Vietnam has been doing its utmost to ensure the full enjoyment ofhuman rights and freedoms for its population, Deputy Foreign MinisterNguyen Quoc Cuong affirmed when addressing the high level segment of the28th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland onMarch 3.

Following is the full text of his Statement.

“Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, on behalf of the Vietnamese Delegation, I wish tocongratulate H.E. Ambassador Joachim Rucker on your position as thePresident of the Human Rights Council. I am convinced that Mr. Presidentand the Bureau will ensure the success of the High Level Segment of the28 th Session and the work of the Human Rights Council throughout2015, contributing to the credibility of the Human Rights Council as themost important body in dealing with human rights at global level.

Mr. President,
Vietnam highly values the role of the Human Rights Council andbelieves that the Human Rights Council, after almost 10 years since itsestablishment, has been playing a central role in promoting the respectfor and the protection of human rights in all countries. Based on abalanced and comprehensive agenda, the Human Rights Council hassignificantly helped raise the international community’s awareness andbuild a more objective and comprehensive approach on human rights.Furthermore, the Human Rights Council has, basically, provided timelyresponses to the international community’s major concerns on humanrights, including crisis and serious violations of human rights in thewhole world. It is particularly noted that, the Human Rights Council’sUniversal Periodic Review, though still new, has provided an effectivemechanism for Member States, big or small, to review and engage incomprehensive dialogues on their situation of human rights, and helpedensure the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamentalfreedoms in a cooperative and constructive manner.

As amember of the Human Rights Council, Vietnam has actively andconstructively played its role with the highest responsibility, andwishes to substantively contribute to the work of the Council. Wesupport dialogues and cooperation, uphold international laws, promoteconsensus, work to reduce confrontation and imposition of opinion indiscussions at the Council. In this endeavor, we wish that the HumanRights Council, its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat will furtherimprove their effectiveness while ensuring transparency andimpartiality, respecting fully the General Assembly resolution 60/251,the Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and 5/2. This is definitely thekey to reducing confrontation and politicization that sometimes dominatediscussions at the Council. Vietnam would also expect the Council andits subsidiary bodies to better support developing countries, giventheir various challenges in socio – economic development, and inensuring the human rights in practice. Furthermore, we believe that theCouncil should pay more attention and allocate additional resources toissues related to the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly women,children, ethnic minority groups, aging and persons with disabilities…This is the area on which Vietnam would place emphasis in the comingyears at the Human Rights Council.

Mr. President,
Vietnam shares the views that the full enjoyment of human rights is thecommon aspiration of humankind, also the universal value and standardsthat all of us strive for. Human rights have a close link with otherglobal issues, particularly the question of peace, security anddevelopment. Given ongoing discussions on the Post-2015 DevelopmentAgenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how to address theinterdependence between peace, security, development and human rights isa burning issue of strategic importance. We believe that the Post-2015Development Agenda should be comprehensive, taking into consideration ofspecific circumstances of each state, its capacity and level ofdevelopment, while maintaining the balance between growth, sustainabledevelopment and promotion of human rights in accordance with recognizedstandards. Vietnam will continue to take active part in this process.
Mr. President,
Vietnam has placed the protectionand promotion of human rights and freedoms one of the three pillars ofthe Doi Moi and our national development. We have been doing our utmostto ensure the full enjoyment of human rights and freedoms for ourpopulation. Indeed, our achievements in socio – economic development andour cooperation with international community have facilitated theprotection and promotion of human rights in practice. Our efforts andachievements in human rights have been widely recognized, particularlyduring dialogues of the 2 nd Cycle of our Universal Periodic Review atthe Human Rights Council. Last year, notwithstanding domesticdifficulties partly due to the global economic crisis, Vietnam madegreat efforts to gradually recover its economy, alleviate poverty,ensure social security and other fundamental rights of our people,particularly those living in far, remote and extreme difficult areas.

Additionally, Vietnam has been implementing actively,proactively and with the highest level of responsibility our UPR’saccepted recommendations, as well as the voluntary pledges we had madein support of our candidacy to the Human Rights Council. As ademonstration of our strong commitment to the protection and promotionof human rights in accordance with the international standards, in 2014,Vietnam ratified the Convention against Torture and other Cruel,Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on theRights of Persons with Disabilities, presented its National Report onthe implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social andCultural Rights. At present, we are intensively preparing for ourNational Report on the implementation of the International Covenant onCivil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of allForms of Discrimination against Women.

We are fully aware thatmuch needs to be done to ensure the full enjoyment of all aspects ofhuman rights for our people. Our highest priority currently is toimprove the legal system, policies and institutions to ensure theprotection and promotion of human rights, particularly buildlegislations on human rights to implement the Constitution as amended in2013. Due to budget constraints, there will be challenges ahead inensuring fundamental rights for our people in practice, including rightsof labors, social security of vulnerable groups such as women, childrenand persons with disabilities. We look forward to continued cooperationand support of the international community and the U.N. entities onthis matter.

Last but not least, I wish to reaffirm the strongcommitment of the Government of Vietnam to the protection and promotionof human rights, and to cooperation with all Member States,international organizations and other related parties in the sprit ofdialogue, cooperation toward an effective, transparent and credibleHuman Rights Council.

I thank you, Mr. President.”-VNA