Vietnam affirms its commitment to human rights

Hoang Chi Trung, Head of the MoFA’s Department of International Organisations, said Vietnam is seriously committed to implement its international obligations and ensuring that all Vietnamese better enjoy their of human rights and citizen rights. 

He expressed his hope that the project will assist relevant Vietnamese agencies to work better in this field. 

Louise Chamberlain, UNDP Country Director, highlighted the need to identify challenges Vietnam need to overcome in certain areas, and hoped that the project will find out ways and means to address them. 

She reiterated that the respect and protection of human rights is the responsibility of all UN member states, and welcomed Vietnam’s upcoming ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) and the consultative process of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) national report. 

This willingness is an important step forward and reason for the UNDP to cooperate with the MoFA on human rights in Vietnam, she noted. 

In late 2013, Vietnam will undergo its second UPR, a unique review mechanism of the Human Rights Council. The UPR places member states on an equal footing, and provides an opportunity for governments to report on the human rights situation and the progress in implementing UPR recommendations accepted at the last review in 2009.

In recent years the Vietnamese Government has visibly increased its commitment to address issues related to human rights, demonstrated in a number of legal and judicial reforms, and Constitutional amendments that have steadily improved human and citizen rights.