Latest survey undertaken in 2018 finds more than 1.7 million children participating in economic activities across Viet Nam, among whom more than 1 million are engaged in child labour. Viet Nam’s second National Child Labour Survey  launched  on 18 December identifies an estimated 5.3 per cent of the 5-17 year olds engaged in child labour. This accounts for more than 1 million children. Conducted by the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in coordination with the General Statistics Office with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the rate of child labour in Viet Nam is approximately 2 percentage points lower than the regional average for Asia and the Pacific.

 Policies to support the impoverished, particularly children, the elderly and ethnic minority people, should be completed to ensure that no one is left behind, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said.

 According to a report released by UNICEF in 2016, Vietnam had 6.2 million people with disabilities, accounting for 7% of total population.  

 A meeting on bullying at school and online in ASEAN was held on November 26 by the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the ASEAN Secretariat, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Attending the conference were Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha; Mr. Marcoluigi Corsi, Deputy Director of UNICEF office of Easten Asia - Pacific region, representatives from the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), ASEAN specialist bodies working in education, health, information and communications, the ASEAN Secretariat, the UNICEF office in Vietnam, international organisations, and ASEAN partners...

On November 25th, the Ministry of Labour -Invalids and Social Affairs cooperated with the World Bank to organize the seminar on "Pilot of non-cash payment for social protection policies". Participants of this seminar included Deputy Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung, leaders of Social Protection Department, Vietnam Post Corporation (Vietnam Post), World Bank and representatives of ministries, branches, departments, central and local agencies.

To enhance the cooperation in direction, implementation the measures of child protection and child abusement combat, on November 24, in Hanoi, a cooperation agreement on child protection was signed between the Department of Child Affairs under the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs and Vietnam Post. Attending the event were Deputy Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Nguyen Thi Ha; Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Pham Anh Tuan; representatives from Goverment Office, Department of Child Affairs, MOLISA and Vietnam Post.

 The “International Workshop on Strengthening Stakeholders Cooperation in Promoting Active Ageing and Mental Health in ASEAN” is being co-held by the Ministry of Health, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), in both face-to-face and video conferencing forms.

 The ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit, initiated by Viet Nam, was virtually held on November 12  under the chair of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The event was part of the ongoing 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.