The United Nations General Assembly on October 14 (New York time) elected members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026–2028 term, in which Vietnam was re-elected with 180 votes in favour, the highest in the Asia-Pacific group.
The UN General Assembly's meeting, with the participation of 190 eligible voting member states of the UN, elected 14 members of the UNHRC for the 2026–2028 term, including Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa, Mauritius, Angola, Estonia, Slovenia, Chile, Ecuador, Italy and the UK. Vietnam achieved the highest number of votes in the Asia-Pacific group, and is the only Asia-Pacific country that is a member of the UNHRC for the 2023-2025 term to be re-elected for the 2026-2028 term.
This election result reflects the trust and appreciation of the UN members for Vietnam's strong commitments and efforts to promote and protect human rights, along with Vietnam's contributions and initiatives in its role as a member of the UNHRC for the 2023-2025 term. At the same time, the result also demonstrates the international community's trust in Vietnam's open foreign policy, efforts to participate and contribute to multilateral mechanisms, Vietnam's achievements in international integration and recognition of Vietnam's increasingly consolidated position as an active member, a reliable partner for peace, cooperation and sustainable development.
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| Representatives of many UN member countries share joy with Vietnam after the country is re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council with 180 votes in favour. (Photo: VNA) |
In its third term as a member of the UNHRC, Vietnam will continue to promote eight priority areas, namely improving the effectiveness of the UNHRC, ensuring human rights in climate change and digital transformation, promoting gender equality, protecting vulnerable groups, the right to health, the right to work, human rights education and the right to education. Vietnam will continue to contribute to the common efforts of the international community, addressing common concerns on human rights in the spirit of “Respect and Understanding – Dialogue and Cooperation – All Human Rights for All”.
When running for membership of the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term, Vietnam also made 12 voluntary commitments in many areas of human rights and will seriously implement these commitments. These commitments are not only linked to initiatives at the UNHRC and other UN and regional human rights mechanisms, but also in the process of implementing recommendations that Vietnam accepts under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle IV or from the Human Rights Convention Committees, of which Vietnam is a member. Vietnam's voluntary commitments are also closely linked to tasks identified as being of strategic importance, requiring breakthroughs to bring the country into a new era of development with the goal of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045, especially the work of building a rule-of-law state, legal reform, international integration, innovation and digital transformation.
The term of membership of the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term will begin on January 1, 2026./.