The meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Đỗ Hùng Việt (R) and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development Surya Deva in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt has received the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development Surya Deva, who is on a working visit to Việt Nam from November 6 to 15.

At the meeting in Hà Nội, Việt welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s proposal to choose Việt Nam as the first country to visit after being appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

He highlighted Việt Nam’s approach of respecting, protecting and promoting human rights, affirming that the country always puts people at the centre and considers them as the key stakeholder and impetus of the development process, which can be seen in the enormous achievements of Đổi mới (Renewal) in socio-economic development, integration into the world, improvements in all aspects of people’s life, and the international community’s recognition.

Việt Nam always ensures people, socio-political organisations, people’s organisations, enterprises, non-governmental organisations, development partners, and relevant parties engage in and contribute to this process. It is giving high priority to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, with strong efforts being made in poverty reduction, climate change response, cutting net emissions to zero by 2050, environmental protection, and the building of a green and circular economy, he noted.

The Deputy Minister expressed his belief that the visit is a chance for Việt Nam to share its good practices, challenges, priorities, and cooperation demand in this regard.

For his part, Deva spoke highly of the hallmarks and initiatives of the country as a member of the UNHRC during 2023 - 2025, along with its responsible and active participation in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Sharing the priorities of his term, the Special Rapporteur affirmed that he will maintain the general, balanced and transparent approach, promote international cooperation for the goal of sustainable and inclusive development, and enhance people’s engagement in the building, implementation and supervision of development policies.

He also called on Việt Nam to continue bringing into play its role in the UNHRC and help to effectively promote the right to development in the country and the world.

During his trip, Deva will have meetings with many central agencies, socio-political organisations, people’s organisations, and enterprises. He will also visit some localities, projects, and socio-economic establishments to learn about the country’s achievements, challenges, priorities, and cooperation needs related to the right to development. VNS