On November 20, 2024, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with partners including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), held a celebration of World Children's Day in Viet Nam.
Children are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. This year's celebration in Viet Nam, organized by UNICEF and its partners, issued a strong call for climate action to ensure that every child can grow up healthy and safe, shielded from climate and environmental threats.
The event emphasized the urgent need for climate action to guarantee all children the right to grow up and live in a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment amidst escalating climate and environmental challenges.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Deputy Minister of MARD, highlighted that children, as one of the most vulnerable groups to natural disaster risks, must be ensured the right to live in a safe and sustainable environment to achieve holistic development. As a key leader in Viet Nam's disaster prevention system, he reaffirmed that the top priority is ensuring children's access to clean water, nutrition, and education despite increasingly complex natural disasters and climate change.
"The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has partnered with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Training to develop educational materials, distribute handbooks, organize drawing competitions, and conduct disaster awareness training for children. These activities equip children with essential knowledge and encourage them to protect themselves and their communities actively," the Deputy Minister stated.
The ceremony served as a platform for intergenerational dialogue, bringing together representatives from the Climate Change Response Center, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, educators, students, and climate activists. Participants shared youth-led climate initiatives and encouraged greater awareness of environmental protection. These activities empower children to convey climate messages effectively and meaningfully.
World Children's Day commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on November 20 each year. Viet Nam's theme for 2024 aligns with the CRC's General Comment No. 26, adopted by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2023, which underscores children's right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment—a vital aspect of their well-being.