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| Minister Bui Thanh Son speaks at the High-Level Session of the 55th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on February 26 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: Nhat Phong) |
Reaffirming Vietnam's priorities when participating in the UN Human Rights Council, including protecting vulnerable groups, gender equality, digital transformation and human rights, at the High-level Session of the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on February 26, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son shared that Vietnam has submitted a National Report under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle IV, in which it has fully implemented nearly 90% of the recommendations received in 2019.
To continue Vietnam's positive contributions, strong commitments and willingness to contribute, Minister Bui Thanh Son announced that Vietnam is running for re-election as a member of the UNSC for the 2026-2028 term. Taking advantage of this, organizations and individuals with ill will are trying to spread propaganda to undermine Vietnam's reputation.
Same old arguments
Immediately after the statement of the Vietnamese representative, the media, social networks RFA, and the Global Civil Society Alliance (CIVICUS) released articles attacking the human rights situation in Vietnam. RFA shouted "Vietnam needs to release prisoners of conscience if it wants to be re-elected to the Human Rights Council!"; exploiting the statement of Josef Benedict, CIVICUS's Asia-Pacific civil space advocacy expert: "The human rights record of this country is appalling and the state of civil space in this country is assessed by CIVICUS Monitor as "closed".
On this occasion, RFA made a baseless argument: “More than 20 people were sentenced to many years in prison, most of them for “propaganda against the state” or “abusing democratic freedoms” just for exercising basic human rights such as the right to express and share information… The social networking site of the terrorist organization “Viet Tan” distorted that “According to the 2024 annual Global Freedom Index Report of Freedom House, Vietnam is ranked in the group of countries “Not free” with only 19/100 points…
Taking advantage of the information that Vietnam is running for re-election to the UNSC for the 2026-2028 term, the fanpage “News BBC Vietnamese” posted an article distorting “a new wave of repression as Vietnam still wants a seat on the UNSC… According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) on March 5, there has been an increase in repression against critics of the Communist Party of Vietnam while the country’s government is campaigning for a seat on the UNSC for the next term”. The fanpage “Viet Tan” attacked “Just a few days after Vietnam announced that it would run for another term on the UNSC, the Ministry of Public Security arrested three more dissidents”.
This is not the first time Vietnam has been sabotaged when running for the UNSC. When Vietnam announced its candidacy for the 2023-2025 term, elements with ill will towards Vietnam immediately came up with tricks to obstruct Vietnam.
Under the guise of protecting “democracy” and “human rights”, these organizations are trying to create a “Global Magnitsky Act Response Movement” aimed at Vietnam, attracting and inciting the masses to demand freedom, democracy, and human rights according to Western standards.
Based on false information about the religious freedom situation and the human rights situation by some reactionary elements in the country, some non-governmental organizations with bad intentions towards Vietnam, some reactionary exile organizations against Vietnam, such as: Committee for Rescue of People from Overseas - BPSOS; "Protestants of Ethnic Minorities in the Central Highlands"; The US State Department periodically publishes Human Rights Reports, International Religious Freedom Reports, which contain a lot of one-sided information, distorting the human rights situation in Vietnam to attack.
Based on that, hostile forces have called on social networks to put Vietnam back on the list of "countries of special concern regarding religious freedom", demanding that the Vietnamese government release all lawbreakers whom they call "prisoners of conscience"...
Reality has proven that false and fabricated information does not undermine Vietnam's reputation. In the vote on October 11, 2022 at the UN headquarters, in the context of fierce competition among candidates, the international community for the second time placed its trust and chose Vietnam and 13 other countries as new members for the 2023-2025 term.
With 145/189, or nearly 80% of the total votes, Vietnam is among the countries that won the election with the highest number of votes. This result is a testament to the international community's recognition of Vietnam's efforts in ensuring and promoting human rights at the national and international levels.
After a year of fulfilling its role as a responsible member, Vietnam's prestige has been increasingly affirmed, as assessed by former President of the France - Vietnam Friendship Association Gérard Daviot: "Vietnam's election as a member of the Council of Human Rights is very legitimate, because Vietnam has outlined its goals for the entire journey and successfully realized them; it must be recognized that this is a recognition of the whole world".
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| High-level meeting of the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland (Source: Getty Images) |
Cannot distort the truth
Vietnam was one of the first countries to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and became a founding member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2006.
