Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, who is standing deputy head of the Government’s Human Rights Steering Committee, urged human rights steering committees in communities to review and evaluate shortcomings in the field to supplement and fine tune the legal system and policies ensuring and promoting human rights. Speaking at a conference to review the situation in the central and southern regions on August 2 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung highlighted the ongoing complicated development in the region and the world, including the increasing abuse of democracy and human rights for anti-State activities. The protection of human rights must be associated with the political system, firstly the Party’s mass mobilization work, the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s movements and the steering committee 35 to fight against distorting and false claims against the State, Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung said. He asked localities to empower police to implement human rights protection policies. The official also requested the human rights steering committees at localities to improve its working system to consult the implementation of policies relating to the guarantee of human rights and preventing the attempts of hostile forces to make use of democracy and human rights issues for anti-State activities. It is necessary to increase the management of social media to prevent hostile forces from sabotaging the Party and State, he stressed. Raising public awareness to recognize the plots of hostile forces is important to prevent anti-State activities, he added. At the conference, delegates listened to the outcomes of the human rights steering committees in the central and southern cities and provinces, in addition to eight reports from the human rights steering committees in Bac Lieu, Tra Vinh, An Giang, Dak Nong, Quang Binh, Soc Trang, Hau Giang and Lam Dong. The presentations highlighted the practical results in ensuring human rights, implementing social welfare policies, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and policies supporting disadvantaged people, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the ongoing complicated developments in the region and the world, Vietnam has made significant efforts to successfully organize the 13^th National Party Congress and the election of the 15^thౠ National Assembly deputies and the all-level People’s Councils. The country has also responded effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring life, health, and social welfare.

Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung recognized the results in completing legal policies; awareness education; implementing social welfare policies; fighting against anti-State activities that made use of democracy and human rights issues. “The coordination between departments and branches has been strengthened, which contributes to the proper settlement of religious and ethnic problems,” he said. The information and awareness-raising campaigns on human rights issues have reaped positive changes, he added. Along with the achievements, Hung pointed out shortcomings in the implementation of human rights policies at localities. For example, some policies have yet to be put into practice. It is important to improve the qualification of the staff at the local level, he requested. He believed that with the strong determination and consensus of the human rights steering committees at localities as well as the Government’s Steering Committee for human rights, there will be more positive changes in the coming time, contributing to the guarantee and promotion of human rights. Throughout history, Vietnam has always put its people at the centre of every socio-economic development strategy, programme, and project, thereby obtaining considerable and multifaceted achievements in ensuring human rights. The 2013 Constitution featured a whole chapter on human rights and citizens’ rights and obligations, based on which a number of legal documents relevant to human rights have been adopted to create a legal framework for ensuring these rights in reality./.