Vietnam Launches $9.2M U.S.-Funded Project on Preventing Child Labor by 2019

Vietnam on Nov 20 launched a project costing total $9.2 million on preventing and reducing child labor nationwide with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, state media reported. The total budget includes $8 million from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and $1.2 million contributed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). The project, which will be implemented from now till 2019, aims to support the efforts to prevent and reduce child labor in Vietnam. It is also expected to raise awareness of the issue throughout all levels of society and put an area-based intervention model in place to prevent and withdraw children at risk of or in the worst forms of child labor in certain areas. 5,000 children who are engaged in child labor in the country will receive the project’s support through the provision of educational services or improvement of working conditions for those above legal working age. Also 2,000 household members of these children’s families will receive support to improve their livelihood. In addition, the program will help Vietnam achieve its commitments to International Labor Organization’s (ILO) declarations to Fundamental principles and rights at work which were endorsed at International Labor Conference on 18th June 1998. According to the National Child Labor Survey conducted in 2012 by the General Statistics Office (GSO), 1.75 million children are engaged in child labor in Viet Nam, most of which work in agriculture. In particular, 600,000 children have to work over 42 hours a week (more than 6 hours a day) and most of them don’t make it to school. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te VietnamNov 24 p13, hanoimoi.com Nov 23, molisa.gov.vn Nov 20, phapluatplus.vn)