Vietnam's re-election to the UNHRC affirms the country's growing international role, position, and prestige: Deputy FM
On October 14 (New York time), at the United Nations Headquarters, the UN General Assembly elected members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term. Vietnam was re-elected to the Council with 180 votes — the highest number among Asia-Pacific countries. Speaking to the press after the election, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang highlighted the significance of Vietnam’s re-election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang speaks to the press after the election. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
Could you share the significance of Vietnam being elected as a member of the UNHRC for 2026-2028?
The recent UN General Assembly meeting elected Vietnam to the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term with a very high number of votes. This is an extremely important outcome, affirming Vietnam's growing international role, position, and prestige.
Firstly, Vietnam receiving the highest number of votes among Asia-Pacific countries elected for the 2026-2028 term continues to demonstrate the international community's recognition and appreciation of our country's socio-economic development achievements, especially our commitments, efforts, and accomplishments in promoting and protecting human rights, ensuring social welfare, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people.
The high trust in Vietnam once again affirms the United Nations and the international community's support and high regard for our Party and State's consistent foreign policy, as well as the results of our bilateral and multilateral diplomatic efforts in recent times.
Secondly, the election of Vietnam to continue as a UNHRC member as we are about to complete the 2023-2025 term demonstrates the high trust of countries in Vietnam's approach of dialogue, cooperation, and balance during the past term. It also reaffirms the expectations and trust in Vietnam's role and contributions in promoting cooperation to ensure human rights amidst the highly complex global situation.
Thirdly, this result is achieved thanks to the close attention and direction of the Party, State, and Government leaders, diplomatic efforts, and comprehensive information and communication strategies implemented at all levels. This includes the "frontline" role of Vietnam's overseas representative missions, particularly our Missions in New York and Geneva, along with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, and various ministries, departments, and sectors involved in inter-agency mechanisms on human rights, as well as media agencies.
It can be affirmed that Vietnam's success in the UNHRC election today, along with hosting the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime on October 25-26, are urgent, effective, and practical implementations of the Politburo's Resolution 59 on international integration in the new context. This affirms Vietnam's new position, transitioning from an active, responsible partner of the international community to making more responsible contributions in shaping and addressing global issues.
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| The Vietnamese delegation attends the event to elect members of the United Nations Human Rights Council. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
With the significance of this event, how will Vietnam continue to fulfill its role as a UNHRC member for 2026-2028?
During the 2023-2025 term, Vietnam has set the motto of participation as "Respect and Understanding, Dialogue and Cooperation. All human rights, for all people" and identified eight priority areas: Enhancing the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council; Protecting human rights in the context of climate change; Combating violence and discrimination, protecting vulnerable groups; Promoting gender equality; Protecting human rights in the digital age; Promoting the right to health; Right to employment; Right to education and human rights education.
These are long-term mottos and priorities, aligned with the international community's concerns about human rights, as well as Vietnam's interests and cooperation needs in this field. Therefore, we will continue these mottos and priorities while serving as a UNHRC member for the 2026-2028 term and beyond.
Additionally, in promoting initiatives and enhancing cooperation with countries at the UNHRC in the coming time, we will pay more attention to priorities aligned with the international community's common concerns in the face of urgent global challenges, as well as areas where we have identified the need for breakthroughs to lead the country into a new era of development, including priorities in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, education, and healthcare.
As Resolution 59 has identified, international integration is the cause of the entire people and the whole political system, with people and businesses as the centre, the main actors, the driving force, and the primary beneficiaries of international integration. In this spirit, fulfilling the role of a UNHRC member for 2026-2028 will also require full, broad, and effective contributions from ministries, sectors, agencies within the political system, mass organizations, and people's organizations in appropriate forms.
I am confident that, with the broad support of the international community as reflected in the votes, and with the active participation and contributions of the entire political system, Vietnam’s 2026–2028 term on the UN Human Rights Council will be a great success, contributing to the effective implementation of the Party’s foreign policy and the sound policies of the Party and State on the protection and promotion of human rights.”
Thank you, Deputy Minister!
