Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung (centre) and other delegates. — VNA/VNS Photo

GENEVA — Việt Nam accepts 241, or nearly 83 per cent, of 291 human rights recommendations made by UN members, said Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung.
Trung delivered the information at a meeting to adopt Việt Nam’s national report under the third-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism in Geneva on Thursday as part of the ongoing 41st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
He said the accepted recommendations cover important human rights protection contents, such as the completion of the legal system; measures to protect civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights; enhancement of human rights mechanisms; and new issues related to immigration, climate change, and sustainable development.
The Deputy Minister noted the review of recommendations had been done thoroughly with the participation of all sides.
Trung unveiled Việt Nam aim to design a master plan to assign tasks to responsible ministries and sectors, adding that a mid-term assessment is also planned to ensure the effectiveness of the performance.
He also explained that rejected recommendations are not suitable to Việt Nam’s policies, laws and conditions. Most of them suggested Việt Nam join a number of international treaties, amend its newly promulgated legal documents, and abolish capital punishment, while some used incorrect concepts and information about Việt Nam.
Trung used the occasion to reiterate Việt Nam’s consistent policy on protecting and promoting human rights, originating from the country’s historical tradition of national protection and construction and the Party and State’s consistent goal of placing the people at the centre of their policies and actions.
Updating the UNHRC on the protection and promotion of human rights in Việt Nam in the first half of 2019, the diplomat stressed the country’s top priority is to build a law-governed State and reform its legal system. 
He also highlighted Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements, especially economic growth, alleviating poverty, prioritising resources for social welfare, boosting people’s access to information technology, ensuring and promoting the religious life and ensuring employees’ rights. 
Representatives of participating countries and organisations praised Việt Nam’s efforts and acknowledged the country’s progress in judicial reform, completing its legal system concerning human rights, and increasing people’s living standards.
Many countries also spoke highly of Việt Nam’s serious participation in the UPR process, acceptance of many recommendations, and plan to implement these recommendations.
At the end of the meeting, the UNHRC adopted Việt Nam’s report. The country will embark on the implementation of the recommendations and making a report for the next cycle which is expected to begin in 2023.
In the last cycle, Việt Nam accepted 80.2 per cent of recommendations and completed 96.2 per cent of them.  VNS