Vietnam attends UNHRC meeting on ethnic minorities
(VOV) - Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Deputy Minister Hoang Xuan Luong, led a delegation to the fifth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on ethnic minorities held in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 27-28.
At the event, Luong delivered a speech on Vietnam’s achievements and measures to ensure the rights of ethnic minorities.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese State’s consistent policy is that all ethnic groups are equal and united, respect and support each other for mutual development.
Since 1992, Vietnamese law has been always revamped to meet the fundamental rights and legal interests of ethnic minorities. Over the last 10 years, the National Assembly (NA) has promulgated 38 laws directly relating to this issue.
Up to 17.27 percent of NA deputies belong to ethnic minority groups.
Ethnic groups see their cultural identities respected and their languages taught in State education. All communes in ethnic minority areas are connected by road and have electricity, clean water, schools, post offices and healthcare centres, most of them have access to entertainment services like television and radio.
The Vietnamese delegation pointed out that despite gaining important achievements, ensuring the rights of ethnic minority people face difficulties as they are in remote locations, have poor quality human resources, insufficient land for farming, difficult living conditions and limited access to social services.
Luong said that in the coming time, the Vietnamese State will continue revising its legal system and policies, increase investment for areas inhabited by ethnic minority people, focus on solving the issues of agricultural land and water for daily use, as well as ensuring regulations on grassroots-level democracy.
The State will support ethnic minority people in improving their capacity and knowledge to help them effectively become involved in authority apparatus at all levels, he added.