Vietnam reviews international human rights treaties


Vietnam has successfully defended its national report on the implementation of human rights under the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Councils, which has earned international plaudits.

Photo: Vietnam+
A seminar on International conventions on human rights and implementation mechanisms was held in Hanoi on December 22 by the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Representatives and speakers from 40 media agencies, and organisations in charge of human rights in Vietnam attended the seminar.

The seminar was part of a technical cooperation programme concerning human rights between Vietnam and Austria which started in 2006.

In his opening speech, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed the Vietnamese Party, State and Government’s consistent policy, in which Vietnam attaches great importance to joining international human rights treaties to show its commitments and determination in ensuring and exercising human rights.

So far, Vietnam involved itself in the five key UN conventions on human rights, the International Labour Organization’s conventions and other bilateral agreements to promote and protect human rights.

Vietnam has signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and is carrying out necessary formalities for the approval of this convention in the near future.

Apart from enhancing cooperation in international treaties, Vietnam is taking into account its participation in other treaties. “The 2009-2010 period has seen Vietnam’s great efforts in international cooperation on human rights, particularly regional and international mechanisms,” Mr. Son said.

As Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights in 2010, Vietnam worked hand in hand with other ASEAN countries to put the commission into operation and fulfilled all tasks set for 2010 by mapping out a five-year plan and devising specific tasks for 2010-2011, which were approved by ASEAN foreign ministers.

Over the past four years, AusAID in Vietnam has organised seminars and training courses to raise Vietnamese agencies and organisations’ awareness of human rights issues and create a link between Vietnamese and Australian agencies in exercising human rights.

Australia has assisted Vietnam in issuing and revising some laws relating to the protection of human rights.

Australian Vice Ambassador to Vietnam Vanessa Wood praised the media’s role in imparting the contents of international treaties to all people while expressing the hope that through cooperation programmes, Vietnam and Australia could share human rights-related experiences.

During the two-day seminar, the participants focused their discussions on democracy, human rights in international relations, the Vietnamese State’s views and policies on human rights and religion, and issues on democracy and human rights in Vietnam’s relations with other countries, including the US, the EU and the Vatican.


Meeting marks Vietnam-RoK diplomatic ties


Relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have been greatly extended and deepened for peace, stability and development cooperation for the two peoples.

This statement was made by the President of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-RoK Friendship Association Vu Van Hoa at a ceremony to mark the 18th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam- RoK diplomatic ties, in the City on December 22.

The two countries lifted diplomatic ties to a comprehensive cooperation relationship in 2001 and to a strategic cooperative partnership in 2009, Hoa said.

At the event, the RoK’s Consul General in HCM City Kim Sang Yoon stressed that the two countries’ relations had made great progress over the past 18 years.

President Hoa and the RoK Consul General noted that the RoK’s direct investment into Vietnam is increasing, reaching nearly US$23 billion as of November this year, up 250 times compared with 1992.

The two countries have exchanged about 500,000 tourists each year and there are nearly 100,000 Vietnamese living in the RoK and the same number of the RoK people living in HCM City, they said.

At the grassroots level, HCM City and RoK’s localities have regularly conducted a large number of exchanges for businesses, scholars and students as well as a wide range of cultural, sporting and charitable programmes.


ActionAid International former General Director honoured with Friendship Order


On December 22, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong presented the Friendship Order, the Vietnamese State’s highest decoration, to Mr Ramesh Singh, former General Director of ActionAid International organisation in Vietnam.

The award was given in recognition of his substantial contributions to developing relations between international organisations and Vietnam as well as involvement in Vietnam’s poverty reduction and sustainable development.

As Action International CEO from 1997-2000, Mr Singh put forward initiatives aimed at helping Vietnam and other developing countries reduce poverty through programmes on rural development, healthcare, education, credit loans and agriculture, which improved people’s living standards significantly.

In his address at the awards ceremony, Mr. Hong praised Mr Singh’s contributions to Vietnam and hoped that Mr Singh and ActionAid International would continue to provide their support for Vietnam.


VNN/VOV/VNS