Hanoi (VNA) – Observing commitments to promoting human rights is an importantpart of Vietnam’s efforts and also an important achievement of the country inensuring human rights. 

Vietnamis working to implement recommendations of the UN’s second-circle UniversalPeriodic Review (UPR) on human rights it has accepted.

TheUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council(HRC) aimed at improving human rights in each United Nations (UN) member state.

Underthis mechanism, the human rights situation in all UN member states is reviewedevery five years.

Theresult of each review is reflected in an “outcome report” listing the recommendations on what the state needs to improve beforethe next review.

Under the second UPR in Geneva on February 5, 2014, 106countries put forward 227 recommendations to Vietnam, focusing on the reform ofthe legal system relating to human rights and the enhancement of cooperationwith UN human rights mechanisms.

Most countries acknowledged Vietnam’s policies, efforts andachievements in ensuring human rights since the first review in 2009.

At the 26th session of the Human RightsCouncil in June 2014, Vietnam announced that the country accepted 182 out of227 recommendations.

At the same time, it clearly stated that the 45 otherrecommendations are not accepted as they are not suitable with Vietnam’sreality or international consensus. However, Vietnam will put them intoconsideration.

Vietnam has assigned ministries and agencies to implementthe accepted recommendations.

In November 2015, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucapproved a master plan on implementing the second-circle UPR recommendations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was tasked withsupervising the work and reporting the results to the Prime Minister.

Hoang Thanh Nga, deputy head of the MoFA’s Department forInternational Organisations, said between June 2014 and December 31, 2016, 147out of the 182 accepted recommendations were realised and four others werepartly implemented.

During 2014-2016, dozens of legal documents relating tohuman rights and citizens’ rights were adopted to concretise regulations of the2013 Constitution, in line with international conventions to which Vietnam is amember.

Apart from amending the Investment Law, the EnterpriseLaw and legal regulations on exit, nationality and adoption, Vietnam issued theOrdinance on Belief and Religion, the Law on Press and the Law on Publication.

Thanks to such efforts, people’s civil and politicalrights, including the rights to religious freedom, movement freedom,participation in politics and the rights of ethnic minorities and thedisadvantaged groups, have been respected and ensured. Per capita incomeincreased from 1,900 USD in 2013 to 2,215 USD in 2016. The number of peoplecovered by social allowances and health insurance also rose by 25.05 percent innew-style rural communes.

Residents in areas prone to natural disasters, droughtand saltwater intrusion have received support, while attention has been paid toimplementing the national strategy on natural disaster prevention andmitigation.

Notably, social organisations and citizens haveparticipated more deeply in supervising the effectuation of the State’s lawsand policies. Around 50 million people, or 52 percent of the population, areusing the internet in Vietnam.

Up to 34 out of 35 recommendations relating to rights ofvulnerable groups have been implemented through national action programmes.

Additionally, nine out of 12 recommendations on education about human rights,and ten out of 19 recommendations on Vietnam’s engagement in internationalconventions on human rights have been materialised.

Through the implementation of the second-circle UPRrecommendations, Vietnam has shown goodwill to contribute to humanrights-related issues of international concern, helping raise the country’sposition in the global arena.-VNA