On June 20, the Government's Standing Office on Human Rights, in collaboration with the Lao Cai Provincial Human Rights Steering Committee, organized the 2024 grassroots-level human rights training conference.

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairwoman Giang Thi Dung highlighted Lao Cai's achievements in human rights protection and socio-economic development.

Over the past years, the province has implemented policies to improve livelihoods, ensure social welfare, alleviate poverty, and uphold religious freedom and citizens' rights.

From 2020 to 2023, Lao Cai maintained GDP growth at an average of 7%, surpassing the national average. By the end of 2023, the province’s economy reached nearly VND 74 trillion, a 40% increase from 2020, ranking 4th among 14 provinces in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region.

Key economic contributions:

Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries: 13.94%.

Industry and construction: 40.48%.

Services: 35.86%.

Product taxes: 9.71%.

Tourism has emerged as a standout sector, with 7.2 million visitors generating VND 23.244 trillion in revenue by the end of 2023, exceeding 2019 figures by 41% in visitors and 20% in revenue.

This growth has created numerous job opportunities, making tourism a cornerstone of the province’s economic strategy.

Lao Cai has implemented comprehensive poverty reduction measures, particularly in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas.

Programs such as Resolution No. 20-NQ/TU have targeted poverty rates in 10 high-poverty communes, achieving a multidimensional poverty reduction rate of 4.31% from 2020 to 2023.

The training conference provided critical updates on human rights issues and the Party and State’s policies, particularly on religious freedom.

The sessions aimed to enhance the capacity of local officials in protecting and promoting human rights and mobilizing collective efforts from various sectors.

Major General Nguyen Van Ky stressed that human rights are a shared responsibility of the entire political system, especially at the grassroots level. He urged local agencies to:

Strengthen advisory roles for implementing policies and laws to protect and promote human rights.

Boost communication efforts domestically and internationally, with a focus on social media platforms to disseminate positive human rights achievements.

Enhance vigilance against adversarial forces exploiting democracy and human rights issues.

In his closing remarks, Colonel Tran Viet Phuong, Deputy Director of the Lao Cai Police Department, highlighted potential challenges, including:

Increased misuse of cyberspace and human rights issues to incite unrest.

Unauthorized religious activities and separatist movements like the "Mong State."

Growing disputes and complaints related to the rapid pace of investment and construction in the province.

To address these challenges, the provincial Human Rights Steering Committee will organize annual training conferences to:

Update officials on the latest developments in democracy and human rights.

Align perspectives across law enforcement agencies.

Share practical experiences and resolve difficulties to ensure human rights efforts are more effective and impactful.

This ongoing initiative aims to strengthen Lao Cai’s capacity in safeguarding human rights, fostering stability, and promoting sustainable development in the region.

Bao Duc