Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, at the 22nd meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighted Vietnam laws and policies on protection of human rights, and its achievements in economic growth and poverty reduction.
He also affirmed Vietnam’s intention to make greater contributions to international cooperation in the field.
“Vietnam is a party to most human rights international treaties. Bilateral dialogues with many countries regarding human rights have also been initiated,” he said. Minh added that the country’s candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term demonstrates its commitment to active, constructive and responsible participation in the work of the Council.
Minh called on other countries to use their political powers for fighting violence, noting that over the last seven years, the Human Rights Council, through its holistic and balanced approach, has effectively fulfilled its missions on protection of human rights. The foreign minister said within ASEAN framework, efforts had been made to promote human rights cooperation through the creation of the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and the Declaration on Human Rights, which was adopted last November.-