Vietnam has made constructive contributions to the 40th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council which took place in Geneva, Switzerland from February 25 to March 22.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at the opening ceremony of UNHRC's 40th session

The Vietnamese delegation, led by Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, contributed ideas to many draft resolutions, and co-sponsored three resolutions on the right to food, the right to culture, and the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights.

Ambassador Dung delivered speeches at the general debate on the promotion and protection of human rights in multilateralism, the dialogues with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and the debate on human rights situation in Myanmar and rights of people with disabilities.

Vietnam’s participation in the UNHRC’s 40th session again demonstrated its proactive and responsible attitude to the council’s common work in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, thus helping ensure the council’s activities conform to basic principles of the UN Charter and international law.

During the four-week session, the UNHRC discussed a wide range of issues related to children’s rights, the disabled’s rights, the right to housing, and the right to food, among others. 

The council also scrutinised the human rights situations in such countries as Myanmar, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syria, South Sudan and Iran, while exchanging notes on measures to intensify technical assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Mali.

Twenty-nine resolutions were adopted in this session. Among them, 13 were approved through voting.-VNA