Vietnam pursues consistent policy of promoting and protecting human rights, including the right to development (Photo: VNA)  

 United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the right to development Surya Deva had a dialogue in Geneva on September 18 with countries on his activities over the past year, during which he highly valued the Vietnamese Government's multidimensional poverty reduction approach.

Mentioning his visit to Vietnam on November 9-15, 2023, the official affirmed that he had witnessed impressive progress in its economic development and its implementation of social welfare programmes.

He also confirmed that the country has made significant strides in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in various areas, such as poverty reduction, access to clean water and sanitation, resilient infrastructure development, and enhanced innovation.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva, affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of promoting and protecting human rights, including the right to development.

Vietnam always places people at the centre of all development strategies, viewing them as the subject, driving force, and beneficiaries. The country does not try to achieve economic development at the expense of the environment, stressed Dung.

Vietnam appreciates the positive perspective of the Special Rapporteur regarding the country's achievements, commitments, and vision for comprehensive development, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, poverty reduction, resilient infrastructure development, innovation promotion, and ensuring the participation, contribution, and enjoyment of the people in the development process, the diplomat said.

He also emphasised that Vietnam has been attaching importance to creating opportunities for its citizens to participate in and contribute to all policy-making and implementation processes.

Dung affirmed Vietnam's commitment to sustainable development, which includes prioritising investments in human resources, science and technology, and innovation; improving infrastructure; developing a green and circular economy; enhancing resilience to natural disasters and climate change; perfecting socialist-oriented market institutions; speeding up public administrative reforms; encouraging the participation of vulnerable groups in decision-making processes; continuing to reform the social welfare system to strengthen community resilience and support vulnerable groups; stabilising macroeconomic foundations; effectively mobilising and utilising financial resources for sustainable development; improving data availability to enhance monitoring of the implementation progress of the Sustainable Development Goals; and engaging all stakeholders and collaborating with partners to achieve these goals for everyone by 2030.

He took the occasion to show support for the Special Rapporteur and expressed a desire to continue cooperating with UN human rights mechanisms in the coming time./.