VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam had adopted policies and measures to ensure ethnic minorities could exercise their rights in every sphere of life, an independent expert on minority issues told the Human Rights Council's 16th session on Wednesday.

Independent expert Gay McDougall reported to the council in Geneva on her visit to Viet Nam last July, in which she praised the country's recognition of its ethnic minority population as an important constituent of its nation.

She applauded the political determination, policies, measures and programmes of the Government to ensure the rights of ethnic minorities in all fields, particularly in its efforts to address the socio-economic gaps that exist between ethnic minorities and the majority Kinh population.

However, she said Viet Nam still had to cope with many challenges such as difficult living conditions for ethnic minority people and a high poverty rate.

Ambassador Vu Dung, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN, World Trade Organisation and other international organisations in Geneva, said Viet Nam had always given a high priority to ensuring ethnic minority rights, especially the right to development.

"Over the last decades, Viet Nam has passed laws and policies and devised concrete national programmes, particularly those on poverty alleviation, basic healthcare and education, for the benefit of ethnic minorities," he stressed.

He said that the country had worked to increase the opportunities available in employment, education and training for ethnic minorities while preserving their unique cultures, languages, traditions and lifestyles.

The Vietnamese Government would continue to try its best to improve the living conditions and better ensure the rights of ethnic minority people, and would continue to co-operate and share experiences with other countries and the UN on this issue, he said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News