Geneva (VNA) – Vietnamaccepts 241, or nearly 83 percent, of 291 recommendations made by UN member countrieswithin the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, saidDeputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung.

Trung delivered the informationat a meeting to adopt Vietnam’s national report under the third-cycle UPR inGeneva on July 4 as part of the ongoing 41st session of the United NationsHuman Rights Council (UNHRC).

He said the acceptedrecommendations cover important human rights protection contents, such as thecompletion of the legal system; measures to protect civil, political,socio-economic and cultural rights; enhancement of human rights mechanisms; andnew issues related to immigration, climate change, and sustainable development.

The Deputy Minister noted that thereview of recommendations had been done thoroughly with the participation ofall sides involved.

Trung unveiled that Vietnam plansto design a master plan to assign tasks to responsible ministries and sectors,adding that a mid-term assessment is also planned to ensure the effectivenessof the performance.

He also explained that rejectedrecommendations are not suitable to Vietnam’s policies, laws and conditions.Most of them suggested Vietnam join a number of international treaties, amend itsnewly promulgated legal documents, and abolish capital punishment, while someused incorrect concepts and information about Vietnam.

Trung took the occasion toreiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy on protecting and promoting humanrights, originating from the country’s historical tradition of nationalprotection and construction and the Party and State’s consistent goal of placingthe people at the centre of their policies and actions.

Updating the UNHRC on theprotection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam in the first half of 2019,the diplomat stressed the country’s top priority is to build a law-governedState and reform its legal system.

He also highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economicachievements, especially economic growth, alleviating poverty, prioritisingresources for social welfare, boosting people’s access to informationtechnology, ensuring and promoting the religious life and ensuring employees’rights, among others.

Representatives of participatingcountries and organisations lauded Vietnam’s efforts and acknowledged thecountry’s progress in judicial reform, completing its legal system concerninghuman rights, and increasing people’s living standards.

Many countries also spoke highlyof Vietnam’s serious participation in the UPR process, acceptance of manyrecommendations, and plan to implement these recommendations.

At the end of the meeting, the UNHRCadopted Vietnam’s report. The country will embark on the implementation of the recommendationsand making a report for the next cycle which is expected to begin in 2023.

In the last cycle, Vietnamaccepted 80.2 percent of recommendations and completed 96.2 percent of them.-VNA