Hanoi (VNA)– National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a reception in Hanoion August 15 for Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator and UN DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP)’s Resident Representative; and Youssouf Adbel-Jelil, the UN ChildrenFund’s (UNICEF)’s Representative for Vietnam.

The top legislatorhailed the support of the UN and UNDP for socio-economic development in Vietnam,as well as the contributions of UNICEF to the sustainable growth and theprotection of children’s rights in the country.

Kamal Malhotracongratulated Vietnam on being the first country in Asia and second in theworld to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (in 1990). Since then,the NA and relevant agencies of Vietnam have exerted various efforts to protectand take care of children.

He expressed his hopethat Vietnam will continue the work towards changing the definition of achild’s ceiling age to that of 18 years old, as stated in the convention.

The NA Chairwomanagreed with Malhotra’s proposal, stressing that Vietnam has rolled out specificmeasures to ensure children’s rights, including building its legal system andthe formation of a National Committee on Children.

In order to better respondto realistic requirements amidst international integration, as well as fullypromote children’s rights, the NA has made comprehensively adjustments to andapproved the Child Law 2016, making it coherent with regulations in theconvention and other relevant international commitments, she noted.

She said that theChildren Law 2016 regulates that children are those under the age of 16, butthe country’s law defines that only citizens from the age of 18 years old andup can bear full responsibility before the law. Those aged between 16 and 18are adolescences and still protected by the law, she added.

The NA of Vietnam has regularlysupervised the implementation of the Child Law 2016, while continuing toresearch theoretical, scientific and realistic foundations to consider thechange in defining the age of children, said the top legislator.

Adbel-Jelil also spokein recognition of Vietnam’s special policies to protect citizens aged between16-18 years old, while also applauding the NA’s role in safeguarding and caringfor children.

The VietnameseGovernment has shown strong determination in the work, evidenced through thenational online conference on August 6 on the protection of children againstviolence, abuse, and risks to their life and health, he noted.

The UNICEFrepresentative said that the fund is working with the Vietnamese NA StandingCommittee’s Institute for Law-Building Research to study the social impactsonce the change in definition of children’s age is applied.

The study, which isscheduled to conclude in late 2018, is expected to provide useful informationassisting the completion of the law and relevant policies of Vietnam, he said.

He also showed hispleasure at the partnership between UNICEF and the NA, pledging to continueoffering financial support to the process, which he described as a priority forUNICEF in 2019. –VNA