Vietnam affirms commitment to promoting human rights

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of the Vietnam Mission to the United Nations

Speaking at the October 31 meeting of the Committee for Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs (Third Committee) of the 71st Session of the General Assembly in New York, the ambassador stressed that Vietnam has done its best to preserve an environment of peace, stability, promote sustainable development, to safeguard the full enjoyment of human rights for its people.

“We place the people at the center of development and have further strengthened our legal system, policies, and institutions by mainstreaming the two Covenants (one on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the other on Civil and Political Rights) and other human rights treaties to which Vietnam is a party,” she said.

Vietnam appreciates the role and contribution of the Universal Periodic Review, she said, adding that the country has already presented two national reports and undertaken the Master Plan to implement all accepted recommendations.

The ambassador also noted that d uring its three years serving in the Human Rights Council, Vietnam has upheld the principles of objectivity, transparency, constructiveness and equal treatment to all.

She went on to say that as for any other country, Vietnam still faces challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights, and one such challenge is the impacts of climate change. Vietnam was severely affected by the unprecedented droughts and salinisation a few months ago, and by deadly floods just recently, she noted.

More frequent natural disasters hinder the people’s right to food, health, education and adequate housing, said the ambassador, calling for assistance in addressing this challenge.

The ambassador underscored the Declaration on the Right to Development and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as guiding international legal framework in the field.

She stressed that civil and political, economic, social and cultural or right to development must all be treated as equal, and as such, one right or group of rights must not have primacy over others. The right to development, for instance, should not be delegated to a “second class” human right, she declared.

“While promoting and protecting human rights, we must respect the sovereign rights of states, as well as their historical, social, cultural and development circumstances, enhance mutual understanding, trust, dialogue, and cooperation,” said the diplomat.