A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet attended a dialogue on Vietnam's national report under the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism in Geneva on May 7.
In his opening speech and presentation of Vietnam's national report, Viet expressed the pride in engaging in the dialogue with other countries on the day of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, at the UN headquarters which witnessed the negotiation and signing of the 1954 Geneva Accords, and significant historical events in the national liberation struggle and anti-imperialist fight of the Vietnamese people and many other nations around the world.
Affirming Vietnam's consistent policy of protecting and promoting human rights, placing people at the centre, goal and driving force of its renewal and development process, he highlighted Vietnam's journey from a poor country to one of the fastest-growing economies deeply integrated into the global community.
Since the third UPR in 2019, Vietnam has continued fine-tuning its legal system and policies regarding human rights, leading to tangible progress. The rights to healthcare, education, social security, freedom of religion and belief, press freedom, and Internet access and gender equality have all made significant progress. Vietnam's rankings in the UN's Human Development Index (HDI) and Gender Equality Index (GEI) have also improved, he said.
He further added that the Vietnamese Government has enforced many policies and measures to protect people's health, boost post-pandemic socio-economic development, actively promote the transition to a green and digital economy, and fulfill Vietnam's commitments in line with international human rights conventions.
The event garnered high interest from over 130 participating countries. They congratulated Vietnam on its 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory and acknowledged its achievements in human rights, economic development, social justice and human rights education.
The Vietnamese delegation answered many questions, providing additional information about issues of shared concern, including sustainable development goals, inclusive and green economy, Internet and social network development, freedom of speech and information access, labour rights, the role of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy, freedom of religion and belief, basic conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), human trafficking prevention and support for ethnic minorities.
At the dialogue, Vietnam received about 300 recommendations encompassing a wide range of human rights issues.
On May 10, the UNHRC's UPR Working Group will consider a report on Vietnam's review, and then to submit it to the ỤNHRC for the official adoption at the council's 57th session in September-October.
