Hanoi (VNA) – Rising from wars,Vietnam has made continuous efforts to build a socialist state with the rule oflaw, which is of the people, by the people and for the people, Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has affirmed.

The country’s efforts to fight for nationalindependence and reunification for decades are to ensure all Vietnamese peoplecan enjoy to the fullest their human rights, including those of living inpeace, independence and freedom, and of deciding their destiny and developmentpath, he said.

The adoption of the Constitution 2013 with an exclusivechapter on human rights and citizen rights and obligations and that of the over90 subsequent legal documents related to human rights within four years weresignificant efforts to create an important legal framework for the protectionof human rights and citizenship, he added.

Besides, Vietnam has strived to improve the institutionalsystem and create material facilities to better ensure human rights, Minh said,adding that all socio-economic development projects, programmes and strategiesare built on the people-centred and people-oriented basis.

These endeavourshave brought positive outcomes in ensuring human rights in various fields fromeconomy, society, and culture to civil and politics, the Deputy PM said.

Vietnam isone of the countries to implement successfully many UN Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) ahead of schedule and is effectively carrying out the UNSustainable Development Goals (SDG), he noted.

The official citedthat Vietnam has maintained an annual economic growth of over 6 percent for manyconsecutive years and still paid due attention to social development.

The rights of education, health care and accommodation have been stronglyimproved with universal preschool and primary school education in all the 63cities and provinces, he said.

Meanwhile, the right of gender equality has beenpromoted with the rate of female deputies in the National Assembly and thePeople’s Councils at all levels standing at 27 percent, relatively highcompared to other countries in the region.

In addition to the achievements, Vietnam hasmade active contributions to the world’s common, positive and progressivevalues of human rights.

Vietnam is actively involving at human rightsforums of the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and other mechanisms, during which the Southeast Asian country proactivelyputs forth initiatives on human rights and receives warm welcome from theinternational community, especially those on the rights of women, children,people with disabilities, and people vulnerable to climate change, Minh said.

In 2016 and 2018, Vietnam tabled two resolutionson the impact of climate change on the rights of children and women, which wereadopted by the UN Human Rights Council.

Vietnam is alsoseriously implementing international commitments on human rights, including theenforcement of seven out of the nine treaties – to which Vietnam is a member –as well as commitments under the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The countryhas submitted its third-cycle UPR national report updating its efforts inimproving the legal system and human rights policies. It is scheduled toparticipate in a dialogue with other member nations in January 2019.

To betterensure the rights of the people in the coming time, Vietnam will maximiseefforts to perfect the state with the rule of law, strengthen the legalfoundation and policies related to the protection and promotion of humanrights, according to Minh.

It will pushahead with administrative reforms and improvement of the quality of publicservices as well as the prevention of corruption, promotion of democracy, andenhancement of the State apparatus operation, he said.

Deputy PMMinh added that Vietnam is committed to promoting the implementation of theSDGs, focusing on sustainable poverty reduction policies and narrowing thedevelopment gaps between geographical areas and population groups, especially thevulnerable.

The countrywill continue supporting dialogues and cooperation in the field of human rightsand work with other nations worldwide to promote the rights of the people, heaffirmed.-VNA