Photo: baovinhlong.com.vn

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Dinh, Quang Ninh, and Yen Bai province have all been selected to pilot the model. Each Children’s Council, comprised of members elected by children, will represent local children and operate on a voluntary and self-managed basis with the help of an Advisory Committee. Council decisions must be made at a scheduled meeting of the Council with the approval of a majority of the Council members. Each Council will have a chairman and 2-4 vice chairmen. At biannual meetings before the meeting of the Provincial or Municipal People’s Council, the Children’s Council will discuss the status of child rights and child participation, the implementation of child protection, child care, and child education policies, and other child-related issues. Annually, the Provincial or Municipal People’s Council will hold a special meeting to hear children’s opinions and work out appropriate child-related policies. Dao Hong Lan is Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs: “Vietnam protects and cares for all Vietnamese and foreign children living in Vietnam. The rights and responsibilities of children are clearly stipulated in the 2013 Constitution. The Law on Children is based on the International Conventions on the Rights of the Child to which Vietnam is a signatory.”

The Children’s Councils will debut in June. They will increase children’s awareness of the Law on Children and the International Convention on the Right of the Child, serve as an important channel for children’s opinions, and give children knowledge and skills that will help them become more dynamic citizens.