Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt at the event. VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK – Việt Nam has officially announced its candidacy for re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-2028 tenure.

The announcement was made at a ceremony held by the Permanent Mission of Việt Nam to the United Nations (UN) in New York on December 12 on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, drawing a large number of diplomats and representatives from various UN missions.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt, expressed gratitude to countries that supported Việt Nam's election to the UNHRC for the 2023-2025 tenure. He reviewed the nation's contributions over the past two years, including advancing the rights of vulnerable groups, promoting gender equality, labour rights, access to healthcare services, and education.

Vietnam has also led key resolutions on the "75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and "Climate Change and Human Rights," marking its strong presence at the UN’s main body for human rights protection, he noted.

Việt underscored that Việt Nam's remarkable socio-economic progress over nearly four decades of Đổi mới (Renewal) is resulted from the country’s policy of placing the people at the centre of development, a balanced approach to the promotion of a broad spectrum of human rights, from civil and political to economic, social, and cultural rights, and the country’s priority to caring for and protecting vulnerable groups, as well as concerted efforts from the Vietnamese people, both domestically and abroad.

The official called on the international community to continue supporting Việt Nam’s candidacy for the upcoming term. He affirmed that if re-elected, Việt Nam will remain an active, constructive, and responsible member, working hard to realise the council’s common goal to ensure better human rights protection globally.

On the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, praised Việt Nam as a long-standing advocate for freedom and justice. He described the country as an essential player on the global stage, highlighting Việt Nam’s active and responsible roles in organisations such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of G77 and China, and the UNHRC.

Ambassador Mansour expressed his confidence in Việt Nam’s re-election. He stated that Vietnam’s continued presence in the UNHRC is crucial, pointing to the need for members like Vietnam at the UN. VNS