Viet Nam’s Music Against Child Labour song competition now open for entries

The competition aims to harness the power of music to raise awareness of child labour.

Press release | 27 April 2021
© ILO
HANOI – Professional and amateur musicians of all ages and from all genres are invited to join Viet Nam’s Music Against Child Labour song competition by submitting a song to inspire action against child labour.

The competition was launched on 27 April 2021 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Viet Nam Musicians’ Association, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children International, and Good Neighbors International.

Marking the UN International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, the competition is expected to raise public awareness of child labour, which affects nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide and 5.3 per cent of Vietnamese 5-17 year-olds, or more than 1 million children in the country.

While child labour has decreased by almost 40 per cent over the last two decades, globally, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse this progress.

“Child labour perpetuates intergenerational poverty by keeping the children of the poor out of school and limiting their opportunities for social mobility. Child labour deprives children of the brighter future they deserve – as a result, it deprives the society of a better future,” said ILO Viet Nam Director, Chang-Hee Lee.

Children must be free to achieve their full potential, and protected from the dangers of labour exploitation and hazardous work."

Chang-Hee Lee, ILO Viet Nam Director
“Children must be free to achieve their full potential, and protected from the dangers of labour exploitation and hazardous work. This is both a moral, and an economic imperative. With increased participation in free trade agreements, businesses in Viet Nam are compelled to rid their supply chains of child labour.”

Viet Nam’s Music Against Child Labour song competition is open until 27 August 2021, with two categories for entrants: songs and concerts. Musicians, as individuals or groups, can submit a maximum of three entries to one or both categories.

All entries must be original and composed within the past two years.

A panel of technical experts and professional musicians will select two first prizes, as well as four second prizes, four third prizes and four fourth prizes for both categories.

Winners will receive certificates and cash prizes with a total value of VND168 million (US$7,300).

“We expect that the power of music harnessed by talented artists will enhance awareness of child labour at all levels of society,” said Director General of MoLISA’s Department of Children Affairs, Dang Hoa Nam, who is the chair of the organizing committee.

People’s Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi, the committee’s vice chair, and Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Musicians’ Association, has called on musicians and artists across the country to participate in the competition to join the fight against child labour and promote child rights through their entries.

The award ceremony will be organized on 21 September 2021.

The activity is part of the ILO project on Technical Support for Enhancing the National Capacity to Prevent and Reduce Child Labour in Viet Nam (ENHANCE). The project is funded by the US Department of Labour.