Vietnam's consistent policy on the protection and promotion of human rights originates from the historical tradition of the Vietnamese people in the struggle to build and defend the country and the consistent goals of the Party and State of Vietnam: always taking people at the center of all policies and actions.

People are the center of all policies and actions

At the 41st regular meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a session to review Vietnam’s National Report on Human Rights under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism was held.

The UPR is the mechanism set by the UNHRC, under which all UN member states must review policies, laws, measures and results achieved in protecting and promoting human rights.

Photo: Vietnam's consistent policy on the protection and promotion of human rights originates from the historical tradition of the Vietnamese people in the struggle to build and defend the country and the consistent goals of the Party and State of Vietnam: always taking people at the center of all policies and actions.

At this meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation, reaffirmed Vietnam's consistent policy on the protection and promotion of human rights, stemming from the historical tradition of the Vietnamese people in the struggle to build and defend the country and the consistent goals of the Party and State of Vietnam: always taking the people at the center of all policies and actions.

Mr. Le Hoai Trung also updated the UNHRC on the status of human rights protection and promotion in Vietnam in the last 6 months.

The Deputy Minister emphasized Vietnam's top priority is to build a rule-of-law state and legal reform, as shown in many activities that were the center of attention of Vietnamese voters and international community at the 7th session of the recent 14th National Assembly and Vietnam’s issuance of a number of important decrees and circulars related to human rights in 2019.

Other evidences are Vietnam’s comprehensive achievements in socio-economic development, especially in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction, the resources allocated for social security; the broad access to information technology of Vietnamese people; and the country’s policies to ensure and promote religious life, beliefs, and the rights of workers.

Deputy Minister Le Hoai Trung also informed the UNHRC on Vietnam’s approval of 241 out of 291 recommendations made by the member states, reaching a reate of nearly 83%. These are important and comprehensive contents of human rights assurance, especially the improvement of the legal system, measures to ensure civil and political rights, as well as economic, social, cultural rights and institutional strengthening to protect human rights and new issues on migration, climate change, environment and sustainable development.

Member states appraise Vietnam’s efforts to ensure human rights

In Vietnam, people are the center of all policies and actions

The Vietnamese delegation also addressed Vietnam’s disapproval of some recommendations due to their incompatibility with Vietnamese policies, laws and practical conditions. These recommendations are mainly related to the accession to specific international treaties, the amendment of newly promulgated laws, the proposal to abolish or stop the death penalty, or the use of concepts and incorrect information about Vietnam’s situation.

At the meeting, representatives of member countries and many international organizations, non-governmental organizations welcomed the efforts to ensure human rights in Vietnam; recognized Vietnam's achievements in judicial reform, improving the laws on human rights, making efforts to continuously improve the lives of people, ensuring social security, and the rights of vulnerable groups, respond to the impacts of climate change, improving access to public services, ensuring freedom of religions, beliefs, and the right to access to information.

Many countries also appreciated Vietnam's serious participation in the UPR process in general and the consideration and approval of recommendations in particular, especially the approval with a high percentage of UPR recommendations, Vietnam's proposed plan for implementing the accepted recommendations.

At the end of the meeting, the UNHRC unanimously decided to approve the results of Vietnam's third UPR Report. The session marked the successful conclusion of the review and reporting phase of cycle III on the implementation of the recommendations made by member countries in the second cycle in 2014 regarding the protection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam. Vietnam will enter the phase of implementation and review of the report for the next cycle, expected to begin in 2023.

Hoa Binh