Vietnam makes much progress in human rights practices

A workshop to announce Vietnam’s third-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Country Report on Human Rights Practices was held in Hanoi on December 3 with the participation of Vietnamese officials and representatives of involved UN representatives.

At the workshop

The workshop acknowledged that Vietnam has implemented 175 out of the 182 recommendations by the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) second-cycle UPR which it accepted in June 2014.

According to Vietnam’s third-cycle UPR Country Report, the realization of the recommendations has left positive impacts on all aspects of society in Vietnam, especially in making human rights-related laws, ensuring social welfare, improving people’s living standards, and promoting cooperation and dialogues on human rights at regional and international levels.

Since the 2014 UPR, Vietnam’s achievements in socio-economic development and progresses in human rights practices have been acknowledged by the international community. In particular, the country has completed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule, and achieved initial results of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Vietnam’s per capita income has increased continuously while the income of poor households has hiked by 15-20 percent. Meanwhile, the multi-dimensional poverty rate dropped from 9.88 percent in 2015 to 7.69 percent last year.

Vietnam is among the countries in the region and world, which have enjoyed the fastest internet development pace; at present, more than 50 million Vietnamese or over 50% of the population are frequent internet users.

The report also highlights challenges and shortcomings related to the legal framework, resources and several other causes in protecting and promoting human rights in Vietnam, particularly in remote and mountainous areas and for disadvantaged groups.

It also recommends that the Vietnamese Government take several effective approaches in the coming time to create more favorable conditions for citizens, especially disadvantaged ones to exercise fundamental rights and freedom.

Speaking at the workshop, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Country Director for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen underlined the special significance of the implementation of the mechanisms to the UPR Working Group scheduled for January 2019.

She affirmed that the UNDP will continue to coordinate closely with the Vietnamese Government to realize mechanisms, in support of the protection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam.

The third-cycle UPR country report, approved by the Vietnamese Prime Minister on October 17, 2018 and submitted to the UNHRC on October 22, 2018, were drafted by 18 relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies, Dang Hoang Giang, Chief of the Foreign Ministry Office released at the event.

Translated by Thu Nguyen