Project supports youth strategy’s implementation    Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City - The Ministry of Home Affairs and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam held a conference on November 24 in Ho Chi Minh City to review a project to enhance Vietnam’s capacity in implementing youth strategy from 2011 to 2020. The project was launched across the country in 2012 with the support of the UNFPA in Vietnam.  Its general objective is aid the implementation of Vietnam’s youth strategy for 2011-2020 through interdisciplinary coordination and encouraging policies and getting youngsters engaged in providing other youths with information on sexual health. Vu Dang Minh, head of the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that the project has helped devise policies for youths and encouraged them to get involved in building policies and programmes for youths. The project’s activities have resulted in an improvement in capacity of the youth in the work, he said. However, he also pointed to a number of difficulties in youngsters’ access to health care, education and employment. He proposed that the project prioritise the comprehensive development of the youth and their access to health care, as well as gender inequality. All activities should leave no one behind, especially vulnerable groups, said Minh. The Ministry of Home Affairs also suggested future cooperation plans, focusing on the building of a database on youths to serve policy-making. It is necessary to revise the 2005 Youth Law and build policies and programmes for the youth in line with requirement of integration period, according to the ministry.-VNA