A/HRC/17/34/Add.1 Targeted Programme for Poverty Reduction recommended a more gender-sensitive approach36 and the independent expert urges the Government to fully implement this. 36. In drafting the new National Strategy on Population and Reproductive Health (20112020), the independent expert urges the Government to respect the right of individuals or couples to decide on the timing, number and spacing of their children, as is consistent with its international human rights obligations and the commitment of Viet Nam to the 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. A “two-child policy,” especially with provisions that penalize parents financially for a third child, undermines human rights and has particular implications for those living in poverty. 37. The independent expert emphasizes that the Government’s approach to family planning should instead be based on education and empowerment of women in line with its international human rights obligations. Good quality information and education regarding sexual and reproductive health and family planning is vital, not only in achieving good health outcomes but also in the fulfilment of human rights. This information must be accessible and free of charge to women and girls living in poverty no matter what their ethnicity, marital status or geographical location. C. Children 38. One of the first States to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Viet Nam has made remarkable progress in regard to children’s rights, with an unprecedented reduction in child poverty. However, according to a multi-dimensional assessment, almost one-third of Vietnamese children under the age of 16 still live in poverty, with a large urban-rural divide and regional discrepancies.37 39. Infant and child mortality halved between 1990 and 2006. However, rates are higher for the very poor, those living in remote regions, and ethnic minorities.38 Malnutrition is a concern, with 17.5 per cent of children under five affected nationally, rising to 24.7 per cent in the Central Highlands.39 Overall, children from ethnic minorities, children with disabilities and children affected by HIV/AIDS suffer from unequal access to social services, hampering their enjoyment of rights on an equal basis with other children. 40. Viet Nam has made impressive progress in the area of education, improving access at all levels, increasing budget allocations, building more schools and recruiting more teachers. However, again, significant disparities exist in educational opportunities and outcomes. For example, only 50 per cent of children in the North West complete primary school, compared to 90 per cent in the Red River Delta.40 Of particular concern are ethnic minority children, who face several disadvantages in regard to language barriers, lack of qualified teachers from ethnic minorities, and poor infrastructure. Ethnic minority girls are particularly disadvantaged: up to one-fifth of young women from ethnic minorities report that they have never attended school.41 The Government should undertake the necessary 36 37 38 39 40 41 Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and United Nations Development Programme, “Support for the Improvement and Implementation of the National Targeted Programme on Poverty Reduction”: Mid-Term Evaluation Report, 2009. UNICEF, An Analysis of the Situation of Children in Viet Nam 2010, p. 17. Viet Nam MDG National Report 2010, p. 54. Government of Vietnam, Ministry of Health. UNICEF, An Analysis of the Situation of Children in Viet Nam 2010, p. 183. World Bank, Vietnam: Country Gender Assessment 2006, p. 26. 11