Overview of the Dialogue Session. (Photo: BNG)

Also participating in the delegation were representatives from the Government Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Ethnic Committee, Supreme People's Procuracy, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

In his opening speech and presenting Vietnam's national report, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet expressed the pride of the Vietnamese delegation when having a dialogue with other countries on the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory at the United Nations Headquarters, where the negotiation and signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1954 were witnessed, important historical events in the cause of national liberation and the fight against colonialism of the Vietnamese people and many peoples in the world.

The Vietnamese delegation expressed their infinite gratitude to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their blood and bones for the country to have today.

Vietnamese delegation at the Dialogue Session. (Photo: BNG)

The Deputy Minister affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy on protecting and promoting human rights. With the policy of considering people as the center, the goal and the driving force of the country's innovation and development process, Vietnam has risen from a poor country to become one of the countries with the fastest growing economies in the world, deeply integrated into the international community.

Since the third cycle of the UPR review in 2019, Vietnam has continued to improve its legal system and human rights policies and achieved many practical achievements. The rights to health, education, social security, freedom of religion and belief, freedom of the press, internet, and gender equality have all made remarkable progress.

Vietnam's Human Development Index (HDI) and Gender Equality Index (GEI) as ranked by United Nations agencies have continuously improved. The Government has had many policies and measures to protect people's health, develop the economy and society after the Covid-19 pandemic, actively promote the transition to a green economy, digital economy and implement Vietnam's commitments under international treaties on human rights.

The UPR review session on Vietnam received high attention from countries, with more than 130 countries participating in dialogue and speaking in an open, frank and substantive atmosphere.

Several countries congratulated Vietnam on the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. They acknowledged Vietnam’s policies, efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights, and Vietnam’s serious implementation of accepted UPR recommendations.

Many countries welcome Vietnam's achievements in economic development, ensuring social justice, promoting education to raise awareness of human rights, promoting women's rights, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and the rights of ethnic minorities.

The Vietnamese delegation affirmed Vietnam's priorities in promoting and protecting human rights in the coming time, including building a socialist rule-of-law state, administrative reform, promoting active dialogue and cooperation on human rights, and enhancing human rights education...

The Vietnamese delegation also answered many questions and provided more information on issues of interest to countries, including efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, build a green and inclusive economy, develop the internet and social networks, freedom of speech, people's right to access information, workers' rights, the role of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy, ensuring freedom of belief and religion, academic freedom, joining and implementing basic conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), preventing human trafficking, implementing the Convention against Torture, supporting ethnic minorities, etc.

Regarding some opinions based on unverified sources, the Vietnamese delegation responded, provided authentic information, emphasized the principles of dialogue, cooperation, and respect for differences; at the same time, emphasized that there is no common model for all countries, each country, depending on its own characteristics and conditions, will have its own development path.

Vietnam confidently continues on the chosen path to build a Vietnam with rich people, strong country, fair, democratic, civilized society, where people enjoy basic human rights.

At the Dialogue, Vietnam received about 300 recommendations with diverse content, covering all areas of human rights. After the Dialogue, on May 10, the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council will meet to consider and approve the Report on the UPR review results for Vietnam, to be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council for official adoption at the 57th Regular Session (September-October 2024).