(VNA) - An UNICEF official affirmed on June 23 that the agency will continue working with the Vietnamese Government to ensure the rights of all children in Viet Nam.

Rima Salah, UNICEF Vice Executive Director and former UNICEF Viet Nam head representative, made the affirmation at a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of UNICEF cooperation with Viet Nam in Ha Noi on June 23.

Salah's colleague, who is currently in charge of UNICEF in Viet Nam, Christian Salazar, said that the agency will provide technical assistance to help with the making of policies and laws to ensure the more effective implementation of children's rights.

Salazar said his agency has pledged 84 million USD for child care in remote areas, health care, nutrition, education, and the fight against HIV in Viet Nam in the 2006-2010 period.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem highlighted UNICEF's role and its dynamic cooperation with Viet Nam, describing the agency as "Viet Nam's loyal friend and reliable partner" over the past 30 years.

He expressed his hope that UNICEF will continuously assist Viet Nam, particularly in women and children issues, while underlining the Vietnamese Government's willingness to cooperate with the agency in future programmes.

UNICEF has maintained a presence in Viet Nam since June 23, 1975, when it joined the Vietnamese Government in developing and carrying out seven national programmes.

Since 1996, the agency's cooperation with Viet Nam has focused on fighting HIV/AIDS, gender inequality and narrowing the rich and poor gap. It has also helped the country implement the International Convention on Children's Rights with eight programmes in health, nutrition and clean water supply.

At the celebration, Le Thi Thu, Minister and Chairwoman of the National Committee for Population, Family and Children praised UNICEF's strong commitment to Viet Nam over the past three decades.

The agency has been instrumental in helping vaccinate 99 percent of the children in Viet Nam, eliminating polio, and reducing the rate of malnourished children to 25 percent, Minister Thu noted.