Vietnam spares no efforts to protect, promote human rights

Rising from wars, Vietnam has made continuous efforts to build a socialist state with the rule of law, which is of the people, by the people and for the people, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has affirmed.

The country’s efforts to fight for national independence and reunification for decades are to ensure all Vietnamese people can enjoy to the fullest their human rights, including those of living in peace, independence and freedom, and of deciding their destiny and development path, he said.

The adoption of the Constitution 2013 with an exclusive chapter on human rights and citizen rights and obligations and that of the over 90 subsequent legal documents related to human rights within four years were significant efforts to create an important legal framework for the protection of human rights and citizenship, he added.

Besides, Vietnam has strived to improve the institutional system and create material facilities to better ensure human rights, Minh said, adding that all socio-economic development projects, programmes and strategies are built on the people-centred and people-oriented basis.

These endeavours have brought positive outcomes in ensuring human rights in various fields from economy, society, and culture to civil and politics, the Deputy PM said.

Vietnam is one of the countries to implement successfully many UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule and is effectively carrying out the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), he noted.

The official cited that Vietnam has maintained an annual economic growth of over 6 percent for many consecutive years and still paid due attention to social development.

The rights of education, health care and accommodation have been strongly improved with universal preschool and primary school education in all the 63 cities and provinces, he said.

Meanwhile, the right of gender equality has been promoted with the rate of female deputies in the National Assembly and the People’s Councils at all levels standing at 27 percent, relatively high compared to other countries in the region.

In addition to the achievements, Vietnam has made active contributions to the world’s common, positive and progressive values of human rights.

Vietnam is actively involving at human rights forums of the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other mechanisms, during which the Southeast Asian country proactively puts forth initiatives on human rights and receives warm welcome from the international community, especially those on the rights of women, children, people with disabilities, and people vulnerable to climate change, Minh said.

In 2016 and 2018, Vietnam tabled two resolutions on the impact of climate change on the rights of children and women, which were adopted by the UN Human Rights Council.

Vietnam is also seriously implementing international commitments on human rights, including the enforcement of seven out of the nine treaties – to which Vietnam is a member – as well as commitments under the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The country has submitted its third-cycle UPR national report updating its efforts in improving the legal system and human rights policies. It is scheduled to participate in a dialogue with other member nations in January 2019.

To better ensure the rights of the people in the coming time, Vietnam will maximise efforts to perfect the state with the rule of law, strengthen the legal foundation and policies related to the protection and promotion of human rights, according to Minh.

It will push ahead with administrative reforms and improvement of the quality of public services as well as the prevention of corruption, promotion of democracy, and enhancement of the State apparatus operation, he said.

Deputy PM Minh added that Vietnam is committed to promoting the implementation of the SDGs, focusing on sustainable poverty reduction policies and narrowing the development gaps between geographical areas and population groups, especially the vulnerable.

The country will continue supporting dialogues and cooperation in the field of human rights and work with other nations worldwide to promote the rights of the people, he affirmed./.