Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai highlighted Vietnam’s policy on promoting and protecting human rights for all

18-09-2023

Yasemin Beyza Uçar

South and East Asia Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The United Nations Human Rights Council is holding its fifty-fourth regular session in Geneva from the 11th of September to the 13th of October 2023. Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the opening. On the 13th of September, Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai attended the general debate addressing Volker Türk’s updated report on the global human rights situation, enhancing its contribution as a UNHRC member (VNA, 2023).

Lê Thị Tuyết Mai, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations, highlighted the High Commissioner’s active role and efforts in promoting the UNHRC’s activities, encouraging the country’s support for activities to promote and protect human rights. Mai emphasised Vietnam’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights for all people and highlighted the development policy, which focuses on the people, considers children and observes the people as the main goal and power of development (International Newspaper, 2023).

Vietnam’s Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai underlines the need to address initiatives and actions at national, regional, and international levels to address the impacts of global challenges, such as climate change and food insecurity, which threaten the full enjoyment of human rights. She noted that it primarily affects vulnerable groups and the likelihood of obtaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Lê Thị Tuyết Mai mentioned, in addition, the need to resolve political conflicts and differences and build trust through activities of the UNHRC as a crucial measure to ensure that people all over the world can enjoy their human rights (VNA, 2023).

Vietnam is currently engaged in improving substantive dialogue and practical cooperation with all member states and human rights mechanisms of the UN, adhering to principles such as universality, equality, impartiality, and non-intervention in countries’ internal affairs. Vietnam states that these principles are substantive to protect human rights for a balanced development (WVR/VNA/ The World & Vietnam, 2023).

The focus of Vietnam in its participation as a member of the Council of Nations is the right to health and promotes human rights through vaccination (International Newspaper, 2023).

Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented a revised report on the global Human Rights situation, most importantly emphasising the right to life. He also stated that urgent measures need to be taken in order to solve challenges such as food insecurity, which is leading millions to face hunger. Consequently, Türk promotes countries to connect and work out global challenges (International Newspaper, 2023).

Sources and further readings:

VNA. (2023, September 14). Ambassador stresses Vietnam’s policy on promoting, protecting human rights for all. Vietnamplus. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from https://en.vietnamplus.vn/ambassador-stresses-vietnams-policy-on-promoting-protecting-human-rights-for-all/267926.vnp

International Newspaper. (2023, September 14). Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai called on the Human Rights Council to promote cooperation and build trust to ensure human rights. Vietnam.vn. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from https://www.vietnam.vn/en/dai-su-le-thi-tuyet-mai-keu-goi-hoi-dong-nhan-quyen-thuc-day-hop-tac-xay-dung-long-tin-de-dam-bao-quyen-con-nguoi/

WVR/VNA/ The World & Vietnam. (2023, September 14). Vietnam’s policy on promoting, protecting human rights for all: Ambassador. VCCI. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from https://en.vcci.com.vn/vietnam%E2%80%99s-policy-on-promoting-protecting-human-rights-for-all-ambassador