Children in mountainous area (photo: Phan Tuan Anh/ VNA)

Dang Hoa Nam, Director of the Department of Child Affairs of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said Vietnam has about 1.7 million children participating in economic activities, accounting for 9.1% of all children between 5 and 17 years old. 58.8% of the children participating in economic activities are child labourers working mainly in agriculture, construction, and the service industry. Over the past years, Vietnam has made progress in reducing child labour.

Mr. Nam said: “We adhere to the child labor conventions of the International Labour Organization and international norms. The rate of child labour in Vietnam is below the average rate in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The rate of children participating in economic activities while going to school has increased from 44% to 63% over the past 10 years.

Vietnam has improved the legal framework for reducing child labour. The 2016 Law on Children and the 2019 Labour Code both include strong legal regulations on child labour.

The Vietnamese government has joined multiple international conventions on the rights of the child and combating child labour, including ILO Conventions 138 and 182.

Vietnam has adopted the national program to prevent and reduce child labour in the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030, which is being implemented through measures to support education, vocational training, and living conditions for children of poor families.

Ingrid Christensen, Director of the ILO in Vietnam, said Vietnam is a pioneering country within Alliance 8.7 in combatting forced child labor.

Vietnam aims to reduce the labour rate of children 5-17 years old below 4.9% by 2025 and below 4.5% by 2030. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and other ministries and localities will continue to improve child labour policies and incentives on education, vocational training, and social security. The Ministry will also strengthen child protection agencies to reduce child labour.