Vietnamese Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai (front, right) attends the September 13 general debate on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s updated report on the global human rights situation. VNA/VNS Photo

GENEVA – Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai has highlighted Việt Nam’s policy on promoting and protecting all people’s enjoyment of human rights while addressing a general debate on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s updated report on the global human rights situation.

The debate on September 13 was part of the 54th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Mai, who is Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, spoke highly of the active role of and efforts by the High Commissioner in stepping up the UNHRC’s activities, affirming the country’s support for activities of the High Commissioner Office to promote and protect human rights for all.

She emphasised Việt Nam’s policy on promoting and protecting all people’s enjoyment of human rights, along with its development policy that centres on the people and views the people as the main stakeholder, goal, and momentum of development.

Việt Nam perceives that it is necessary to promote initiatives and actions at national, regional, and international levels to resolve adverse impacts of global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity, which are threatening the enjoyment of human rights by people around the world, especially vulnerable groups, as well as the possibility of obtaining the Sustainable Development Goals, she noted.

The ambassador also underscored the need to settle political divisions and differences, and foster cooperation and trust building, through activities of the UNHRC as one of the measures, to ensure that people worldwide can fully enjoy human rights.

Mai added that Việt Nam is committed to boosting substantive dialogue and effective cooperation with all member states and human rights mechanisms of the UN. It supports the fundamental principles of universality, equality, objectivity, impartiality, and non-intervention into countries’ internal affairs.

The country holds that dialogue, substantive cooperation, and adherence to the above-mentioned principles form the most effective way for promoting and protecting human rights for the sake of sustainable development.

During the UNHRC’s 54th session in Geneva from September 11 to October 13, Việt Nam has been enhancing its participation as a UNHRC member in the 2023 - 2025 tenure.

A focus Việt Nam has promoted during the session is the right to health. The country has contributed to a joint speech at the discussion on the promotion of human rights via immunisation, and held an international seminar on this topic.

The 54th session, organised in a hybrid format, is the last regular session of the UNHRC this year. VNS