New York (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy has been active in discussions on social development, the advancement of women, children’srights, drug control and crime prevention during a meeting of the UN Third Committee which isunderway in New York.

The UNCommittee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues (Third Committee) meetsfrom October 1 to November 21 within the framework of the 74th UN General Assembly.

The ThirdCommittee also includes meetings with chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies and UN special rapporteurs on issues related to migrants, housing,clean water, environment, torture, violence against children, discriminationagainst women, and promotion of political, civil, economic, cultural and socialrights. Around 60 resolutionsare scheduled to be reviewed during the meeting.

During thediscussions, representatives of several countries have voiced their concerns over an increasing number of global challenges,particularly climate change which has hindered human rights. They alsosuggested that in today’s context, dialogue and international cooperation onthe basis of mutual understanding and respect are critical to ensuring the achievement of human rights goals.

Speaking at ageneral discussion, Ambassador Quy, who is also Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, called on all nations to promote dialoguerather than confrontation, and consultation rather than imposition to together ensure human rights.

Vietnam hasaccepted 241, or nearly 83 percent, of the 291 human rights recommendations by UN members atthe third-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, he said. Theaccepted recommendations cover important human rights protection issues, suchas the completion of the legal system; measures to protect civil, political,social, economic and cultural rights; and promotion of dialogue and cooperationwith UN human rights mechanisms.

Vietnam hasalso ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 98 on theRight to Organise and Collective Bargaining and aligned itself to the voluntaryglobal pledge for children’s rights and the Safe School Declaration, Quy added.

Vietnam, acountry severely affected by climate change, has always made great efforts to mitigate the impact ofclimate change on vulnerable groups, he said. In 2014, Vietnam, together with Bangladesh and thePhilippines, co-sponsored a resolution onclimate change and human rights which focuses on childen, women and people withdisabilities./.