Directive No. 06/1998/CT-TTg on Strengthening Child Protection Work, Preventing and Resolving the Situation of Children Living on the Streets and Children Being Exploited for Labor

DIRECTIVE 

Regarding the strengthening of child protection work, preventing and resolving the situation of children wandering and children being overworked

children living on the streets, children subjected to forced labor

To better implement the Law on Child Protection, Care, and Education, Resolution No. 10 of the 9th National Assembly session held on November 25, 1996, Decision No. 05/CP dated January 11, 1997 of the Government, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to respond to declarations from international conferences in Stockholm and Oslo aimed at effectively preventing, resolving, and rapidly reducing the number of wandering children and children being overworked by 2000, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1\. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall draft and submit to the Government in the first quarter of 1999 the Decree guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Labor Code concerning juvenile labor; take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care and related agencies to develop a program to prevent and resolve the situation of children wandering and children being overworked, and submit it to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 1998; strengthen inspection and supervision of the enforcement of labor laws and handle violations related to juvenile labor.

2\. The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and related agencies to study and adjust tuition fees, develop appropriate scholarship policies for poor students, remote areas, mountainous regions, islands, and difficult areas, and submit them to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 1998; expand educational forms to attract most children within school age and achieve universal primary education.

3\. The Ministry of Health shall take the lead and coordinate with related agencies to effectively carry out health care for children, particularly those in remote, mountainous, island, border, and difficult areas.

4\. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Sports Committee, the Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care, and related agencies to research and develop policies and organize activities to improve the cultural and spiritual life and physical health of children; develop plans for training centers, nurturing talents, and recreational facilities for children in communities, prioritizing investment in difficult areas, and submit them to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 1998.

5\. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall take the lead and coordinate with provincial and municipal people's committees to strengthen household registration management at commune and ward levels, particularly focusing on managing and inspecting organizations and individuals using child labor to promptly detect and handle violations; include prevention and control measures against children committing illegal acts in crime prevention programs.

6\. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall take the lead and coordinate with related agencies to plan budget allocation for the prevention and resolution of the situation of children wandering and children being overworked.

7\. The Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and related agencies to study and develop policies to protect and assist wandering children and children being overworked, report to the Prime Minister by the end of 1998; strengthen communication, monitoring, and supervision of policy implementation; take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and related agencies, mass organizations, and social organizations to develop plans, pilot models of activities, and enhance mobilization of domestic and foreign resources, humanitarian and charitable organizations to support the prevention and resolution of the situation of children wandering and children being overworked, and report to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 1998; complete the Special Action Program for Child Protection and submit it to the Prime Minister in March 1998; coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front to develop plans and organize participation of members of the Front in implementing the Party's policy of the whole people caring for and protecting children, striving to reduce wandering children and children being overworked through the "Whole People Building a New Life in the Community" movement; coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union to organize research and dissemination of knowledge about family roles and responsibilities in the community.

8\. Vietnam Television and Vietnam Radio shall take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Education and Training to guide local stations and mass media to intensify publicity and education on laws, policies related to child protection, care, and education, rights and obligations of children, responsibilities of all levels, sectors, families, and communities, methods of family education, and exemplary cases in preventing and resolving the situation of children wandering and children being overworked.

9 - The National Committee for Women's Advancement shall take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee, people's mass organizations, and social organizations to intensify efforts in mobilizing, promoting, and educating the implementation of laws down to each family and individual, thereby enhancing the sense of responsibility of each person in managing and educating family members and community members, especially girls and minors, to prevent them from wandering away from home or engaging in labor prematurely. This work must be carried out continuously to create a nationwide movement to protect, care for, and educate children.

10 - Preventing and addressing the issue of children wandering and being exploited for labor must be one of the objectives of local socio-economic programs, specifically through poverty reduction programs, mutual economic assistance for families, and services provided by banks for the poor, etc., to create conditions that help impoverished families escape from poverty. Provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees shall direct relevant agencies to thoroughly understand the situation of wandering children and children exploited for labor, and develop comprehensive and effective plans and measures to address these issues; participate in directing the organization of campaigns such as "All People United for the Construction of New Rural Areas" and "Adults as Role Models, Children as Good Students"; and cooperate with the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee to maintain and develop village-level mediation groups to limit divorce rates and help mend family happiness.

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, Within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier as mentioned in Sub-clause b, Clause 1, Article 3 above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review and submit to the competent authority for decision (Issues exceeding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction will be referred to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision).People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities and Within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier as mentioned in Sub-clause b, Clause 1, Article 3 above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review and submit to the competent authority for decision (Issues exceeding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction will be referred to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision).the National Committee for Women's Advancement shall strictly implement this Directive and report annually on the results to the Prime Minister./.