Vietnam strives to implement human rights

Vietnam always strives to implement human rights, for the goal of improving people's lives and enjoyment of rights, leaving no one behind.

Nỗ lực thực hiện quyền con người ở Việt Nam

Vietnam has made tireless efforts to build and perfect the legal system on human rights. (Illustration photo)

People - the center of every decision

In Vietnam, human rights have been affirmed to be inseparable from national rights. The view that people are both the goal and the driving force of the country's development, industrialization and modernization has been expressed throughout the platforms, guidelines and policies of the Party and the State.

The 13th National Party Congress document continues to affirm: “The people are the center and subject of the cause of innovation, 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”.

Vietnam's achievements in ensuring human rights have been highly appreciated by the international community. One of the recognitions is that Vietnam was elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term. This is a recognition of Vietnam's position and at the same time demonstrates international trust in our country's responsible contributions.

In particular, protecting and promoting human rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam with the goal of improving people's lives and enjoyment of rights, leaving no one behind. Over the past decade, Vietnam's poverty reduction achievements have been impressive. This issue is clearly demonstrated by the continuous increase in Vietnam's human development index of the United Nations Development Program.

Over the past 30 years, the human development index has continuously improved, increasing by 40% compared to the first year of participating in the survey. Vietnam's human development index in 2021 reached 0.7, placing our country in the high human development group and ranking 115/191 countries. At the same time, the poverty rate has continuously and significantly decreased thanks to the increase in high-productivity jobs, improved social services, and social protection.

Many proud achievements

After more than 30 years of participating in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Vietnam has promoted investment in resources, attention and participation of the whole society to ensure children have a safe, happy and developed life. At the 91st session, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) welcomed Vietnam's achievements in the process of building laws and policies to protect children's rights.

In addition, freedom of belief and religion is being increasingly better guaranteed, especially since the Law on Belief and Religion took effect on January 1, 2018. In the past 20 years (2003-2022), the number of religious dignitaries, officials, and places of worship has increased.

Vietnam has been and is continuing to build a state of the people, by the people and for the people, with consistent policies, ensuring that human rights are integrated into all development strategies and programs of the country. These achievements have been recognized and highly appreciated by the international community.

Vietnam strives to implement human rights so that no one is left behind. (Source: People's Public Security)

In particular, Vietnam is one of the few countries that completed the millennium goals early; actively and proactively made strong commitments in implementing the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

Looking back, during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, in Vietnam, all people have access to health services, free Covid-19 vaccination and free treatment. This is a very commendable effort of Vietnam. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assessment of global human development, Vietnam has increased two places in the global rankings, from 117/189 countries (in 2019) to 115/191 countries in 2021.

According to Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, former Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Vietnam: ''Vietnam deserves to be commended. I want to emphasize Vietnam's role in the United Nations Human Rights Council. We really feel the commitment of the Vietnamese Government to put people at the center of development. The important thing that the Vietnamese Government has done for socio-economic development is to leave no one behind''.

Vietnam's proactive and active commitment to implementing the United Nations' sustainable development goals has helped Vietnam's human development index (HDI) increase by 45.8% in 2020, putting Vietnam on the list of countries with the highest HDI growth rate in the world. In the Report marking a decade of the United Nations' initiative to promote national happiness, Vietnam's happiness index has increased by 12 places, from 77th in 2022 to 65th in 2023 in the world.

In addition, Vietnam actively promotes initiatives and solutions in areas such as the right to live in peace, the right to development, the rights of vulnerable groups, gender equality, access to health care, education, employment, response to climate change, epidemics, etc. Currently, Vietnam has participated in most of the basic international conventions on human rights, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The world is changing rapidly with increasing challenges and barriers. Therefore, it also places a burden on each member of the Human Rights Council in the next term to harmonize the interests between countries, above all ensuring the rights and interests of all people. Vietnam's achievements in ensuring and protecting human rights are undeniable values; continuing to be the driving force, joining hands with humanity to protect, ensure and promote human rights in a sustainable manner.

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