UNICEF strengthens Viet Nam’s child protection, care and education system

On the morning of June 24, Party Central Committee Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Chairwoman of the National Committee on Children of Viet Nam, received Silvia Danailov, Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Viet Nam.

Expressing her pleasure at meeting Silvia Danailov again, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra highly appreciated UNICEF’s longstanding contributions and close partnership with Viet Nam, particularly in protecting, caring for and educating children.

The year 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of cooperation between the Government of Viet Nam and UNICEF. Over the past five decades, the partnership has made significant contributions to advancing children's rights, improving child care and protection, and creating an enabling environment for the comprehensive development of children across the country.

During the 2017-2025 period, the two sides jointly implemented a wide range of programmes covering child health, nutrition, child protection, institutional and policy development, and support measures for vulnerable children.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Viet Nam has clearly defined its child development strategy and priorities for child protection, care and education. Going forward, the country will continue strengthening measures to ensure that children remain a top national priority, are able to develop comprehensively, and become a vital source of human capital shaping the country's future.

She noted that Viet Nam will continue to review and improve its legal and policy framework on children to ensure it meets new development requirements and aligns with international commitments.

One of the key priorities highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister is ensuring children's safety in the digital environment. While digital transformation has created greater opportunities for children to access knowledge, learn and connect with others, it has also exposed them to emerging risks.

To address these challenges, Viet Nam will continue refining policies and developing solutions to better protect children online, prevent violence, abuse and exploitation, and mitigate risks that may affect their healthy development.

The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the importance of allocating sufficient resources to support children's holistic development from early childhood through adulthood, with a focus on health, nutrition, education, life skills and a safe living environment.

Particular attention will be given to children in disadvantaged circumstances, ethnic minority children, children with disabilities, and those living in remote, border and island areas, ensuring that no child is left behind.

Speaking at the meeting, Silvia Danailov commended Viet Nam's efforts to promote children's rights, noting that the country was the first in Asia and the second in the world to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This, she said, demonstrates Viet Nam's early and strong commitment to protecting children's rights at the global level.

UNICEF recognizes that Viet Nam has made remarkable progress in establishing a relatively comprehensive legal and policy framework for children while continuously improving the implementation of children's rights in practice.

Silvia Danailov said UNICEF is currently developing a new five-year cooperation programme with Viet Nam, focusing on strengthening the child protection system, improving the quality of social services, and enhancing the capacity of professionals responsible for implementing child-related policies.

She added that UNICEF places particular emphasis on addressing challenges related to child protection in the digital environment. Although Viet Nam is among the regional leaders in this area, further improvements to the legal framework are still needed to tackle emerging forms of online child grooming, abuse and exploitation.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra affirmed that protecting, caring for and educating children is both an urgent responsibility and a long-term strategic priority. Viet Nam remains committed to prioritizing all necessary resources to ensure that every child can achieve holistic development in terms of physical, intellectual, emotional and aesthetic well-being.