Viet Nam

Thought this was interesting. I wonder what it would have been like if American influence had remained.

Nhan Dan Viet Nam

NA adopts Law on Child Care, Protection and Education

The National Assembly on Monday passed the revised Law on Child Care, Protection and Education which governs the basic rights and responsibilities of children and the duties of families, the State and society in protecting, caring and educating children.

The revised law, which will take effect from January 1, 2005, includes five chapters and 60 articles, an increase of 34 articles as compared to the 1992 law.

Item four of Article 27 states that the Government will allocate part of its annual budget to the Public Health Ministry and provincial People’s Committees to ensure free medical care for children under six in central and local health care units. The law has one new chapter governing the care, protection and education for children in special difficulties such as orphans, disabled and street children, Agent Orange victims and HIV/AIDS patients.

Apart from the rights that protect them, children are not allowed to drop out of school or live on the street, gamble, use alcohol, tobacco or other stimulants that are dangerous to their health, or exchange and use depraved cultural products or aggressive toys.

On the same day, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo presented a report on the revised draft Law on Forest Protection and Development, stressing the necessity to issue forest insurance policies and set up a fund for forest protection and development, thus easing the State budget’s burden and contributing to the country’s international integration.

The bill includes eight chapters and 86 articles, one chapter less and 32 articles more from the existing law. It details the planning process, the ownership and rights of forest use, responsibility of individuals and organisations related to forests and forest protection.

A number of articles in the existing law have become obsolete and situation warrants urgent revision to secure sustainable forest management. The law has over the past 10 years helped increase forest coverage to 35.8% in 2002 from 28% in 1992. The country has planted another1.9 million ha of forests in the last decade and preserved 9.8 million ha of original forests. Presently, 7.35 ha of bare hills are left untapped across the country.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mai Ai Truc read a report regarding separate plans to use land by 2005 and 2010. It is expected that a total of 29,552,700 ha of land will be used by 2010, accounting for 89.76 of the natural land and an increase of 5,911,400 ha as compared to 2000.