Affirming Viet Nam’s efforts to ensure and promote human rights

In his opening remarks, Vu Chien Thang, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, said that the conference was not only an occasion to review human rights work over the past year but also a practical activity marking the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day (December 10, 1955 – December 10, 2025) and the theme “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”, selected by the United Nations for 2025.

This reflects the proactive spirit, sense of responsibility, and strong political commitment of the Ministry of Home Affairs in promoting universal values on human rights, contributing to affirming Viet Nam’s efforts to ensure and promote human rights in line with the Constitution, laws, and international commitments.

According to Vu Chien Thang, 2025 is a pivotal year for the ministry’s human rights work. With the overarching goal of integrating human rights into public service, labour, employment, gender equality, and youth affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the Human Rights Plan for the 2025–2030 period and the Human Rights Work Plan for 2025. These are important guiding frameworks that concretise the Party’s and State’s policies on ensuring human rights in the new situation.

The year 2025 also marks the first year of implementing the Human Rights Plan for the 2025–2030 period, closely linking to the rollout of the ministry’s key tasks related to organisational restructuring, public service and civil servants, administrative reform, and other areas that directly affect the enjoyment of human rights.

Over the past year, thanks to the concerted efforts of its units, the Ministry of Home Affairs has achieved several noteworthy results in human rights work, notably through close coordination with relevant ministries and sectors in the preparation and defence of national reports under international treaties on human rights.

The ministry has chaired and organised the delegation defending Viet Nam’s first national report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

It also participated in the inter-agency delegation defending Viet Nam’s fourth national report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and contributed comments to the national report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in areas under the ministry’s management.

At the same time, the ministry reviewed recommendations from the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), particularly in the areas of labour and employment, gender equality, the rights of vulnerable groups, administrative reform, and the right of access to public services.

The ministry has continued to fulfil its role as a member of the Government Steering Committee on Human Rights, ensuring periodic reporting, timely provision of information and documentation, and close, effective inter-agency coordination.

It has also actively participated in bilateral dialogues on human rights with key partners such as the European Union (EU), the US, and Australia, therefore clarifying Viet Nam’s policies and efforts to ensure human rights, while integrating human rights issues into cooperation frameworks with international partners.

These activities have been implemented in line with Directive No. 44-CT/TW of the Secretariat and Decision No. 366/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, contributing to affirming Viet Nam’s image as a country that implements its international commitments seriously and attaches importance to human rights.

Apart from domestic and international human rights activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also faithfully fulfilled its membership obligations in two ASEAN human rights mechanisms: the ASEAN Committee on the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW) and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC); shared Viet Nam’s efforts while contributing to the promotion of rights of migrant workers, women, and children in ASEAN region.

Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang further noted that in 2026, the ministry’s human rights work will include a key international task: chairing and leading Viet Nam’s delegation to the dialogue with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to discuss Viet Nam’s 9th CEDAW Report.

This is an important mission and one of the Ministry’s major tasks on human rights for 2026, requiring units to prepare thoroughly, seriously, and in close coordination. Following the dialogue, the ministry will also be responsible for leading the development and submission to the Government of Viet Nam’s action plan to implement the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations.

He noted that global human rights issues are increasingly facing complex challenges, including geopolitical conflicts, inequality, and climate change, and emerging issues in the digital era such as private rights and fake news. In its role as the state management authority for public service, labour, employment, gender equality, and youth affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs must strengthen measures to respond effectively to these common challenges.

To ensure the conference achieves substantive outcomes, Vu Chien Thang called on delegates to focus discussions on comprehensively assessing the results of human rights work in 2025 in each management area of the ministry; reviewing the implementation of the Human Rights Plan for the 2025–2030 period and the Human Rights Plan for 2025; identifying challenges, and proposing specific solutions to enhance effectiveness in 2026 and following years.

He also emphasised the need to clearly define directions and key tasks for 2026 in the context of Viet Nam continuing to fulfil its international obligations under United Nations conventions on human rights, the UPR mechanism, and ASEAN human rights mechanisms, as well as identifying ways to strengthen inter-agency coordination in the implementation of human rights work and the improvement of capacity for staff engaged in human rights work.