The numbers confirm Vietnam's great efforts in ensuring human rights.

44 laws were passed, including many important legal documents related to human rights, GDP per capita increased by 25%, preventive healthcare network was widely organized, insurance coverage rate reached 92%... are specific numbers showing efforts to ensure human rights in Vietnam.

Những con số khẳng định nỗ lực rất lớn trong bảo đảm quyền con người của Việt Nam

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet chaired a press conference to announce the National Report under the universal periodic review mechanism, cycle IV. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

On the afternoon of April 15, at the Government Guest House, a press conference was held to announce the National Report under the universal periodic review mechanism, cycle IV. Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet chaired the press conference.

At the press conference, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet said that Vietnam has recently officially submitted its National Report under the UPR Cycle IV mechanism to the United Nations Human Rights Council. It is expected that Vietnam will participate in the Dialogue Session on the UPR Cycle IV National Report at the Human Rights Council on May 7.

Accordingly, the report presents an overview of the protection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam in all areas since the previous review and reviews the implementation of the recommendations that Vietnam accepted in the third cycle.

Some notable points include: as of January 2024, out of the 241 recommendations that Vietnam accepted in the third cycle, Vietnam has successfully completed the implementation of 209 recommendations (accounting for 86.7%), partially implemented 30 recommendations (12.4%), and the remaining 2 recommendations are being considered for implementation at the appropriate time.

According to the Deputy Minister, the evidence, specific figures, and updates in the report affirm Vietnam's great efforts in ensuring human rights. From 2019 to the end of November 2023, Vietnam continued its efforts to build a rule-of-law state with 44 laws passed, including many important legal documents related to human rights and civil rights, specifying the provisions of the 2013 Constitution, ensuring compatibility with international treaties to which Vietnam is a member. At the same time, Vietnam has been and is continuing to review and amend a number of laws in accordance with international commitments.

Since 2019, GDP per capita has increased by 25%, the rate of poor households has decreased by 1.5% per year. Preventive health care network The preventive health care network is widely organized nationwide, closely linked with primary health care, capacity has been improved, health insurance coverage increased from 81.7% in 2016 to 92% in 2022, the rate of households using clean water sources in Vietnam reached 98.3%, an increase of 0.9 percentage points compared to 2018, 90.69% of operating industrial parks have centralized wastewater treatment facilities (an increase of 13 industrial parks compared to 2019); 85% of people with disabilities in difficult circumstances receive social assistance, care and rehabilitation.

After 26 years of connecting to the Internet, Vietnam has modern telecommunications technology and a high level of Internet penetration. As of September 2023, Vietnam had more than 78 million Internet users (ranked 13th in the world in terms of number of users, up 21% compared to 2019), the number of mobile broadband subscribers was 86.6 million (up 38% compared to 2019). There are currently about 72,000 associations operating in Vietnam, regularly actively participating in contributing to the handling of important socio-economic issues of the country.

Since the previous review, Vietnam has acceded to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 98 on the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining (2019) and ILO Convention 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour (2020) and joined the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM – 2020).

Vietnam actively contributes to the international community's common efforts in promoting human rights around the world with practical and specific initiatives and actions, especially in its capacity as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

Vietnam has achieved positive results in ensuring human rights in practice. The media in Vietnam operates freely. The press has developed continuously, becoming a forum for the people and social organizations, a tool for monitoring the implementation of policies and laws, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the people.

In addition to these results, the Report also points out the remaining challenges and from there proposes priorities and cooperation needs for Vietnam in the coming time to ensure better enjoyment of human rights for the people.

According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the process of developing the Report was carried out in a comprehensive and transparent manner with the participation and contributions of State agencies, socio-political organizations, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, development partners and the people. Comments directly contributed at consultation workshops organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a number of ministries and branches, or sent directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were all studied and appropriately absorbed.

“Vietnam’s national report is a joint product of all relevant parties responsible for implementing the UPR recommendations and benefiting from the results of this process; not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the agencies participating in the Inter-Agency Group drafting the Report. This is of great significance, affirming that the UPR process in Vietnam is taking place in accordance with the principles of transparency, constructiveness, equality, dialogue and cooperation,” the Deputy Minister affirmed.

The Deputy Minister hopes that countries will study and carefully review this Report and prepare to participate in Vietnam's upcoming Dialogue Session on the basis of UPR principles, making constructive recommendations that Vietnam can absorb, accept and effectively implement.

At the press conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet answered questions from reporters and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam regarding the advantages and challenges in the implementation of the UPR recommendations of the third cycle that Vietnam has accepted and developed the UPR Report of the fourth cycle, the participation of relevant parties in the UPR process in Vietnam, commented on the reports of United Nations agencies and relevant parties on Vietnam under the UPR mechanism of the fourth cycle; shared the relationship between the implementation of periodic reviews and the responsibility of being a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, as well as Vietnam's priorities and initiatives during this term.

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