Vietnam News Today (May 8): Vietnam Ready For Open And Frank Dialogue On Human Rights At UNHRC

At the dialogue on Vietnam’s national report on human rights protection and promotion under the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.

Vietnam ready for open and frank dialogue on human rights at UNHRC

The dialogue on Vietnam’s national report on human rights protection and promotion has garnered significant international attention, with approximately 140 countries registering to deliver statements and pose questions.

On May 7, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet led a Vietnamese delegation to attend a dialogue on Vietnam’s national report on human rights protection and promotion under the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.

Ready for Frank Dialogue

Vietnam’s report was submitted under the UNHRC’s fourth cycle of the Universal UPR mechanism at a time when the country holds a second-term membership on the UNHRC for 2023 to 2025, while preparing to seek re-election for the 2026 to 2028 term.

The report drew contributions from numerous central and local agencies and underwent several rounds of consultation with partner countries, international organizations, socio-political organizations, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, and individuals both domestically and internationally.

In a recent media interview ahead of the dialogue, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet stated that approximately 10 to 15 ministries and agencies would join the Vietnamese delegation at the event.

The delegation is tasked with presenting the report, responding to inquiries, providing additional information, and sharing data and new arguments related to promoting human rights in Vietnam, as well as the nation’s various achievements. It will also highlight the various challenges encountered, thereby attracting greater attention and support from countries and international organizations for this process.

“One interesting aspect is that the dialogue coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, through which we can emphasize to the international community the importance of peace in promoting and protecting human rights globally. We can share Vietnam’s experience with other countries and convey a message of peace and development to ensure human rights,” said Deputy Minister Viet.

The Party and State maintain consistent policies aimed at upholding human rights. Indeed, the country stands ready to engage in dialogue and discussions on disagreements with other nations, in the spirit of cooperation, equality, and constructive engagement, in order to foster mutual understanding and share valuable experiences in ensuring human rights, as reported by VOV.

In line with its independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy, and its unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting human rights, Vietnam firmly supports the UNHRC’s UPR mechanism. The country submits national reports, action plans, and effectively implements recommendations accepted in the three previous UPR cycles.

In this spirit, the delegation intends to deliver a comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s human rights progress since the previous UPR review. This includes updates on relevant policies, legal frameworks, socio-economic development, and the current human rights situation in the country. Additionally, they will discuss progress on implementing recommendations accepted during the previous review while outlining the country’s future priorities and commitments regarding human rights.

Challenges and Human Rights Achievements

Since the first cycle of the UPR mechanism, Vietnam has made remarkable progress in ensuring and promoting human rights. The country has continuously refined its legal system, notably with the adoption of the 2013 Constitution which includes a separate chapter on human rights, and has subsequently developed and improved 100 different legal documents based on the Constitution.

During the last third cycle alone, in implementing recommendations, Vietnam has supplemented, amended, and enacted approximately 40 new legal documents in order to progressively enhance its domestic legal framework, thereby establishing a solid foundation for human rights protection and promotion.

Furthermore, the growth of media agencies, the internet, and social media platforms clearly demonstrates Vietnam’s policies of encouraging and promoting freedom of speech and press, enabling the voices of citizens and socio-political organizations to reach the Party, the Government, and the National Assembly. This has allowed Vietnam to continuously refine its legal policies and implementation processes.

In 2023, Vietnam achieved economic growth exceeding 5%, while the poverty rate declined to 3%. The country also continued to allocate an annual average of around 3% of its GDP to social security.

In the previous year, Vietnam exported over eight million tonnes of rice, contributing to ensuring food security and food rights for millions of people in numerous regions around the globe.

Vietnam’s priorities as a member of the Human Rights Council include protecting vulnerable populations, promoting digital transformation, and ensuring both gender equality and human rights.

In June, at the 56th session, Vietnam will propose an annual resolution on ensuring human rights in the context of climate change.

The achievements in ensuring human rights and civil liberties demonstrate the unwavering commitment and determination of the Vietnamese State, particularly in light of various challenges and complexities stemming from the volatile global political and socio-economic landscape.

The Vietnamese State consistently strives to strengthen the legal system and ensure the legal enforcement of human rights across a range of fields.

Notably, regarding the right to freedom of belief and religion, Article 24 of the 2013 Constitution of Vietnam stipulates that “Everyone has the right to freedom of belief and religion, and has the right to follow any religion or to follow no religion. All religions are equal before the law”.

The Vietnamese State safeguards and creates conditions for religious organizations to establish religious training facilities and initiate religious training classes.

Currently, religions have been recognized, and their operations have been licensed by the State, representing an increase of 10 religions and 35 organizations compared to before the enactment of the Law on Beliefs and Religions.

Vietnam’s international religious activities are continuously expanding, with numerous groups, organizations, individuals, and religions engaging in religious activities abroad each year.

Most notably, significant international religious events have been successfully hosted in Vietnam, such as the UN Vesak Day 2019 organized by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

In terms of the Rights of Ethnic Minorities, Vietnam is a unified country comprising 54 ethnic minority groups, of which 53 ethnic minorities account for 14.68% of the total population.

Ethnic minorities enjoy special privileges according to the provisions of the Constitution and the law, such as the guarantee of the right to participate in the political system and State management. They also have the right to run for election to the National Assembly and People’s Council in accordance with Articles 27 and 28 of the 2013 Constitution.

The proportion of ethnic minorities participating in the political apparatus is increasing, with the number of National Assembly deputies who are ethnic minorities consistently representing a high proportion compared to their population ratio in the last three National Assembly terms.

In recent years, poverty reduction programs in Vietnam have been effectively implemented, contributing to significant improvements in the socio-economic situation in general, and in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in particular.

Vietnam has been a party to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) since 1982 and has defended its national report on the implementation of the CERD four times in 1983, 1993, 2000, and 2012.

Vietnam has also developed and defended its national report on implementing the