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| Delegates co-chaired the National Conference to study and implement the contents of Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW, dated June 15, 2023 of the Politburo on continuing to improve the quality and effectiveness of foreign information work in the new situation. (Photo: Anh Son) |
Unify and synchronize information from central to local level
Looking back at the world and regional situation over the past year, there have been many complex, unstable and unpredictable developments, but Vietnam has still maintained stability, maintained security, politics, social order and safety; the economy has gradually recovered; foreign affairs activities have been implemented synchronously on all three channels: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.
Notably, the visit to Vietnam by US President Joe Biden and Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping demonstrated the remarkable development of Vietnam-China and Vietnam-US relations, contributing to maintaining a favorable foreign situation, attracting international resources to serve security and development goals and enhancing the country's position in the international arena.
Along with that, the positive results in its role as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term have created favorable conditions for information and communication work on human rights, contributing to attracting and further expanding the international public opinion front supporting Vietnam.
In 2023, the work of directing and leading the orientation of foreign information and propaganda on human rights will be of interest and focus to leaders of agencies, units, localities, and Party committees at all levels, considering this an important task to contribute to maintaining political security, social order and safety, creating a favorable environment and conditions for the country to integrate and develop, demonstrated in all three aspects:
Firstly, the work of building and perfecting mechanisms and policies. After summarizing 10 years of implementing Conclusion No. 16-KL/TW dated February 14, 2012, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW dated June 15, 2023 on continuing to improve the quality and effectiveness of foreign information work in the new situation. This is an important legal document, demonstrating the new spirit and new viewpoint of our Party on foreign information work, as well as the requirements for foreign propaganda and information work on human rights.
Second , training and knowledge development on human rights are regularly carried out in many localities, contributing to improving skills, unifying awareness and orientation on human rights. In addition, the direction, orientation and guidance related to human rights work ensures proactiveness and timely adherence to developments in the domestic and international situation.
Third, the work of monitoring and evaluating domestic and foreign media opinion is given more attention by agencies, units and localities, promptly grasping developments and trends of public opinion and ideology. The authorities regularly scan and filter information on cyberspace, especially cross-border social networking platforms; gather bad and toxic information, fake news, untrue news, distorted information against Vietnam on democracy and human rights; at the same time, step up verification, tracking, and handling in various forms to strengthen deterrence, warning, and suppression of elements that spread false information, distorting democracy and human rights in Vietnam.
| The guarantee of human rights in Vietnam is carried out in accordance with the standards of the international conventions on human rights to which Vietnam is a member. Vietnam is currently a member of 7/9 important international conventions on human rights. Vietnam is also a member of 25 conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on workers' rights, including 7/8 basic conventions. We are committed to implementing the international conventions on human rights to which Vietnam is a member and consider it the political and legal responsibility of the State. |
Promoting digital transformation, social media communication
The highlight in 2023 is that digital transformation, application of information technology, and social media communication have made many important steps forward. The application and mastery of information technology, promotion of digital transformation, and effective use of social media communication have contributed to comprehensively implementing foreign information and propaganda work on human rights on all channels including official and semi-official press, in many forms from direct to online, from information through newsletters, training conferences, press conferences, seminars, workshops to oral propaganda, leaflets, propaganda on loudspeaker systems...
At the same time, actively solicit information through foreign press correspondents in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese press. Propaganda methods such as photo exhibitions, awards, competitions, etc. continue to be widely deployed, attracting the attention and participation of many subjects and components at home and abroad.
Implementing Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW, the Central Propaganda Department and the Steering Committee for External Information Work have proactively and actively deployed the work of directing and orienting information and propaganda on human rights work to press agencies from the central to local levels.
Increase the coverage of positive information about Vietnam's achievements in ensuring human rights, especially in the fields of ethnicity, religion, democracy, and human rights, which have been recognized by the people at home and the international community.
Promote information in foreign languages, articles, and assessments by experts and foreigners on Vietnam's human rights achievements; policies and measures to protect Vietnamese citizens and workers abroad. In addition, proactively fight against biased and inaccurate information about Vietnam in documents, materials, and rankings of international organizations and countries for the press, especially false information on cyberspace.
