Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Sept.11 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has ratified two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which were passed by the United Nations General Assembly on May 16, 2001.

These are optional protocols on the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, and the involvement of children in armed conflicts.

The ratification was announced at a press conference held in Ha Noi today, September 11, by Cabinet Minister Tran Thi Thanh Thanh, Chairwoman of Viet Nam's Committee for Child Protection and Care, and Uong Chu Luu, Vice Minister of Justice.

"These two protocols are international legal documents of important significance as they are considered as an expression of Articles 11, 34, 35 and 38 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in order to prevent the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, and the use of children in armed conflicts," Mrs Thanh told the conference.

The protocols were signed by Viet Nam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien on behalf of the State President at the UN Millennium Summit in New York on September 8 of last year. They were approved by President Tran Duc Luong on Sept.6 of this year.

"The signing and approval of these optional protocols reflect Viet Nam's Party and Government's efforts to promote child protection and care in the country as well as its determination to implement the UN Convention on the Rights," Mrs Thanh said.

She added, "The approval will pave the way for the enforcement of Viet Nam's policies and laws on the rights of the child and its national plan of action on Vietnamese children between now and 2010."

"Viet Nam will continue to revise its legal documents in accordance with these two protocols," Minister Thanh told the press conference.--VNA