Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet: Vietnam had a very successful Dialogue Session on the UPR IV Report

Responding to the press about the results of the Dialogue on National Reports under the UPR mechanism cycle IV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet said that Vietnam had a very successful dialogue session. The dialogue session attracted a lot of attention, with 133 countries registering to speak and giving 320 recommendations to Vietnam. Most of the recommendations that Vietnam received this time were positive in content, and we can accept them.

Vietnam prepares for dialogue on National Report on Protection and Promotion of Human Rights under UPR mechanism cycle IV

The international community highly appreciates Vietnam's achievements in protecting and promoting human rights.

On the afternoon of May 10, at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle IV of the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted Vietnam's UPR National Report.

Speaking at the adoption session, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet affirmed the importance of the UPR mechanism, saying that the implementation of UPR recommendations through cycles complements Vietnam's efforts to promote and protect human rights. On this occasion, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet answered the press about the results of the Dialogue session.

The Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet participated in the Dialogue Session on Vietnam's National Report under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle IV of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Vietnam has just presented and had a dialogue on the National Report under the UPR mechanism cycle IV on May 7, 2024. Could you please share the messages that Vietnam raised at this dialogue session?

We had a very successful UPR dialogue session with the participation of many UN member countries. It was also a very coincidental coincidence that the dialogue session took place on the day of Dien Bien liberation, May 7, in Geneva, the place that witnessed the negotiation and signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1954.

Therefore, the first message that the Vietnamese delegation brought to the conference was to affirm the importance of peace, national independence, and the right to national self-determination in the effort to develop and promote human rights.

The second important message we share is that in the field of ensuring and promoting human rights, there is no single correct model. Each country, depending on its circumstances, conditions, and level of socio-economic development, will be able to choose its own path. We affirm the correctness of the path Vietnam has chosen and we will steadfastly follow that path.

The third major message is that with Vietnam's consistent policy on protecting and promoting human rights, Vietnam has seriously implemented the UPR recommendations that we accepted in the previous cycle and achieved many positive results, especially in perfecting the legal system on human rights and ensuring human rights in practice, bringing very practical results to the people.

The fourth message is that despite facing many difficulties and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the participation of the entire political system, the participation, companionship and consensus of the people, we have overcome those difficulties, protected people's health and lives, restored and developed the socio-economy and improved people's lives.

Could the Deputy Minister share the assessments and recommendations Vietnam received from other countries from the dialogue session on May 7?

The dialogue session on Vietnam's UPR Report attracted a lot of attention, with 133 countries registering to speak and giving 320 recommendations to Vietnam. Through preliminary review, most of the recommendations that Vietnam received this time were positive in content, and we can accept them. There are some recommendations that we need to consider further in terms of their suitability with laws, policies, resources and implementation capacity.

Several countries congratulated Vietnam on the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. Many countries highly appreciated Vietnam's presentation and dialogue, and acknowledged Vietnam's policies, efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights, and seriously implementing the UPR recommendations accepted since the previous review. The contents that many countries welcomed and highly appreciated were our completion of the system of policies and laws on human rights, especially the development of national programs and many achievements in poverty reduction, economic development, improvement of social welfare, ensuring the right to education, the rights of vulnerable groups, implementing international commitments on human rights and cooperating with United Nations human rights mechanisms.

There are also some countries that have commented and made recommendations that are not really appropriate, based on inaccurate information about ensuring freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, etc. We will continue to dialogue and provide information so that countries can better understand the actual situation in Vietnam.

Throughout the UPR cycles, Vietnam has always been highly appreciated for its efforts to seriously implement the accepted recommendations, especially through the development of national plans, mid-term reports, consultation processes, and soliciting opinions from organizations and individuals. Countries also positively appreciated the spirit of sincere, frank and open dialogue of the Vietnamese delegation.

What is the next step in Vietnam's UPR process after this dialogue session, Deputy Minister ?

After the dialogue session, we worked with the three coordinating countries of the UPR Working Group to conduct a technical review of the recommendations that Vietnam received at the dialogue session. At the meeting on May 10, the Working Group adopted a report on the results of the UPR review for Vietnam, which included information that Vietnam received 320 recommendations from 133 countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ministries and sectors in the inter-sectoral working group on UPR will carefully study the recommendations, review their conformity with Vietnam's laws and policies, and recommend that the Prime Minister accept the recommendations that meet Vietnam's priorities, conditions, and implementation resources.

It is expected that Vietnam will announce its official stance on the recommendations and the number of recommendations it will accept before the 57th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in September and October. After that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with relevant ministries, branches and agencies, will coordinate to develop and submit to the Prime Minister for approval a Master Plan for implementing the recommendations Vietnam accepts under the UPR mechanism of the fourth cycle. The plan will determine the assignment of tasks and responsibilities of agencies and help monitor the progress of implementing the recommendations Vietnam accepts.

Thank you, Deputy Minister!

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/thu-truong-do-hung-viet-viet-nam-co-mot-phien-doi-thoai-ve-bao-cao-upr-iv-rat-thanh-cong-199645.html