From March 9-11, a delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha attended the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, USA.
At the joint discussion session of the Meeting, countries focused on exchanging views on new challenges in promoting gender equality, especially ensuring access to justice for women and girls.
Speaking at the general discussion session on March 11, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha emphasized that access to justice is not only a basic human right but also an important foundation to eliminate violence and gender discrimination, thereby promoting sustainable development.
The Deputy Minister also shared Vietnam's experiences in perfecting the legal and policy system to promote gender equality and protect women's rights and interests.
Specifically, the Law on Legal Aid, effective from 2017, has expanded the scope of free support, including victims of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking and minors in difficult circumstances. The Legal Aid Center system has been established in 100% of provinces and cities; more than 62% of legal aid providers are women, contributing to enhancing gender sensitivity in providing services.
In addition, more than 6,000 models and facilities providing services for preventing and responding to gender-based violence are operating nationwide. These models support women and girls, especially in remote and isolated areas, to have timely access to essential services such as psychological counseling, legal support and emergency protection.
Through these policies and programs, Vietnam reaffirms its commitment to fully and effectively implementing the CEDAW Convention, the Beijing Platform for Action and international commitments on human rights.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha said that Vietnam is continuing to integrate gender equality goals in the process of institutional reform, building a rule-of-law state and promoting sustainable development.
On the sidelines of CSW 70, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha received Ms. Osmayda Hernandez Beleno, official of the National Executive Committee of the Cuban Women's Federation. The two sides exchanged issues of common concern in the field of gender equality and women's progress.
The two sides reviewed and emphasized the special friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries and the people of the two countries. On that basis, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha and Ms. Osmayda Hernandez Beleno agreed to establish a channel for exchange and discussion of cooperation in the field of gender equality between the two agencies, in order to learn, share experiences and help each other in the coming time.
Representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized: "We are committed to continuing efforts to improve the law in a gender-sensitive direction, improve the capacity of law enforcement, promote digital transformation to expand access to justice, and ensure the substantive participation of women in governance and decision-making.
Vietnam is ready to cooperate, share experiences and wishes to strengthen coordination with member states and United Nations agencies to jointly build a fair, inclusive world where no woman or girl is left behind.
Within the framework of the 70th Annual Meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha not only attended the high-level joint discussion session but also participated in ministerial-level meetings and many side activities such as roundtable meetings, thematic seminars, bilateral contacts to exchange experiences and strengthen international cooperation in the field of gender equality.
In which, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations also organized a seminar with the theme "Justice without barriers: empowering women and youth in law and leadership". The event was chaired by the wife of the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Nations, aiming to discuss solutions to enhance access to justice and promote the participation of women in the fields of law and leadership.
CSW is the largest intergovernmental mechanism of the United Nations specializing in discussing and promoting policies related to women's rights and gender equality. The discussion results of annual sessions are summarized into recommendations and policy orientations to support member states in implementing sustainable development goals related to women and girls.
