CRC/C/VNM/CO/3-4 Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights in 2008, and notes the draft law on associations. However, the Committee remains concerned at the limited scope civil society is granted to monitor the fulfilment of children’s rights in the State party. The Committee is further concerned about the lack of effective coordination and cooperation between civil society and governmental offices with respect to the fulfilment of child rights. 26. The Committee emphasizes the important role that civil society plays as a partner in implementing the provisions of the Convention, including with respect to civil rights and freedoms. The State party is encouraged to continue to strengthen more systematically its cooperation with civil society, in particular rights-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other sectors of civil society working with and for children, throughout all stages of the implementation of the Convention. The Committee urges the State party to accelerate its efforts to bring the draft law on associations into force. B. Definition of the child (art. 1 of the Convention) 27. While noting the State party’s intention to amend the 2004 Law on the Protection, Care and Education of Children with a view to increasing the age of a “child” in conformity with the Convention, the Committee is concerned that in the State party, an individual is considered a child only until the age of 16, according to this Law in its present form. 28. The Committee urges the State party to expedite its efforts to amend its national legislation, and in particular the 2004 Law on the Protection, Care and Education of Children, in order to raise the child age by definition up to the age of 18, in line with the definition provided in the Convention. C. General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12 of the Convention) Non-discrimination 29. The Committee is aware of the efforts invested during the review period by the State party to eliminate discrimination against various vulnerable groups of children. This includes the adoption of special measures to improve the delivery of education and health services to children belonging to ethnic minorities, children with disabilities and migrant children. However, the Committee is seriously concerned at laws and practices that continue to discriminate against children and the persistence of both direct and indirect discrimination against children in vulnerable situations in the State party. In particular, the Committee is concerned at the following: (a) The continued stigmatization and discriminating societal perception of children with disabilities, leading to their marginalization in all settings; (b) Persistent disparities in service delivery for health, education and social protection between children who belong to the Kinh population and children who belong to ethnic minority populations. This is coupled with negative societal views against ethnic minorities; (c) Marginalization of migrant children as a result of their unregistered status and lack of access to basic public services; (d) Societal discrimination against girls who consequently drop out of school and engage in early marriage, especially in the mountainous areas, and such discrimination also resulting in the practice of aborting female foetuses. 6