Vietnam will run for the UN Human Rights Council

Speaking at the high-level session of the 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the afternoon of February 28 in Geneva, Switzerland, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh said that Vietnam will run for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2013-2016 term.

In an interview in Geneva about the purpose of his candidacy, Mr. Pham Binh Minh said that Vietnam has taken many measures to ensure that all people enjoy human rights. Therefore, Vietnam has achieved many successes in maintaining economic growth, ensuring social security, poverty reduction, education, health care, and employment, creating a solid foundation for the enjoyment of human rights in Vietnam.

Panorama of a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Photo: Internet

These achievements were mentioned by Vietnam in its periodic review report at the Human Rights Council in 2009. Also at this review, many countries made recommendations to share Vietnam's experience in ensuring human rights, which they assessed as Vietnam's strength.

Vietnam's consistent policy is to strive with the international community to promote the enjoyment and protection of human rights for people of all countries. Therefore, Vietnam needs to become a member of the Human Rights Council to join other countries in implementing human rights and sharing Vietnam's successful experiences. This is also implementing the active foreign policy and proactive international integration as set out in the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress.

Assessing the role of the Human Rights Council in recent times, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh said that since its establishment in 2006, the Human Rights Council has initially met the expectations of countries when establishing this organization. It can be said that in the past 5 years, the Human Rights Council has promoted in that direction.

Mr. Pham Binh Minh added that the Human Rights Council was established to replace the United Nations Human Rights Commission. One of the shortcomings of the United Nations Human Rights Commission is the politicization of human rights issues.

The Human Rights Council was established with the desire not to politicize human rights issues, on the basis that countries, through the Human Rights Council, together promote and ensure the right of people to enjoy human rights.

Over the past five years, the Human Rights Council has met the expectations of countries, which is to promote and ensure the implementation of human rights in all economic, cultural, social and political fields.

The Human Rights Council is also a forum for countries to exchange and share experiences. One of the mechanisms that the Human Rights Council has put forward is the periodic review of all member countries. They are all responsible for reviewing the implementation of human rights in their countries. This is also to implement equality among all countries.

According to Mr. Pham Binh Minh, the Human Rights Council has also promoted cooperation between countries. Countries all want the UN mechanisms to be mechanisms that create cooperation between countries in areas of common concern.

According to VNA