Vietnam will work non-stop to protect human rights: UN ambassador

Vietnam is serious about its international pledges on human rights and will always ensure that its people’s rights are protected, said the country’s chief representative at the United Nations.

Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the U.N., said Vietnam has been taking its commitments about fighting torture and supporting civil and political rights seriously.

The country has encountered certain challenges but will never stop trying to ensure that its people fully enjoy their human rights, he said at the 37th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday, as cited by Vietnam News Agency.

Dung said Vietnam has been perfecting its legal framework on human rights and building national action programs on sustainable development and climate change under the Paris Agreement. Support programs have also been put in place to improve people’s access to social services, especially vulnerable groups, he said.

The UNDP’s Human Development Index, which looks into a country’s health, education, equality, income, security and environment issues, ranked Vietnam 115th out of 188 countries and territories last year.

The human rights session opened on February 26 and will last four weeks, with discussions about issues including the protection of children in armed conflicts, the rights of people with disabilities and racial discrimination.