Assistant to the Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu led a Vietnamese delegation to the annual discussions on women’s rights, climate change and a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty, within the framework of the 53rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 30-July 3. 

Vietnam advocates int’l cooperation to ensure human rights amid global challenges. Photo:VNA

At the annual discussion on women’s rights and social welfare, Vu affirmed that the right to social security and the principle of non-discrimination have been affirmed in the Constitution and laws of Vietnam. Vietnamese women, through their organisations, have contributed to building and enforcing development and social welfare policies, with remarkable results on both global and regional aspects. 
 
Empowering women and girls, as well as enhancing the role of women's organisations at all levels, are crucial orientations of Vietnam to ensure social welfare for women in the future, he said.

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Addressing the panel discussion on climate change and the right to food, Vu introduced Vietnam's efforts to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and other global challenges to ensure food security for its people and become a nation that produces and supplies food in a transparent, responsible and sustainable manner, as it committed at the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit.

About the role of food system transition in response to climate change, he said this work needs to take into account the specific circumstances of each country and locality, ensuring the participation of relevant parties and utilising investment resources, innovation and creativity.

Opening the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty, the Vietnamese delegate underlined the crucial role of ensuring employment and generating income in poverty eradication efforts. He said countries need to guarantee the right to work for their people, especially amid post-pandemic recovery.

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He also shared Vietnam's experience and achievements recognised by the international community, including multidimensional poverty reduction approach to ensure sustainable poverty eradication and prevent the risk of falling back into poverty. He highlighted how this approach creates opportunities for the private sector, communities, development partners, and relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the State to pool greater resources and create more sustainable employment opportunities for the people.

On the sidelines of the session, the Mission of Vietnam to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, in collaboration with the US and Argentine missions, co-organised an international dialogue on combating gender-based discrimination, violence and harassment in the workplace. 

In his opening speech, Vu affirmed that while Vietnam is still in the process of studying the possibility of acceding to the International Labour Organisation's Convention No. 190 of 2019 concerning this issue, Vietnam wishes to promote dialogue with countries, international organisations, and relevant parties to share experience and global cooperation needs in addressing this matter which has drawn great concern of the international community, including governments, businesses, and workers worldwide.

Meeting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the Vietnamese official proposed Turk continue paying attention to common concerns, which are also Vietnam’s priorities during its term as a UNHRC member for 2023-2025. 

The High Commissioner lauded Vietnam's contributions as a UNHRC member, particularly its role as the main drafter of the resolution marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. He also suggested specific measures to step up the role of the UNHRC and its member states during this significant celebration year.

Talking with Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Vu suggested that WHO promote the commemoration of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on December 27, in accordance with the UN General Assembly’s resolution, and assist Vietnamese experts in applying for suitable positions in the WHO. 
   
Ghebreyesus hailed Vietnam as a role model in pandemic preparedness. He hoped that Vietnam will further raise its position and voice in the international community's collective efforts in the health care sector.

During a working session with Deputy Director-General for Operations of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Ugochi Daniels, Vu proposed that both sides continue leveraging their effective cooperation to promote shared priorities in the future. 

Commending Vietnam as one of the first countries to follow the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), Daniels vowed to continue working closely with Vietnam on regional issues. She suggested promoting new forms of exchange and explore new areas of cooperation while prioritising global issues with significant impacts on the global migration situation, including climate change.

In a conversation with Assistant High Commissioner for Protection with UNHCR Gillian Triggs, Vu highly appreciated UNHCR’s close cooperation and support in reducing statelessness and addressing issues related to migrants and refugees in the region. 

Triggs shared UNHRC’s priorities regarding migration and asylum issues caused by economic reasons and armed conflicts, settlement of root causes of migration and asylum, and promoting policies that facilitate legal migration both regionally and internationally. She suggested that Vietnam leverage its role in the region to enhance international cooperation in these areas./.