As many as 70% of Vietnamese children have experienced some forms of violent discipline with physical and psychological impact, Mr. Jesper Moller, UNICEF deputy representative said at a conference in Hanoi on Dec 9. Vietnam has two million children who suffer permanent physical and brain damage caused by malnutrition, three million children do not access to clean water and 1.75 million children are child labors, Mr. Moller said. Worse still, 100 children in Vietnam die every day of preventable causes, he said at the launch of UNICEF’s Children Rights and Business Principles. Furthermore, many children in Vietnam are now faced with challenges that come with growing economies such as urban migration, increased inequities, family breakdown, and reduced societal cohesion, the expert said. The situation requires stronger partnership between the Vietnamese government, civil society, businesses and faith-based organizations to achieve set goals for children, he said. He said that the government needs to support the development of private sector and encourage non-state actors in conducting corporate social responsibilities as this sector is one of the driving forces in economic growth. (www.un.org.vn [1] Dec 9)
