Addressing the general debate on the global human rights situation at the opening of the UNHRC’s 63rd regular session in Geneva on September 7, Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and other international organisations in Geneva, affirmed Vietnam’s support for the efforts of the UN, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant bodies.

He called for stronger action by the UNHRC to promote and protect human rights in response to current global challenges, including armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, climate change, human rights protection in cyberspace and the emergence of new technologies.

As a member of the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term, Vietnam reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sincere dialogue and constructive cooperation with all countries and UN mechanisms, in line with the principles of universality, fairness, objectivity, impartiality and non-interference.

Dung also conveyed the Vietnamese Government’s condolences to the governments and people of China and Nepal over the loss of life and damage caused by recent floods. He congratulated Volker Türk on his re-election as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for a second term.

In his address to the council, Türk said the past years have been marked by a growing number of armed conflicts. and diminishing respect for international human rights and humanitarian law and the United Nations Charter itself. There are now more than 60 conflicts involving at least one state, the highest number since the end of the Second World War. 

He expressed concern over the heavy toll of conflicts on civilians, including deaths, displacement, loss of property and prolonged insecurity, as well as limited access to humanitarian assistance and inadequate accountability.

The High Commissioner also highlighted emerging challenges to human rights, including the growing use of drones in conflicts, risks associated with artificial intelligence and other new technologies, climate change, and access to food, housing and healthcare. He warned that replacing multilateral cooperation with transactional arrangements could undermine global efforts to protect and promote human rights.

Held in Geneva from September 7 to October 9, the 63rd UNHRC session is the Council’s final regular session of 2026. The session includes six thematic panel discussions, consideration of more than 90 thematic reports, dialogues with over 30 special procedures and UN human rights mechanisms, and discussions on human rights situations in 20 countries and territories.

During the session, Vietnam is expected to develop a joint statement on promoting human rights and access to healthcare through vaccination, host a dialogue on the right to health of older persons, and co-host events on combating online scam-related crimes and assessing the efforts and achievements of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).

Vietnam will also actively participate in thematic discussions and consultations on decisions and resolutions during the session./.