Ambassador Lê Thị Tuyết Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Việt Nam to the UN, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, has reaffirmed Việt Nam's consistent policy to promote human rights and highlighted the country’s effective measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The diplomat delivered speeches in both capacities as representative of Việt Nam and ASEAN at dialogues on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Global update on human rights and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the human rights situation in the Philippines, held on Tuesday, the first day of the 44th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Right Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Mai underlined the priority given to ensuring the safety of and right to health care services for the people, especially vulnerable groups.

 

She highlighted the success of the Vietnamese Government and people in preventing and controlling COVID-19, stabilising the socio-economic situation, maintaining public order as well as normal life, along with the country’s policies to support post-pandemic recovery, thus protecting human rights.

 

Việt Nam has entered the 76th day without any new community coronavirus transmission, keeping the caseload low at 355 confirmed patients with no deaths so far.

 

Delivering the report regarding the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, underscored the concern about the harmful influence of the pandemic on peace and development, stressing that it could extinguish hope to fulfil sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda if countries fail to work together.

 

Stressing the need to ensure civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, especially of vulnerable groups, Bachelet called on all countries to continue co-operating to make sure no one is left behind in the fight against the pandemic.

 

The 44th session, scheduled to last until July 17, will see more than 30 dialogues, including those with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situations in countries including the Philippines, Myanmar, Eritrea, Belarus, Syria, Burundi, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ukraine and Sudan.

 

To ensure safety, participants can deliver their speech directly at the hall or through videos. — VNS