On the morning of December 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and chaired the National Conference on Human Rights Education organized by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
Also attending and chairing the Conference were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council.
Attending the Conference at the main bridge and online bridges in 63 provinces and cities were representatives of the leaders of the Central Party Committees, agencies of the National Assembly, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, political and social organizations, provinces and cities, leaders of agencies, departments, unions, educational and training institutions in the provinces and cities.
The conference took place at a time when Vietnam, together with other countries around the world, celebrated the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly (December 10, 1948 - December 10, 2024) and responded to the 5th phase of the human rights education program adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council on August 19, 2024.
The conference aims to summarize and evaluate the results and limitations in the implementation of Decision No. 1309/QD-TTg dated September 5, 2017 of the Prime Minister and Directive 34/CT-TTg dated December 21, 2021 of the Prime Minister on strengthening the implementation of the Project on incorporating human rights content into the education program in the national education system.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council emphasized: "One of the core points of the new era, as discussed by General Secretary To Lam, is to aim for the goal of "everyone having a prosperous and happy life, being supported to develop and get rich; contributing more and more to peace, stability, development of the region and the world, to the happiness of humanity and global civilization". In other words, in this new era, human rights and civil rights continue to be of concern to our Party and State and are increasingly better guaranteed, as our beloved President Ho Chi Minh always wished for during his lifetime. We can also affirm that, in recent times, respecting, ensuring and protecting human rights in general, and human rights education in particular, has always been an issue of deep concern to our Party and State, especially during the period of Renovation".
The conference listened to the report summarizing 7 years of implementing the Project presented by the representative of the leadership of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics; comments from representatives of 4 ministries/sectors participating in the Project's executive board (Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security) and representatives of a number of provinces and cities.
Important messages on human rights protection and education
In his speech, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the conference sent an important message from Vietnam to the world and to countries concerned about the protection of human rights and human rights education. In Vietnam, the protection of human rights and human rights education are carried out regularly and consistently, affirmed in guidelines, policies, and implementation with full responsibility, without formality, with the ultimate goal of focusing on the people as the central and main subject.
The Prime Minister emphasized that protecting human rights and educating about human rights are of special importance in social life, helping people raise their awareness and understanding of human rights; being aware of protecting their own rights and respecting the dignity, rights and freedoms of others; being aware of the responsibilities and obligations of citizens towards the state and society. Protecting human rights and educating about human rights are national and comprehensive issues, and are also global issues.
Basically agreeing with the discussions and opinions, the Prime Minister spent time sharing about 3 issues: Some issues on human rights and human rights education; results in ensuring human rights and human rights education in Vietnam; main tasks and solutions in the coming time.
Regarding human rights and human rights education, the Prime Minister said that in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then, the United Nations has adopted five stages of human rights education; the fifth stage was officially launched worldwide yesterday (December 10, 2024).
For Vietnam, the issue of human rights and human rights education is one of the core contents of Ho Chi Minh's thought, a consistent viewpoint in all the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's policies and laws. The consistent viewpoint is to take people as the center, the subject, the goal, the driving force, and the resource for development, without sacrificing progress, fairness, and social security to pursue mere economic growth.
Since its inception, our Party has determined that there is no other goal than to bring independence and freedom to the nation, happiness and prosperity to the people. The Declaration of Independence in 1945 affirmed the right to equality, the right to life, the right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
The 2013 Constitution has 120 articles, including 36 articles regulating human rights, basic rights and obligations of citizens. The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress affirmed: "The people are the center, the subject of the renovation, construction and protection of the Fatherland; all guidelines and policies must truly originate from the lives, aspirations, rights and legitimate interests of the people, taking the happiness and prosperity of the people as the goal to strive for". General Secretary To Lam pointed out: "Do not let some laws become bottlenecks that hinder the implementation of human rights, civil rights and socio-economic development".
The Government and the Prime Minister promulgate and direct the implementation of many programs, plans, resolutions, and conclusions on human rights and human rights education.
The Prime Minister pointed out that in recent times, ensuring human rights and implementing human rights education in Vietnam have achieved many important and comprehensive results in many fields and aspects, with 8 outstanding results.
Firstly , the material and spiritual life of the people has been constantly improved. After nearly 40 years of renovation, from a country heavily devastated by many wars, besieged and embargoed for 30 years, Vietnam has become a typical country implementing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, a model of healing and recovery after war.
The multidimensional poverty rate according to the new standard in 2024 will be only about 1%. According to the UNDP Human Development Report, Vietnam's Human Development Index (HDI) in 2024 increased by 8 places compared to the previous period, from 115 to 107/193 countries. "Vietnam's greatest human right is how to make more than 100 million people live in freedom, prosperity, happiness, security, safety, and peace," the Prime Minister emphasized.
Second , children are nurtured and given every opportunity to go to school; all people are encouraged to study on the basis of an increasingly developed national education and a learning society. Up to now, preschool education has been universalized for 5-year-old children; the rate of mobilizing students to go to school at the right age at primary level has reached 99.7%; the rate of students completing the secondary education program has reached 90.7%.
Third , young people, people of working age, and people who want to participate in labor have many job opportunities to enrich themselves, their families, their homeland and country. As of the third quarter of 2024, the whole country has 51.6 million employed workers, accounting for 98% of the labor force.
Fourth , the elderly are cared for and looked after; the work of repaying gratitude to war invalids, martyrs, and people with revolutionary contributions is well carried out.
Vietnam's average life expectancy increased from 65.5 years in 1993 to 74.5 years in 2023, higher than the world average (73 years). The State currently provides regular subsidies to over 1.13 million meritorious people at a cost of VND29,000 billion/year.
