 The Vietnamese delegation attends a dialogue on Vietnam's national report under the UNHRC’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism in Geneva on May 7, 2024. (Photo: VNA) |
130 countries participated in the dialogue. Vietnam received about 300 recommendations relating to all areas of human rights.
Achievements in promoting and protecting human rights
Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet emphasized Vietnam’s consistent policies on promoting and protecting human rights.
"We have seen profound transformation in the country and the life of our people. From a country once left reliant on foreign aid, Vietnam has transformed into a leading global exporter of agricultural products, helping ensure regional and global food security. From once of the world's poorest nation, Vietnam has emerged as one of the fatest growing economies. Over about 3 decades, from 1989 to 2023, GDP per capita in Vietnam has increased 40 folds," Mr. Viet reported.
This is clear evidence of Vietnam's efforts and policies that put people at the center of development. Vietnam affirms its priorities in promoting and protecting human rights in the future, including building a socialist state governed by law, carrying out administrative reform, promoting positive dialogue and cooperation on human rights, and strengthening communications on human rights.
Vietnam provided information on issues raised by other countries, including working toward sustainable development goals, developing a green, inclusive economy, developing the Internet and social networks, freedom of speech, the right to access information, the rights of workers, and freedom of belief, religion, and study, joining and implementing the Conventions of the International Labor Organization, preventing human trafficking, complying with the Convention against Torture, and supporting ethnic minority groups.
Vietnam adheres to the principles of dialogue and cooperation, but respects differences and points out that there is no common model in human rights for all countries. Each country, given its own characteristics and conditions, must decide its own development path.
Participating countries praised Vietnam's achievements in economic development, social justice, and education on human rights, the rights of women, the rights of the LGBTQ community, and the rights of ethnic minorities.
 Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet (Photo: VOV) |
Implementing UPR recommendations to better ensure human rights
Since the UPR mechanism was established in 2006, Vietnam has fully participated in all reporting cycles and fully implemented allrecommendations. Vietnam's Universal Periodic Reviewsof Cycles I, II, and III were held in May 2009, February 2014, and January 2019.
Since the first cycle, Vietnam has made steady progress in ensuring and promoting human rights. Vietnam has steadily improved its legal system, included in the 2013 Constitution a chapter on human rights, and fine-tuned more than 100 legal documents. In the third cycle, 239 of 241 recommendations (99.2%) were completed or partially implemented.
"Vietnam pays great important on URP and is princiles of objectivity, transparency, dialogue, and cooperation. The national report on the 4th cycle captured the progress made in the implementation of those recommendations. The report was prepared in a comprehensive, inclusive, and transparent manner," Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet said.
He underlined that for Vietnam, the URP process goes beyond mere review and reporting responsibility. It is approached with the desire to identify areas for improvements and to take concrete actions to translate recommendations into meaningful improvements in the people's life.
At the UN dialogue, Vietnam affirmed its achievements in promoting human rights, and pledged to implement its obligations and commitments within the framework of international treaties on human rights to which it is a signatory. Vietnam wishes to promote dialogue and cooperation with other countries and the UN’s human rights mechanisms in a spirit of equality and mutual respect.