(VOVWORLD) - Spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang on Thursday briefed reporters on Vietnam’s activities at the dialogue session on Vietnam's National Report under the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Monday in Geneva.
 Spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang |
Hang said at the dialogue session, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet presented a national report affirming Vietnam's consistent policy on protecting and promoting human rights and considering the people the center, the goal and the driving force of national development.
Vietnam also emphasized its priorities in promoting and protecting human rights in the coming time, aiming to build a law-governed socialist state, strengthen administrative reform, promote dialogue and cooperation in human rights, and strengthen human rights education.
Ms. Hang said: "Vietnam's UPR review session received great attention, with 130 countries participating in the dialogue. They recognized Vietnam's policies, efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights and its implementation of recommendations of the UPR. The UPR has welcomed Vietnam's achievements in economic development, ensuring social justice, and exercise of human rights."
 Activities of religious organizations are guaranteed to comply with the provisions of law (Photo: VOV) |
Commenting on the 2024 Religious Freedom Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which said Vietnam seriously suppresses religion, the spokesperson rejected the non-objective, prejudiced and inaccurate statements about the actual situation in Vietnam stated in the report.
"Vietnam has consistently implemented a policy of respecting and ensuring people's right to freedom of belief and religion, and the right to follow or not follow religion. In Vietnam, no one is discriminated against for reasons of religion or belief. Activities of religious organizations are guaranteed to comply with the provisions of law. This has been clearly stated in Vietnam's 2013 Constitution, Vietnam's legal system and is respected in practice. Vietnam's policies, efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights, including freedom of religion and belief, have been recognized and highly appreciated by many countries. These are also assessments and comments of countries participating in the dialogue session on Vietnam's National Report under the UPR mechanism."