The 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council recorded Vietnam's outstanding mark

On April 4, at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva (Switzerland), the 52nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) ended, completing the agenda set out at the beginning of the session, with 43 resolutions adopted, including the Resolution on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action proposed and drafted by Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang attends the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Photo: VNA

According to VNA correspondent in Geneva, the Human Rights Council completed the 52nd Session with a large workload and a record-long meeting time. The session took place mainly in person for more than 1 month - from February 27 to April 4 - with contents such as: high-level meeting (from February 27 to March 2); 9 thematic discussion sessions (reviewing 5 years of implementing the UN Strategy on Youth and directions for the coming time, death penalty, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, Voluntary Fund to implement recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), children's rights in the digital environment); a series of discussion sessions and dialogues with about 45 Special Procedures and human rights mechanisms of the UN; discussion sessions and dialogues on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, Myanmar, North Korea, Syria, Ethiopia, Venezuela, etc. At the Session, the Human Rights Council also reviewed and discussed more than about 80 reports; consulted and considered 43 draft thematic resolutions; adopted UPR reports of 14 countries; and approved the decision to appoint 10 personnel for Special Procedures. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, attended the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term. In addition to highlighting Vietnam's achievements in national development and ensuring human rights, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang proposed an initiative to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action with a document of the UN Human Rights Council. Implementing this initiative, Vietnam has made efforts to build a Core Group with diverse members representing all regions of the world, while promoting negotiations related to the draft Resolution on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. On April 3, the Resolution was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council by consensus, with 102 countries (as of late afternoon of April 4, 2023, Geneva time) participating in co-sponsorship, including 14 co-authors (including Vietnam, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Fiji, India, Panama, Romania, South Africa and Spain). This result shows that the countries acknowledge and appreciate Vietnam's efforts and goodwill in the negotiations, and at the same time demonstrates that the content of the Resolution is balanced, timely, and meets the common interests and priorities of all groups of countries on the anniversary, as well as promoting the importance of the Declaration and the Declaration mentioned above. In addition, the Vietnamese delegation also actively spoke at many meetings, discussing the guarantee of specific rights such as the right to housing; the right to food; the right to culture; the right to development; the right to children; fair, equal, timely and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines... In their speeches, the Vietnamese delegation highlighted the consistent policy, efforts and achievements in promoting and protecting human rights; affirmed Vietnam's commitment to sustainable development for the benefit of the people; emphasized the need to address inequality and protect vulnerable people; called for addressing global challenges such as climate change; affirmed Vietnam's commitment to strengthening constructive cooperation with countries, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council and its mechanisms to promote and protect human rights for all on the basis of respect for the UN Charter, international human rights treaties, ensuring national sovereignty and the principles of objectivity, fairness, constructive dialogue and cooperation. Together with ASEAN countries, the Vietnamese delegation made a number of joint statements on topics of common interest and sharing among ASEAN countries such as the right to development, technical cooperation and capacity building on human rights, and the UPR.

Regarding the topic of climate change and human rights, which is a priority for our country and other countries, Vietnam, together with Bangladesh and the Philippines - members of the Core Group on Climate Change and Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council for many years - drafted and issued a Joint Statement on Climate Change and Human Rights at this Session, attracting a large number of co-sponsoring countries. In addition, the Vietnamese delegation actively contacted, exchanged and consulted with delegations from other countries, co-sponsored a number of initiatives in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation; performed the duties of a member of the UN Human Rights Council in the consultation process, and voted to approve 43 draft Resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council. The active participation of the Vietnamese delegation at the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council demonstrates Vietnam's efforts and responsibility as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term; At the same time, it conveys a strong message about Vietnam's consistent viewpoints, policies, and achievements and ASEAN's common viewpoints and achievements in promoting and protecting human rights; thereby contributing to working with other countries to ensure that the activities of the Human Rights Council are consistent with the basic principles of the UN Charter and international conventions on human rights.

To Uyen - Van Tuan (Vietnam News Agency)