In the election of members of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, Vietnam was unanimously supported by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the sole candidate of ASEAN; and at the same time, the sole Asian candidate of the Francophone Community, demonstrating the trust and expectations of the international community for Vietnam's role and contributions in the field of human rights.
In its first year as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam has left many marks that have been recognized and highly appreciated by the international community. Vietnam has actively participated in the activities of the UN Human Rights Council, reflecting its views and sharing its experiences on important issues related to human rights, such as protecting the rights of women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, migrants; promoting the right to development, the right to participation, the right to social security, the right to the environment; responding to non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, epidemics, digital transformation; dialogue and cooperation with UN human rights agencies, international agencies and other countries.
Vietnam has played a leading role in introducing and promoting important initiatives and resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council, such as the Resolution on human rights in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Resolution on human rights and the environment, the Resolution on human rights and digital transformation, and the Resolution on human rights and drug policy.
Viet Na co-chairs side events on topics such as protecting human rights in the digital age, ensuring human rights in business activities, protecting human rights in humanitarian emergencies, etc.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet chaired and delivered the opening speech at the International Workshop on the Draft National Report under the UPR mechanism of the 4th cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on November 24, 2023 in Hanoi. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Vietnam participates in and implements international conventions on human rights that Vietnam has signed or acceded to. In addition, Vietnam seriously implements its international commitments and obligations on human rights, especially participating in the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2024.
Vietnam presented its national report on the human rights situation in the country, receiving many compliments and suggestions from other countries; accepted 241 out of 291 recommendations of the UPR, demonstrating openness, cooperation and commitment to improving human rights in the country.
The implementation of international commitments and obligations on human rights has contributed to enhancing the prestige and image of Vietnam in the international arena, as well as creating conditions for Vietnam to integrate deeply and develop sustainably. The implementation of international commitments and obligations on human rights is also one of the ways for Vietnam to demonstrate its respect for and guarantee the human rights of its people, especially vulnerable groups. The implementation of international commitments and obligations on human rights is also one of the driving forces for Vietnam to continue to reform, innovate and improve its laws, policies and practices to increasingly better ensure the rights of its people.
By constantly improving the law and building policies that put people at the center of development, it has contributed to improving people's lives and quality of life, thereby affirming Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena. In recent times, by maintaining a high economic growth rate, achieving many advances in industrialization, modernization, international integration and implementing sustainable development goals, improving the quality of education, health care, culture, information and communication, creating conditions for people to access public services and development opportunities, Vietnam has improved its ranking in many development indicators.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Vietnam is considered one of the fastest growing countries in the world in terms of Human Development Index (HDI). In just one decade, Vietnam's human development index has increased by 46%, among the countries with the highest growth rate in the world. According to international organizations and experts, this is proof that Vietnam always puts people as the goal and driving force for development.
“Despite global obstacles, Vietnam's economic growth in 2023 will still reach over 5%. The poverty rate will continue to fall to 3%. Social security spending will continue to be a high priority and will remain at nearly 3% of GDP for many years. In 2023, Vietnam will continue to export over 8 million tons of rice, contributing to ensuring food security and access to food for millions of people in regions around the world,” affirmed Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at the High-Level Session of the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
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| In 2023, Vietnam will continue to export over 8 million tons of rice, contributing to ensuring food security and access to food for millions of people in regions around the world. (Source: VNA) |
In reality, a peaceful environment for development, where people and businesses are protected by the law and are allowed to contribute to society, the above-mentioned distorted information is just irrelevant arguments, not of interest to the international community. Actions of intervention, imposition, one-sided assessment, prejudice, lack of objectivity, lack of respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of other countries, especially developing countries, in the field of human rights are never welcomed and encouraged.
Re-election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term is a great opportunity for Vietnam to continue to actively contribute to the common efforts of the UN, as well as the international community, in protecting and promoting universal values of human rights, striving for peace, national independence, democracy, development cooperation and social progress. People have the right to be proud and have well-founded confidence that Vietnam will fulfill its obligations and commitments in the UN Human Rights Council.
| In its first year as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam has left many marks that have been recognized and highly appreciated by the international community. Vietnam has actively participated in the activities of the UN Human Rights Council, reflecting its views and sharing its experiences on important issues related to human rights, such as protecting the rights of women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, migrants; promoting the right to development, the right to participation, the right to social security, the right to the environment; responding to non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, epidemics, digital transformation; dialogue and cooperation with UN human rights agencies, international agencies and other countries. |
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