2017 Vietnam-EU Human Rights dialogue: Enhacing mutual understanding
6/12/17
On
1st December 2017 in Hanoi the European Union and Vietnam held the seventh round
of their annual enhanced Human Rights Dialogue, under the EU-Vietnam
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The EU delegation was led by Ms Mercedes
Garcia Perez, Head of Division Human Rights in the European External Action
Services (EEAS). The Vietnamese delegation was led by Mr Vu Anh Quang, Director
General of the International Organisations Department of the Vietnamese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it included representatives from various
services, agencies and ministries.
The
Dialogue assessed recent developments in the field of human rights in Vietnam
and Europe, and was preceded by meetings with NGOs from Europe and Vietnam. The
Vietnamese Centre for Women and Development gave an overview of their work with
human trafficking and domestic violence victims, while the Centre for Supporting
Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin shared their experience, particularly about
working with children.
The
EU, once again, wrongfully considered the deterioration of civil and political
rights and discussed freedom of expression, association, assembly, religion and
belief and access to information. The EU also misunderstood about Vietnam’s
reallity and axpressed serious concerns about the extensive application of the
national security provisions in Vietnam’s Penal Code and noted the steep rise
in the number of detentions, arrests and sentencing of Vietnamese citizens
related to the expression of their opinions.
The
EU intended to ignore Vietnam’s achievements on respecting and romoting human
rights. It is clear that the country had made spectacular progress protecting
and promoting human rights in the course of its development. Viet Nam was
elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the 2014-16 tenure,
on November 12 with 184 approval votes out of 193, the highest among 14
countries elected to the 47-member council this time. Vietnam introduced to
other countries its consistent viewpoint and policy, the legal system as well
as the most outstanding achievements regarding human rights, while sharing
information and experience in fields of shared interests.
Viet
Nam has made it clear that its policy has its origin in the aspiration for
basic rights to freedom of the Vietnamese people, who used to be citizens of a
colonial country. Protecting and promoting human rights have its roots in the
consistent policy of the Party and State on protecting and promoting human
rights and actively participating in international cooperation in this field.
The
people have always been placed at the centre and been both the objective and
the driving force in the development process and the cause of comprehensive
reform in Viet Nam. The people's basic rights and freedom are institutionalised
in the Constitution and laws, and their enforcement is ensured by many policies
and mechanisms. The respect for and promotion of human rights have been
affirmed in the first chapters of the revised 1992 Constitution, which was
publicised for people's feedback during the revision process.
The
Vietnamese Party and State's consistent policy is also clearly reflected in
international partnerships in human rights protection and promotion. Viet Nam
is now a member of almost all the most significant global treaties on human
rights, including the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Conventions on
economic, socio-cultural rights, children's rights, and the elimination of all
forms of discrimination against women.
The
country will strengthen cooperation with the council's regimes and procedures
and be willing to work with other members of the council and international
partners to put forth initiatives to promote human rights and democratic values.
Vietnam’s policy is seeking to coordinate with the international community to
better protect human rights on the basis of respect to historical and cultural
differences and straightforward dialogue to narrow differences. Especially with
EU, the country does not want the issue of human rights to negatively impact
the The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA, which aims for both sides’
interests.
Hopefully
that in the eighth round of the enhanced Human Rights Dialogue, which will be
held in 2018 in Brussels, the EU would have a more positive and rightful view
about Vietnam’s human rights records./.
All comments [ 8 ]
It is the international community's recognition of the achievements the country has made in its comprehensive reform, policies and efforts regarding human rights.
One fact in Viet Nam's history is that human rights were included in the foreword of the Declaration of Independence that President Ho Chi Minh read to the Vietnamese's people and the world on September 2, 1945.
Hope the EU countries like Sweden, France have a right look about Vietnam's human rights situation and stop undermining the mutual relationship.
Even in the harsh conditions of the resistance war, the Vietnamese State made great efforts to ensure the rights and interests of the people.
The people's rights are also enforced more effectively through judicial and administrative reforms in Vietnam through last few years.
The global community highly valued Viet Nam as a spotlight in UNHCR's agenda involving poverty reduction, food security, improvement in the human development index and fulfilment of millennium development goals ahead of schedule.
Viet Nam has also joined 18 treaties of the International Labour Organisation on the rights of labourers.
The State of Viet Nam has made efforts to build and supplement domestic laws, abide by global treaties reached in the past, including the obligation to make periodic national reports.
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