The event provided an opportunity for stakeholders to review the project's achievements, share good practices and put forward sustainable strategies for preventing and reducing child labour.
The workshop was attended by more than 100 delegates from the Embassy of the United States, government agencies such as the Authority of Information Security (Ministry of Information and Communications) and the Centre for Communication Consultancy and Services (Department of Children, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs), the ACE Project's implementing partners in three provinces and cities – Da Nang, Quang Nam and Dien Bien – representatives of World Vision International in Viet Nam, the Philippines and Cambodia, as well as representatives of international organisations and the media.
The ACE Project was implemented in Viet Nam from November 2022 to September 2024 with the aim of strengthening the capacity of the Government of Viet Nam to prevent child labour, including online sexual exploitation of children, and violations of acceptable conditions of work, through a comprehensive approach that encourages multi-stakeholder participation. The project focused its resources on strengthening the enforcement of policies and legislation, reinforcing support services for children at risk of child labour, and promoting cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental.
According to World Vision in Viet Nam, the project's baseline survey in 2023 showed that the three participating provinces and cities had not recorded any cases of children working in violation of the law. However, the risk of child labour remains ever-present, especially in the post-COVID-19 context.
"As a child-focused organisation, we always strive to protect children from all forms of exploitation and from risks that could harm their lives. We are delighted to witness the successful implementation of the ACE Project, which demonstrates our joint efforts to prevent and reduce child labour in Viet Nam. It also reaffirms our commitment to bringing life in all its fullness to every child, especially the most vulnerable," said Mr Doseba Tua Sinay, National Director of World Vision International in Viet Nam.
"What impressed me most is that the project always listened to the aspirations and needs of the locality, and on that basis implemented activities and interventions suited to the local context while making the most of locally available resources. As a result, we have been able to prevent and reduce child labour effectively in Dien Bien province," said Ms Trần Thị Nhuần, Head of the Division of Children and Gender Equality, Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Dien Bien province.
After more than two years of implementation, the project has achieved encouraging results: 1,152 child protection officers and collaborators have strengthened their capacity to prevent and reduce child labour, of whom 124 completed the project's training-of-trainers course. Sixty-two awareness-raising communication activities were organised for a range of target groups, including children, parents, household businesses and communities. More than 4,000 children at risk of child labour gained access to support services. Two child counselling and support points were established in Muong Ang district (Dien Bien) and Tam Ky city (Quang Nam). The project also developed an online course on child labour prevention, produced a set of communication and training materials, and created a song on preventing child labour.
Discussing the project's achievements, Ms Lưu Thị Bích Ngọc, Deputy Director of the Quang Nam Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said: "With this team of core trainers, we will work with localities to train grassroots officials and carry out awareness-raising activities to prevent child labour, as well as integrate this work into local child protection activities."
Based on current legislation, the project developed a child labour screening toolkit to identify victims and children at risk of child labour.
Ms Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà, Deputy Head of the Division of Social Protection and Children, Da Nang City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the screening results had provided information on the child labour situation in the three districts participating in the project. "This information has helped us develop plans to intervene and support children at risk of child labour in the locality, and has also supported the city in implementing its Programme on preventing and reducing child labour in violation of the law."
In response to the growing risks facing children online, the ACE Project worked with the Viet Nam Information Security Association (VNISA) to establish the Viet Nam Child Safety Online Club (VCSC). For the first time in Viet Nam, a club brings together technology companies providing online child protection services and products, non-governmental organisations working on child protection in Viet Nam, and individuals who share the goal of protecting and supporting children in cyberspace, contributing to the effective implementation of the Government's Programme "Protecting and supporting children to interact healthily and creatively in the online environment, 2021–2025". In its first year, the club reached an important milestone with the launch of a set of criteria for services and products that protect children online.
At the event, the three participating provinces and cities shared the results of project implementation in their localities, summarised lessons learnt and exhibited products highlighting the achievements and activities in each province.
A handover ceremony for the ACE Project's products, materials and toolkits was also held at the event, to help maintain and build on the results achieved and ensure the project's sustainability.
"We will continue to use the data collected through the screening toolkit to prioritise future interventions," affirmed Ms Nguyễn Thị Thu Hương, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. "With the toolkit developed by the project, we will also carry out annual screening to identify children at risk of child labour across the city. This will help ensure that every child at risk receives timely support and intervention."
Closing the event, Mr Rafiq Ahmed Mangi, Deputy Director of the ACE Project, expressed his gratitude to the partners for their commitment to strengthening the prevention and reduction of child labour, including online sexual exploitation of children, over the past period. He also expressed his confidence that, although the ACE Project has ended, the partners will continue to build on its results and sustain its activities in their localities.
"What we have achieved with the ACE Project is only a modest first step, but I believe it will lay the foundation for our partners' future activities. Going from zero to one is a challenging beginning, but having come through that stage, we believe in the ripple effect the ACE Project has created towards a future free of child labour," said Mr Rafiq Ahmed Mangi.
The project "Preventing Child Labour in Hazardous Conditions, including Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, and Violations of Acceptable Conditions of Work" (Against Child Exploitation – ACE) is funded by the United States Department of Labor and was first implemented in the Philippines from 2019. It aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Government of the Philippines to address and prevent hazardous child labour, including online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), and violations of acceptable conditions of work.
Building on the positive results achieved in the Philippines, the ACE Project was to be implemented in six districts in three provinces and cities in Viet Nam: Tuan Giao and Muong Ang districts (Dien Bien), Lien Chieu, Son Tra and Hai Chau districts (Da Nang), and Tam Ky city (Quang Nam). The project pursued three expected outcomes. First, to strengthen the enforcement of laws and policies on hazardous child labour, including online sexual exploitation of children, and violations of acceptable conditions of work. Second, to strengthen support services for victims of hazardous child labour and online sexual exploitation of children. Third, to strengthen partnerships to accelerate action against hazardous child labour, including online sexual exploitation of children, and violations of acceptable conditions of work.
World Vision International in Viet Nam is a leading organisation in promoting and ensuring child well-being. World Vision is driven by the hope that every child has the potential to develop fully – intellectually, physically and emotionally. World Vision works alongside government authorities, donors, communities and children to create positive impact and improve the quality of life of people and children. Across nearly 100 countries, World Vision International has been working tirelessly with partners to improve the lives of more than 200 million vulnerable children worldwide, including more than 200,000 children in Viet Nam who benefit directly from programmes and projects supported by World Vision. World Vision has been licensed to operate in Viet Nam since 1988. To date, the organisation has received the support and cooperation of the Government in implementing programmes and projects in 14 target provinces and cities across the country.