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

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet led a Vietnamese delegation on May 7 to attend a dialogue on the Vietnamese 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

The Vietnamese report was made under the UNHRC’s fourth cycle of the Universal UPR mechanism at a time when the country is serving as a member of the UNHRC for the second time for the 2023 to 2025 term and preparing to run for re-election for the 2026 to 2028 term.

The report received contributions from many central and local agencies, through many rounds of consultation with partner countries, international organisations, socio-political organisations, professional organisations, non-governmental organisations, research institutes, and many individuals both at home and abroad.

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

The delegation is set to present the report, respond to, provide more information, and share data and new arguments relating to promoting human rights in Vietnam and the nation’s various achievements. It will also share the numerous difficulties encountered, thereby attracting more attention and support from countries and international organisations for this process.

"One interesting thing is that the dialogue took place on the day marking the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory through which, we can affirm to the world the importance of peace in promoting and protecting human rights on a global scale. We can share Vietnam's experience with other countries and give the message of peace and development to ensure human rights," Deputy Minister Viet said.

The Party and State have consistent policies aimed at ensuring human rights. Indeed, the country is ready to engage in dialogues with others, even discussions on disagreements in the spirit of co-operation, equality, and construction, in order to increase mutual understanding and share valuable experience in ensuring human rights. 

In pursuit of a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification, and unwavering policy of protecting and promoting human rights of the Party and State, the nation supports the UNHRC’s UPR mechanism. It makes national reports, action plans, and effectively implements recommendations accepted in the three previous UPR cycles.

In this spirit, the delegation plans to deliver a comprehensive overview of Vietnamese 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 whilst outlining the country’s future priorities and commitments regarding human rights.

Challenges and human rights achievements

Over the past time, since the first cycle, the nation has made remarkable progress in ensuring and promoting human rights. The country has continuously fine-tuned its legal system, especially with the adoption of the 2013 Constitution which covers a separate chapter on human rights, as well as on the basis of the Constitution, the nation has built and ameliorate 100 different legal documents.

In the last third cycle alone, when implementing recommendations, the Vietnamese side has supplemented, amended, and passed about 40 new legal documents in order to gradually improve the legal system locally, thereby creating a very solid basis for human rights protection and promotion.

Furthermore, the development of media agencies, the Internet, and social media platforms also clearly demonstrates Vietnamese policies on encouraging and promoting freedom of speech and freedom of press so that the voices of the people and socio-political organisations can reach the Party, the Government, and the National Assembly (NA). Through this, the nation can increasingly refine its legal policies, as well as the implementation process.

In 2023, the Vietnamese economy achieved growth of over 5%, with the poverty rate falling to 3%, while also continuing to spend an annual average of about 3% of GDP on social security.

Last year saw the country export over eight million tonnes of rice as a contribution to ensuring food security and food rights for millions of people in many regions globally.

The country’s priorities when joining the Human Rights Council include protecting vulnerable groups, promoting digital transformation, and ensuring both gender equality and human rights.

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

The achievements in ensuring human rights and civil rights demonstrates the strong commitment and determination of the Vietnamese State, especially amid plenty of difficulties and challenges caused by the unstable impact of the world's political and socio-economic environment.

The Vietnamese State always make every effort to improve the legal system and ensure the legal enforcement of human rights across a variety of fields.

In particular, 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 law”.

The Vietnamese State ensures and creates conditions for religious organizations to establish religious training facilities and open religious training classes.

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

The international activities of religious groups domestically are increasingly expanding, with many groups, organizations, individuals, and religions engaging in religious activities abroad every year.

Most notably, international religious activities were successfully arranged in the nation such as the UN Vesak Day 2019 hosted by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

With the Rights of Ethnic Minorities, Vietnam is a unified country of 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 law, such as being guaranteed the right to become involved in the political system, and State management. This is in addition to being able to run for election to the NA and People's Council according to the provisions of Articles 27 and 28 of the 2013 Constitution.

The proportion of ethnic minorities participating in the political apparatus is increasing, with the number of NA deputies who are ethnic minorities always accounting for a high proportion compared to the population ratio in the last three NA terms.

In recent years, poverty reduction programmes in the nation have been effectively carried out as a contribution to marked improvements in the socio-economic situation in general and in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in particular.

The country has been part of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) since 1982 and has defended the 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 carrying out the 5th CERD from November 29 to November 30, 2023.