Tran Chi Mai, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, informed that Vietnam’s combined 15th to 17th periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which covers 2013-2019, was approved by the CERD at its 3035th - 3036th meetings in Geneva in November 2023.

Following the review, the CERD published its concluding observations on December 27, 2023, which comprised 52 sections. In response, the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, under the Prime Minister’s directive, is developing a comprehensive action plan aimed at enhancing the implementation of the ICERD in Vietnam and recommendations by the CERD.

The plan, expected to be issued by the end of 2024, seeks to ensure that ethnic minorities fully enjoy their rights in all aspects in accordance with Vietnam’s Constitution, laws, and socio-economic conditions of Vietnam in general and of mountainous and ethnic areas in particular.

The plan will focus on four key areas: integrating CERD provisions into national legislation, enhancing the enforcement of regulations on ethnic minority rights, promoting ethnic minority rights through public awareness and educational activities, and strengthening international cooperation and reporting under the ICERD framework.

The plan identifies tasks to be carried out to align domestic laws with CERD standards, particularly in anti-discrimination and racial equality, improve the enforcement of legal regulations on the rights of ethnic minorities by enhancing complaint handling mechanisms and the exercise of ethnic minority rights in judicial processes. Additionally, it will reinforce policies that guarantee access to education, socio-economic development, and cultural preservation for ethnic minorities.

Public awareness campaigns will be emphasised to promote understanding of ethnic minority rights and anti-discrimination. These will include educational programmes for teachers on human rights, training for law enforcement officers and officials in mountainous and ethnic minority areas, and legal assistance for ethnic minority people and residents in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs will also focus on fulfilling Vietnam’s international obligations under ICERD and carrying out external communication activities highlighting the country’s human rights achievements and strengthening international cooperation.

Since defending the fifth CERD report, the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs has collaborated with various ministries to protect ethnic minority rights. This includes the National Target Programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and supporting local governments in organising ethnic minority congresses.

A comprehensive survey on the socioeconomic development of 53 ethnic minority groups is also underway, contributing to the ongoing protection and development of Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities.

Clubs promote cultural heritages of ethnic minorities

BAC GIANG - Cultural and art clubs in Bac Giang province have recently organised many activities to preserve and promote the values of cultural heritages in ethnic minority areas, contributing to boosting cultural and art movements at the grassroots level, thus improving the cultural and spiritual life of local people.

Ethnic minority artisans with great contributions to cultural preservation

Playing the role of connecting and mobilising the community to preserve the traditional cultural identity, ethnic minority artisans in the villages and hamlets around the country have been dedicated to cultural preservation, while enthusiastically leading and teaching traditional performing art values to younger generations, through training courses and mass art movements, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the community.

Ethnic minority region becomes prosperous thanks to traffic connections

BAC GIANG - In the period 2022-2024, Bac Giang province focused on investing and building civil overflow bridge and bridge for people in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. New transportation projects helped people develop economy and gradually reduce poverty.

Ethnic people promote production linkage and increase income

BAC GIANG - To create jobs and increase income, many households in ethnic minority communes in Bac Giang province have recently joined hand to establish cooperative and cooperation groups in order to promote economic development, reduce poverty and improve quality of life.

Cultural and sports festival of ethnic minorities held in Luc Ngan district

BAC GIANG- On March 26 evening, the people’s committee of Luc Ngan district in northern province of Bac Giang kicked off the 2024 Cultural and Sports Festival of the ethnic groups at the district’s central square. 

Nung ethnic hamlet attracts tourists with traditional rammed earth houses

The ordinary yet peaceful lifestyle of Nung ethnic people has been preserved well in Bac Hoa hamlet, Tan Son commune, Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province.

Source: VNA