Vietnam attaches great importance to ensuring equal rights for all ethnic minorities and considers this a decisive factor for sustainable national development, said a ranking government official.

The statement was delivered by Tran Van Thuat, Director of the Ethnic Minority Policy Department of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs, at the United Nations’ 2nd Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva , Switzerland from Nov. 12-13.

The nation’s policy on respecting the right to equitable treatment of people from ethnic groups is implemented in every part of life, from the politic and economic to the cultural and social aspects. It has also been incorporated into Vietnamese law.

Director Thuat emphasised that in Vietnam, people from ethnic minorities have the right to directly join in political activities or to do so indirectly through a representative.

The number of ethnic people who have a position in the political apparatus from the central to local level is increasing, he said, adding that the number of National Assembly deputies who are from ethnic groups is also on the rise.

After giving an overview of the measures that the Vietnamese government has taken so far to increase political involvement among people from ethnic minorities, Thuat called for countries and international organisations to assist Vietnam in building the capacity and awareness of government officials from ethnic groups on the issue of human rights.

During the two-day meeting, representatives from Vietnam ’s Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and the Vietnamese Mission to the United Nations together with officials of the World Trade Organisation and participants from around the world discussed six main issues concerning ethnic minorities.

The prominent topics under discussion included regional and international regulations on the rights of people from ethnic groups to join in political activities, the obstacles to their effective participation in politics, current mechanisms to improve their political involvement and the impact of the current electoral system./.