Hanoi, July 30, 2026 – The Europe Today: The Vietnamese Government has unveiled a comprehensive national programme aimed at strengthening child protection, preventing abuse and violence, and significantly reducing child labour between 2026 and 2030, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a safe, healthy and supportive environment for every child.
The programme, approved through a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, outlines a wide-ranging strategy to enhance child welfare, provide timely protection for vulnerable children, and expand access to education, healthcare and social support services.
Under the initiative, the government seeks to reduce incidents of child abuse, violence and sexual exploitation nationwide while ensuring comprehensive assistance for child victims, children at risk of exploitation and neglect, and those living in particularly vulnerable circumstances.
A key objective of the programme is to equip all school students with age-appropriate life skills and self-protection knowledge by the end of the decade. The curriculum will include education on preventing abuse, school violence, online threats and child labour, enabling children to better safeguard their rights and well-being.
The programme also aims to strengthen the professional capacity of officials, public servants and service providers working in child protection, healthcare, education and social assistance. Additionally, 90 percent of businesses, cooperatives, household enterprises and service establishments are expected to receive guidance on preventing, identifying and reducing child labour.
Vietnam has set ambitious targets under the programme, including reducing cases of child violence and sexual abuse by at least five percent annually and lowering the child labour rate among children aged five to 17 to below 1.1 percent by 2030.
To improve enforcement, authorities will accelerate investigations into child abuse cases, provide timely support to victims, and establish a modern case management database that utilizes information technology and digital transformation to strengthen child protection services.
The programme also calls for strengthening the legal framework by amending the Law on Children and related legislation in line with national priorities and Vietnam’s international commitments. It envisages clearer standards for child protection services, improved criteria for identifying child labour and at-risk children, and stronger coordination among government agencies.
Particular attention will be given to sectors considered vulnerable to child labour, including agriculture, supply chains, household businesses, small-scale production facilities and traditional craft villages. Children withdrawn from labour will receive assistance to return to school, access vocational training and benefit from social welfare programmes, while their families will be supported through livelihood improvement and poverty reduction initiatives.
The government is also encouraging businesses and cooperatives to establish internal monitoring systems to assess and prevent child labour risks within their supply chains as part of responsible business practices.
Emphasizing a whole-of-government approach, the programme calls for closer coordination among the health, education, justice, legal aid and social security sectors to create an integrated child protection network capable of delivering timely and effective services.
Vietnam also plans to expand international cooperation by accelerating regional and global partnerships and mobilizing technical assistance from international organizations and development partners to strengthen child protection, combat violence and sexual abuse, and further reduce child labour across the country.
