people’s committees chairmen at communal level to assign workers specialised in protecting children. At present, only 590 out of 11,162 communes across the country employ the specialised workers.

Localities must focus on training workers in the field of protecting children.

Competent organisations must check regulations and laws on children to ensure all cases of child abuse are resolved quickly and ensure the victims’ rights.

The Ministry of Education and Training was required to work with concerned ministries to give education and skills for the children to protect themselves based on their age and sex.

PM Phúc asked National Assembly (NA)’s agencies, NA deputies and people’s councils to strengthen supervision on law implementation related to child protection, especially handicapped and needy children.

The national committee on child affairs should periodically use inspection teams to check the work in different provinces and cities.

PM Phúc also directed the MoLISA to chair and join hand with other organisations to set up a project on supporting ethnic minority children.

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front should launch a movement to provide warm clothes for children in ethnic minority and mountainous areas on the Vietnamese Day of the Poor October 17. — VNS