After over 30 years of opening up, Vietnam has experienced remarkable developments in both the scale of its economy and the quality of life for its people. In the past, Vietnamese enterprises were provided with conditions to grow, expanding production with a priority placed on profit. This inadvertently led to a "habit" that is challenging to break, where businesses tend to overlook environmental and social factors to optimize profits. This may be difficult to change unless the global economy undergoes a significant transformation, bringing attention to the negative impacts of production and business activities when social and environmental factors are disregarded.
Issues related to children through actual business production activities are occurring on a daily basis. For example, in some industrial clusters, when workers with young children are employed in manufacturing plants, there may be no childcare facilities or school systems on-site for them to conveniently drop off and pick up their children during the workday. This leads to them having to send their children back to their hometowns or leave them at private facilities that do not meet the required infrastructure conditions. The second example has been a persistent and troubling issue for many years, as numerous businesses intensify and expand production recklessly, neglecting environmental factors by discharging untreated waste directly into water sources for residential areas, or emitting untreated pollutants right next to residential areas. This directly affects the basic living conditions of people residing in the surrounding areas, and, of course, children will unknowingly face dangerous health hazards. As a third example, some profit-driven businesses seek extreme optimization, resorting to employing underage labor, particularly in strenuous and hazardous tasks, exposing them to various risks such as low wages, violence, physical and mental abuse, and more. The mentioned examples are listed due to their negative impacts on children in various aspects, ranging from living conditions to physical and mental well-being.
With longstanding issues like these, raising awareness and demanding that businesses respect and apply children's rights in their business principles is becoming a mandatory trend. Firstly, it is to protect the future for children, and secondly, it provides the key to sustainable development for the businesses themselves. In reality, there have been pioneering businesses that have respected and implemented principles regarding children's rights in business, achieving significant accomplishments. In Ho Chi Minh City, Phuong Nam Garment Company not only protects the legal rights of young workers (15-18 years old) but also enhances other related benefits, such as developing vocational skills, life skills, arranging age-appropriate work, or organizing career orientation sessions for young workers. In the My Phuoc Industrial Park, Binh Duong, a well-equipped facility covering 1,300 square meters has been established, including a kindergarten and two preschool classes, offices, a kitchen, a health room, and a parking lot for employees...
In terms of policies, our Party and State consistently make efforts to create conditions and encourage businesses to engage in responsible business practices. Recently, the Prime Minister issued the National Action Program to improve policies and laws to promote Responsible Business Practices in Vietnam for the period 2023–2027. This program underscores the importance of and aims to promote the implementation of action plans to enhance the role of responsible businesses and respect children's rights in business activities. Representing the business community, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and UNICEF, along with their partners, have collaborated on the project "Promoting Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) in Enterprises in Vietnam." The goal of this project is to provide technical assistance, raise awareness within the business community about children's rights through a series of seminars, roundtable discussions, specialized training sessions, and the publication of research and handbooks on children's rights in business. Through these activities, businesses can access useful knowledge, refer to it, and apply it to their business strategies. The activities organized by VCCI and UNICEF have been highly effective, contributing valuable expertise to improve policies and build a comprehensive legal framework on children's rights. They have had a positive impact, reaching thousands of businesses in various sectors.
As mentioned, changing the perception and perspective of businesses regarding children's rights is not an overnight matter but requires an extended period for transformation. This involves reshaping the business model and integrating economic interests with social responsibility. To achieve these goals, the Party and State need more timely and effective policies to enhance the role and importance of children's rights in business. Additionally, the business community needs to raise awareness, shift away from conventional thinking, and move towards conducting business activities that align with social and community responsibilities. Only through such efforts can the younger generation of Vietnam have a promising future in a sustainably developing national economy.
With longstanding issues like these, raising awareness and demanding that businesses respect and apply children's rights in their business principles is becoming a mandatory trend. Firstly, it is to protect the future for children, and secondly, it provides the key to sustainable development for the businesses themselves. In reality, there have been pioneering businesses that have respected and implemented principles regarding children's rights in business, achieving significant accomplishments. In Ho Chi Minh City, Phuong Nam Garment Company not only protects the legal rights of young workers (15-18 years old) but also enhances other related benefits, such as developing vocational skills, life skills, arranging age-appropriate work, or organizing career orientation sessions for young workers. In the My Phuoc Industrial Park, Binh Duong, a well-equipped facility covering 1,300 square meters has been established, including a kindergarten and two preschool classes, offices, a kitchen, a health room, and a parking lot for employees...
In terms of policies, our Party and State consistently make efforts to create conditions and encourage businesses to engage in responsible business practices. Recently, the Prime Minister issued the National Action Program to improve policies and laws to promote Responsible Business Practices in Vietnam for the period 2023–2027. This program underscores the importance of and aims to promote the implementation of action plans to enhance the role of responsible businesses and respect children's rights in business activities. Representing the business community, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and UNICEF, along with their partners, have collaborated on the project "Promoting Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) in Enterprises in Vietnam." The goal of this project is to provide technical assistance, raise awareness within the business community about children's rights through a series of seminars, roundtable discussions, specialized training sessions, and the publication of research and handbooks on children's rights in business. Through these activities, businesses can access useful knowledge, refer to it, and apply it to their business strategies. The activities organized by VCCI and UNICEF have been highly effective, contributing valuable expertise to improve policies and build a comprehensive legal framework on children's rights. They have had a positive impact, reaching thousands of businesses in various sectors.
As mentioned, changing the perception and perspective of businesses regarding children's rights is not an overnight matter but requires an extended period for transformation. This involves reshaping the business model and integrating economic interests with social responsibility. To achieve these goals, the Party and State need more timely and effective policies to enhance the role and importance of children's rights in business. Additionally, the business community needs to raise awareness, shift away from conventional thinking, and move towards conducting business activities that align with social and community responsibilities. Only through such efforts can the younger generation of Vietnam have a promising future in a sustainably developing national economy.