Vietnam attends high-level segment of 49th UNHRC session

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave an online speech at a high-level segment of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which opened on February 28 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The session featured the participation of many high-ranking leaders and representatives from 47 member countries, in addition to over 100 observers of the UNHRC, along with inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations which are headquartered in Geneva.

As part of his opening speech at the online event, Antonio Gutteres, Secretary-General of the UN, underlined the importance of equal access to vaccines against COVID-19, particularly as the unequal approach demonstrates the disregard for human rights around the world.

He therefore called on governments, pharmaceutical companies, and partners to urgently provide political and financial support for the global vaccination strategy of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in order to rapidly achieve the goal of 70% of the world population being vaccinated.

The UN chief also appealed to countries issuing social policies to follow the target of ensuring that human rights and opportunities are equal for all, with a specific focus on poverty reduction, investment in education, and protection of the rights of women and children. This is in addition to responding to climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss.

The high-level session of the 49th UNHRC is taking place over three days from February 28 to March 2 and will  draw the participation of more than 140 senior leaders of various international organisations and countries, including a number of heads of state and foreign ministers.

The session will adopt around 24 resolutions and reports of 13 countries on the protection and promotion of human rights under the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism, and discuss the human rights situation in some countries.

VOV