However, besides the achieved results, the work of information and propaganda on human rights still has some difficulties and problems:
(i) The risk of conflict and information warfare in cyberspace has begun to have a certain impact because the media ecosystem has undergone profound changes, becoming increasingly complete and diverse;
(ii) The work of propagating the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and the work of mobilizing the masses related to human rights issues is sometimes and in some places ineffective, especially in remote areas, inconsistent, and lacking convincing propaganda materials to serve as a basis for struggle. In addition, the level and awareness of human rights of a number of leaders and managers at all levels are still limited, both at the central and local levels, in all sectors and fields of work;
(iii) Research and forecasting work has not been systematically implemented, there are not many scientific research works or providing valid arguments to guide the work of fighting, refuting, and supporting the work of handling distorted and destructive arguments related to democracy and human rights. The number of articles, reports or writings of fighting and refuting by experts and collaborators that are convincing is still limited.
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| The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an informal meeting with Vietnamese press agencies on the occasion of the Spring of Giap Thin 2024, January 26. (Photo: Tuan Viet) |
Efforts to adapt to global trends
2024 is a pivotal year, of special importance in successfully implementing the tasks of the entire term according to the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, ensuring national defense and security, social order and safety, economic recovery and development.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once emphasized that "it is necessary to build a new position and mindset for Vietnam in dealing with and handling relations with other countries, bilaterally as well as multilaterally." Success in foreign affairs in recent times has clearly shown that Vietnam is in a more stable position.
Since the beginning of 2024, many high-ranking leaders of countries have officially visited Vietnam; the growing interest and trust in Vietnam from international friends at multilateral forums, most recently the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos Conference in Davos, Switzerland... is the beginning of a vibrant year of foreign affairs, affirming the country's increasingly high position and prestige in the international arena.
As a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, Vietnam has initially made certain contributions to promoting dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues, helping to gradually eliminate false prejudices about the situation of democracy and human rights in the country.
In order to continue promoting the effectiveness of human rights propaganda work and effectively refuting false information, based on the achievements that have been made, it is necessary to perform well the following tasks:
Firstly, to protect the Party's ideological foundation, to defeat all sabotage plots, distortions and defamation by hostile and opportunistic forces on the media front, to contribute to maintaining political and security stability, social order and safety, and ensuring ideological security. To effectively control information flows, to promote the dissemination of the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws on ethnic issues, religion, democracy, human rights, and specific issues related to Vietnam's human rights work that the international community and anti-Vietnam forces are interested in.
Second, focus on creating a positive, mainstream information flow to highlight Vietnam's contributions as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, contributing to raising awareness, determination and actions of countries in realizing human rights goals and principles; affirming the international community's trust in efforts to ensure human rights in Vietnam; improving biased and unobjective assessments and comments of some countries and international organizations about Vietnam in the fields of ethnicity, religion, democracy and human rights.
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| From September 16-18, 2023, representatives of a number of foreign news agencies and newspapers based in Vietnam made a field trip to Dak Lak province to learn about the local economic and social development potential. In the photo: Reporters interviewed parishioners at a Christian missionary group at Mr. Ai Kien's house in Mo O village, Ea Hiu commune, Krong Pac district. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Third, diversify information and propaganda channels, promote the role of grasping, coordinating and exchanging information of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, foreign representative agencies in Vietnam and the media, press, friends and foreign partners. Innovate information and propaganda methods, focusing on using new forms of communication in addition to traditional propaganda methods to increase the spread both domestically and internationally.
Fourth, focus on training and improving knowledge about human rights and communication skills about human rights for officials at all levels. The press and media play an important role, being the leading force in foreign information about human rights, but can also violate human rights due to many different reasons such as violating privacy, unselective information, focusing on negative aspects...
Fifth, proactively develop plans and measures to combat and strongly and promptly refute distorted and incorrect information and arguments from hostile forces that oppose Vietnam.
Sixth , improve the capacity to analyze and forecast human rights work; be proactive in all situations, sensitively grasp new developments in the situation, promptly and decisively handle problems effectively, build flexible scenarios and plans, and adapt to newly arising problems.
Human rights work in the coming period needs to both carry out the task of ensuring and promoting human rights and go hand in hand with the struggle for and protection of human rights; in which ensuring human rights is both a need and trend of society and a basis for us to fight for and promote human rights, enhancing the position, image and international prestige of Vietnam.
* Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Permanent Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for External Information Work
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