Y Thông (centre), Deputy Minister and Vice Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, addresses the 111th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva. — VNA/VNS Photo

GENEVA — The principle of non-discrimination and equality among all members of the community is the core of Vietnam’s constitutional system, and is concretised through various legislative reforms, Y Thông, Deputy Minister and Vice Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, has reaffirmed.

He was defending the combined 15th to 17th national periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination during 2013-2019, at the 111th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) which is taking place from November 20 to December 8.

Thông highlighted that the right to equality of the Vietnamese ethnic groups in the period is guaranteed by the Constitution and law.

As the majority of Việt Nam's ethnic minority groups reside in mountainous, highland and remote areas with lagging socio-economic development, the State prioritises support for them to unleash their potential and help them better integrate into the overall national development.

Since 2013, Việt Nam has worked to complete its legal system to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the ethnic minorities, he said, elaborating that the National Assembly has issued 125 laws with 352 articles that stipulate the rights and obligations of ethnic minority people in the past decade.

During the period, Việt Nam affirmed its steadfast stance against the incitement to division and hatred between ethnic groups and races, thus any acts of discrimination or support for activities that cause division and discrimination among ethnic groups are prohibited and strictly punished under the Vietnamese laws, he stressed.

He went on to say that Việt Nam has made significant progress in promoting the rights of ethnic minorities, including that to freedom of movement within the national territory, that to enter and exit the country, that to freedom of state and social management rights, that to freedom of speech or press, and that to freedom of religion and belief.

Along with outlining criteria for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, and Sustainable Development Goals for ethnic minority groups until 2030, Việt Nam has introduced an array of programmes and policies for ethnic people, he said, adding they enjoy preferential policies in education, healthcare, vocational training, employment, land, and credit access, among others.

Joining the CERD convention in 1982, Việt Nam has successfully defended its national reports on the convention implementation in 1983, 1993, 2000 and 2012.

According to the national periodic report, Vietnam is a unified country consisting of 54 ethnic groups, 53 of them minority, with a combined population of over 14 million people and accounting for 14.7 per cent of the country's total population. — VNS