Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva, is leading a delegation to attend the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) where they will engage proactively in consultations on 36 draft resolutions and introduce two initiatives.
The initiatives are a joint statement on gender equality in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and a side event co-organised with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Thailand on the human rights impacts of online fraud.
The Vietnamese delegation will actively participate in and contribute to discussions on key issues, including climate change, children’s rights, the right to food, the rights of persons with disabilities, and other shared concerns of the international community.
In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the international human rights system is facing a full-scale attack. He noted that human rights are being eroded by protracted conflicts, authoritarianism, growing inequality, misinformation, and the misuse of new technologies. He warned that when human rights are undermined, peace, development, and security will also quickly collapse.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the irreplaceable role of the UNHRC and its subsidiary mechanisms, including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), describing them as key instruments for holding states accountable and safeguarding human dignity amid today’s volatile global context.
Echoing this message, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that the world is witnessing a troubling rise in centralised power structures and a weakening of the rule of law in many countries. He warned of the risk that technology, artificial intelligence, and natural resources could be manipulated for the benefit of a minority, causing serious harm to fundamental rights and freedoms.
The 61st session is being held in person from February 23 through March 31. It will feature numerous dialogues and discussions, including seven thematic panel discussions; 30 interactive dialogues with Special Procedures mandate holders; consideration and discussion of 84 thematic reports; and the adoption of the UPR reports of 14 countries./.