Fifth , the disadvantaged, people in difficult circumstances, those affected by natural disasters and floods are supported; the poor are given conditions to access basic social services and escape poverty sustainably; social justice and social security are ensured in the spirit of "leaving no one behind".
The poverty rate has decreased from 58% in 1993 to 1.93% in 2024. Vietnam is recognized and highly appreciated by the world and considered a successful model in hunger eradication and poverty reduction. The State currently provides regular subsidies to nearly 3.4 million social protection beneficiaries and nearly 355,000 households and individuals receiving care and support every month. During the COVID-19 pandemic alone, Vietnam has supported 67 million people with a budget of more than VND 100,000 billion, making it one of the five countries with the highest vaccine coverage rate in the world with free vaccination. Vietnam is implementing a program with the goal of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses nationwide by 2025.
Sixth , gender equality is of concern and has made many strides. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, Vietnam's gender equality index increased from 87th in 2021 to 72nd out of 146 in 2023.
Seventh , all people live in a peaceful environment with independence and sovereignty maintained, political security, social order and safety guaranteed; all people enjoy democratic freedom, freedom of religion and belief, freedom of the press, access to information, freedom of creativity and equality before the law.
According to the United Nations rankings, Vietnam's happiness index in 2024 increased by 11 places, ranking 54/143; Vietnam's Sustainable Development Index (SDGs) in 2024 increased by 1 place compared to 2023, ranking 54/166.
Eighth , Vietnam is currently a member and actively participates in the activities of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.
In particular, over the past 7 years, the Human Rights Education Project has been implemented synchronously and comprehensively in ministries, branches and localities and has basically ensured progress, quality and efficiency, in which the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics - the agency in charge of the Project - has implemented and completed most of the activities according to the proposed Master Plan.
Human rights education is a formal program
In the coming time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh clearly stated the following viewpoints: Protecting human rights and educating about human rights is the task of the entire political system, the entire people, with an inclusive and comprehensive nature, of the whole country; protecting and educating about human rights is under the leadership of the Party, the management of the State and the participation of the people; human rights education is an official program, not an integrated program, placed within the overall Vietnamese education system, with the spirit of taking students as the center, teachers as the driving force, schools as the foundation, implementing lifelong learning, building a learning society.
According to the Prime Minister, human rights in Vietnam include important contents such as the right to life, the right to freedom, the right to pursue happiness and the right to equality, specifically: First, to live happily, healthily, safely and greenly; second, to freely operate within the framework of the Constitution and laws to protect and maximize one's legitimate interests and contribute to the community and society; third, to have a life of increasing prosperity and happiness every year; fourth, to ensure equality and leave no one behind.
Regarding the main tasks and solutions for ensuring human rights in general , the Prime Minister requested to continue effectively implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's mechanisms, policies and laws on ensuring human rights.
Fully institutionalize and effectively implement the human rights provisions stipulated in the 2013 Constitution. Make the human rights-based approach a mandatory requirement and evaluation criterion in policy and law making and implementation activities at all levels.
Continue to innovate and improve the quality of social policies in a comprehensive, modern, inclusive and sustainable manner in the spirit of taking people as the center and subject. Effectively implement policies to ensure social security, sustainable poverty reduction, and support vulnerable groups.
Strengthen the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in propagating, monitoring and promoting respect, protection and guarantee of human rights throughout society.
Participate responsibly, promote dialogue and cooperation within the framework of the Human Rights Council among relevant countries, regional organizations and United Nations human rights mechanisms to address common concerns on issues related to human rights and humanitarian issues.
Regarding the implementation of the Project to incorporate human rights content into the education program in the national education system , the Prime Minister requested the agencies participating in the Project's Steering Committee, the People's Committees of provinces and cities, and relevant agencies, and educational institutions to focus on reviewing, striving to the highest level, and best completing all tasks and goals of the Project.
Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics urgently completes educational materials, textbooks, and reference books suitable for each target group, ensuring the systematicity and interconnectivity of documents, linking theory with practice, and Vietnamese and international experience.
Closely coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to develop guidelines on the use of textbooks and human rights education materials at all levels of education; continue to organize training and foster human rights knowledge, develop a team of experts and teachers teaching human rights; complete the implementation of human rights education content in higher education institutions in the 2025-2026 school year.
The Ministry of Finance shall strengthen guidance and support for agencies participating in the implementation of the Project, People's Committees of provinces and cities in developing financial plans, allocating funds, and ensuring resources for agencies to effectively perform assigned tasks.
Along with that, strengthen propaganda on human rights protection and human rights education in Vietnam, especially the consistent viewpoints, guidelines and policies of the Party and State, as a basis for fighting against false and hostile arguments about human rights.
The Prime Minister requested to proactively summarize the implementation of the Project in the 2017-2025 period; at the same time, study and submit to the Central Party Secretariat to issue a Directive on human rights education in the new situation in 2025 and develop a Project for the next period.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister also requested to urgently develop a Government Plan with the participation of ministries and branches to implement the Politburo's conclusion on a number of contents on the Development Strategy of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
The Prime Minister believes that with the solidarity, unity, and joint efforts of the entire political system, the entire people, and the entire army, the work of protecting human rights and educating human rights will increasingly achieve good results, contributing to realizing the aspiration to successfully build a socialist Vietnam, a rich people, a strong country, democracy, equality, civilization, firmly entering a new era, an era of national growth, prosperity, and prosperity as General Secretary To Lam has directed.
Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/thu-tuong-quyen-con-nguoi-la-noi-dung-cot-loi-quan-dem-xuyen-suot-trong-duong-loi-chinh-sach-cua-dang-nha-nuoc-viet-nam-384406.html
Comment (0)