Primary school students receive health examination at their school (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has been workingunceasingly to build a state of the people, by the people and for the people byimproving legal regulations relevant to human rights.
Respecting, protecting and promoting humanrights have been reflected in Vietnam’s development strategies and policies,the judicial reform strategy, as well as the implementation of internationalobligations and commitments to which Vietnam is a party, includingrecommendations of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Doan Cong Huynh, Director of the Authority ofForeign Information Service under the Ministry of Information andCommunications, said in recent years, Vietnam has made strong efforts andobtained many achievements in perfecting its law system on human rights,carrying out international recommendations about human rights such as those ofthe UPR, and realising development programmes.
The 2013 Constitution, adopted on November 28,2013 and taking effect on January 1, 2014, has an exclusive chapter on humanrights and citizens’ rights and obligations. This chapter inherited anddeveloped previous regulations on human rights and citizens’ rights in linewith international standards.
[Infographics: Vietnam's achievements in guaranteeing human rights]
Compared to the previous version issued in 1992,the 2013 Constitution expanded the content about rights with specific articleson the right to equality and non-discrimination before the law; the right tofreedom from torture, violence, degrading treatment or any other forms oftreatment that violate citizens’ bodies, health, honour or dignity; the rightto respect for private life; and the right to access to information; amongothers.
It also enshrined some new stipulations,including those on the right to life; the rights to research science andtechnology, create literature and arts, and benefit from those activities; theright to benefit from and access cultural values; theright to live in a healthy environment; and the right to non-deportation or transferenceto another country.
The 2013 Constitution also affirmed the State’sobligation to recognise, respect, safeguard and ensure human rights andcitizens’ rights.
From 2014 to 2018, Vietnam revised orpromulgated 96 legal documents and ordinances relating to human rights andcitizens’ rights to match the latest constitution.
Notably, some laws were issued for the firsttime such as the Law on Access to Information and the Law on Referendum toinstitutionalise the regulations on human rights and citizens’ rights in the2013 Constitution.
Additionally, some draft laws are beingdiscussed like the revised Labour Code; the revised Law on Medical Examinationand Treatment, the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens, the revisedAnti-Corruption Law, the revised Law on Amnesty, the revised Law on Executionof Criminal Judgments, and the Law on Associations.
Huynh said although there remain severalchallenges, Vietnam will keep exerting efforts so that people will increasinglybenefit from human rights and achievements of national development.-VNA
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