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| Vietnam strives to implement and enforce the CERD Convention, enhancing the enjoyment of all rights of ethnic minorities. Illustration photo. (Photo: Phuong Hoa) |
Seriously, actively and responsibly implementing its obligations as a member state of the CERD Convention, over the years, Vietnam has made efforts to deploy and enforce the CERD Convention with the aim of eliminating all forms of racial discrimination and ensuring equal rights in all aspects for ethnic minorities.
In November 2023, the Comprehensive Periodic Report from XV to XVII on the implementation of the CERD Convention - Vietnam's CERD 5 Report for the period 2013-2019 was adopted at the 2 sessions 3035-3036 at the CERD Convention Committee (CERD) in Geneva, Switzerland. In December 2023, the UBCU announced the Observation Conclusion after considering Vietnam's 5th CERD Report. The 2023 Observation Conclusion consists of 4 parts divided into 52 paragraphs, an increase of 23 paragraphs compared to the 2012 Observation Conclusion.
As the presiding agency, the Ethnic Committee has coordinated with relevant ministries and branches to develop and submit to the Prime Minister a plan to strengthen the implementation of the CERD Convention and implement the recommendations of the CERD Convention Committee 2023, expected to be issued by the end of this year.
According to Ms. Tran Chi Mai, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Committee for Ethnic Minorities, the purpose of the Plan is to clearly define the content of work and appropriate implementation roadmap in enhancing the effectiveness of the implementation of the CERD Convention and the recommendations of the CERD 2023 Committee. Thereby, enhancing the enjoyment of all rights of ethnic minorities, in accordance with the Constitution, laws and socio-economic conditions of Vietnam in general and of ethnic minority and mountainous areas (EM&MN) in particular, ensuring serious, active and responsible implementation of the obligations of being a member state of the CERD Convention.
The plan targets task groups to strengthen the implementation of the CERD Convention and implement the recommendations of the CERD 2023 UBCU, which highlights four key contents:
Domesticating and perfecting the legal framework for implementing the CERD Convention
Vietnam plans to focus on reviewing and assessing the compatibility of the provisions of the CERD Convention in the process of drafting legal documents. At the same time, Vietnam will study and propose to improve the legal framework to ensure compatibility with the provisions of the CERD Convention, including provisions on limitation of rights, anti-discrimination, anti-racism and other provisions.
In addition, Vietnam will develop a report assessing the internalization of CERD Convention provisions into domestic law, identifying incompatible and inconsistent legal provisions with the CERD Convention and proposing and recommending continued internalization and adjustment of the legal framework to implement the CERD Convention.
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| Mr. Y Thong, Deputy Minister, Vice Chairman of the Ethnic Minorities Committee, Head of the Vietnamese delegation, spoke at the 111th Session of the CERD Convention Committee, November 2023. (Source: United Nations) |
Improve the effectiveness of enforcement of legal regulations on the rights of ethnic minorities
Continuing to improve the effectiveness of implementing legal regulations on the rights of ethnic minorities is the content raised by the parties in the Observation Conclusion and in the two dialogue sessions to protect the CERD 5 Report.
These recommendations set out the task of issuing and implementing a plan to strengthen the implementation of the CERD Convention and to implement the recommendations of the CERD 2023 UBCU.
In the coming time, Vietnam will improve the efficiency of receiving complaints and denunciations in a convenient and safe manner and increase the rate of resolving complaints and denunciations related to violations of racial discrimination; update the statistical database system on population composition disaggregated by ethnic minorities and socio-economic development indicators and assess the impact of various policy measures.
In addition, the Plan also includes continuing to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of ethnic minority rights in litigation activities; strengthening the implementation of policies to ensure the rights of ethnic minorities, especially the right to access education, socio-economic development, creating sustainable livelihoods, preserving and developing ethnic minority culture, etc.
Activities of inspection, examination, monitoring and statistics on the implementation of ethnic minority rights will also be further strengthened.
Promote the rights of ethnic minorities through propaganda, dissemination, education and training to raise public awareness
Ms. Tran Chi Mai said that, in fact, propaganda is one of the most effective measures to raise people's awareness of anti-discrimination and equality in human rights used in legal aid activities, popularizing legal education, policy propaganda, and information and communication. Propaganda is an activity that is regularly carried out by many ministries and branches, however, currently there is no specific propaganda content on anti-racism, on equality of special rights for ethnic minorities and people living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Therefore, this task force will focus on implementing propaganda and dissemination of the CERD Convention, legal achievements and results in ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities.
Along with that, it is necessary to organize teacher training programs and teaching programs to promote human rights education - anti-racism; reflect the history, culture and contributions of ethnic minority groups to the country's development; train law enforcement officers, officials working in ethnic minority and mountainous areas on human rights - anti-racism, CERD Convention; propagate and disseminate legal education, promote the role of prestigious people among ethnic minorities, provide legal aid to ethnic minorities and people living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Strengthen international cooperation, study relevant treaties and fulfill periodic reporting obligations as prescribed by the CERD Convention.
Implementing the obligation to periodically report according to the provisions of the CERD Convention and the recommendations of the CERD 2023 Committee is an important political task of Vietnam. This is also an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm its achievements in protecting human rights in general and the Party and State's policies and guidelines for ethnic minorities, contributing to refuting the slanderous and distorted arguments of hostile forces against Vietnam, as well as enhancing mutual understanding between Vietnam and the international community.
Therefore, Vietnam aims to fulfill its periodic reporting obligations as prescribed by the CERD Convention and the recommendations of the CERD 2023 Working Group, while enhancing international cooperation to effectively implement the CERD Convention.
At bilateral, multilateral and international mechanisms and forums on human rights, Vietnam also carries out foreign propaganda activities on human rights in general and the rights of ethnic minorities in particular so that countries and international organizations can properly recognize Vietnam's efforts to ensure the equal rights of ethnic minorities.
The Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Committee for Ethnic Minorities, said that since the protection of the CERD 5 Report, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities has coordinated with relevant ministries and branches to implement work contents with the aim of ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities and people living in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
The Committee has actively implemented the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, coordinated with ministries and branches, guided localities to remove difficulties and obstacles, and promptly implemented the National Target Program (as of July 2024, the disbursement rate of the National Target Program reached 44% of the 2024 plan).
The Ethnic Committee has participated in directing and guiding localities to organize the 2024 Provincial and District Congresses of Ethnic Minorities (as of July 31, 247/363 districts had organized the Congress with 46,566 official delegates and 15,744 invited delegates; it is expected that from now until the end of the year, 49 provinces and cities will organize the Provincial Congress).
In addition, the Committee has conducted the third survey on the socio-economic development of 53 ethnic minorities (5-year cycle 2014-2019). Ethnic programs and policies have been promptly implemented and achieved good results.
Thanks to the efforts of the entire political system, Vietnam has achieved important progress in promoting the rights of ethnic minorities, especially with rights such as the right to participate in state management and social management activities. Ethnic minorities are allowed to participate in state management and social management activities directly or through representatives according to specific and clear regulations...
It can be seen that the continued implementation of the recommendations of the CERD UBCU reaffirms Vietnam's commitment to implementing the rights and obligations of a member state of the Convention, demonstrating Vietnam's efforts in contributing to the elimination of all forms of racism and discrimination in particular and the protection of universal values of human rights in general.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-no-luc-trien-khai-cac-khuyen-nghi-cua-uy-ban-cong-uoc-cerd-nham-bao-dam-quyen-cua-nguoi-dan-toc-thieu-so-283927.html
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