Prensa Latina spotlights facts about human rights in Vietnam

In the writing, Moises Perez Mok, head of the Prensa Latina bureau in Hanoi, said Vietnam's recently released national report under the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism reflects the country’s undeniable progress thanks to its consistent promotion and protection of human rights for all.

The report provides an overview of the work in Vietnam in all aspects since the previous review, as well as the implementation of the recommendations formulated in the third UPR cycle in 2019 accepted in whole or in part by Vietnam as of January 2024. Accordingly, the country has fulfilled 209 of the recommendations it received (86.7% of the total), partially implemented 30 (12.4%), and is considering the implementation of another two at an appropriate point of time.

The report also emphasises that Vietnam is a party to seven of the nine fundamental international treaties on human rights and has ensured the compliance through well-synchronised legal and political frameworks, reaping comprehensive results.

Between 2019 and the end of November 2023, the National Assembly adopted 44 laws and other important legal documents related to human and citizen rights, which in turn support the provisions in this regard contemplated in the 2013 Constitution and the international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

The report also offers details about the guarantees enjoyed by the right to freedom of the press, free expression, as well as access to information, Prensa Latina wrote.

The article also cited the report as noting that Vietnam respects and guarantees the freedom of belief or religion, as well as of association, which are the rights established since the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) in 1945 and endorsed in the 2013 Constitution.

There are 43 organisations belonging to 16 religions in the country, with 26.7 million followers, nearly 60,000 dignitaries, and 30,000 places of worship, together with a large number of religious publications, according to the report.

It also highlights the progress made in education, health, care and protection of children, the fight against multidimensional poverty, and the protection of the rights of disabled persons.

Stressing economic attainments, the article said from a country suffering from chronic food shortages, today Vietnam not only guarantees food security but has also become a leading exporter of rice and many other agricultural products.

The United Nations also recognised Vietnam as one of the leading countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Prensa Latina cited Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as stating that Vietnam does not give up its efforts to build a socialist society characterised by having a strong, democratic, fair and civilised country, with a highly developed economy, an advanced culture deeply imbued with national identity, and people with a prosperous life, freedom and happiness and with conditions for comprehensive development.