Mr President,
Allow me to extend the gratitude of Sweden to His Excellency First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and to his delegation for taking an active part in our dialogue here today, and for having addressed the questions that we submitted in advance.
Sweden welcomes the efforts to improve the situation of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. We are still concerned about the situation for the minorities in the Central Highlands, including as regards socio-economic development, religious freedom and questions of resettlement. We welcome the efforts to improve their access to health and education, and would recommend further measures by the government to prevent violence and discrimination against ethnic minorities.
We have noted in your National Report that there are more than 20 million internet users in Vietnam. There have, however, been reports of freedom of expression being tightly controlled, including control over Internet through new regulations, and through monitoring and blocking of websites. We would recommend steps to ensure that full respect for the freedom of expression, including on internet, is implemented in your current preparations for a media law reform. As you know, several human-rights organizations have issued reports on allegations of torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners in Vietnam. This is an issue of concern to us. We note that your constitution prohibits torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment, and we welcome Vietnam’s stated intention to ratify the Convention against Torture. We would recommend to step up the efforts to enable an early ratification of the CAT.
Lastly, the CEDAW committee has voiced concern regarding violence against women, including violations of reproductive rights, prostitution and trafficking. We welcome the efforts to promote and improve gender equality in the legislation, and we recommend further action to enforce and implement the laws that have been passed, and to take measures to ensure that women are informed of their rights.
Thank you, Mr President.