A harmonious combination of 'construction' and 'defense'.

Respecting, protecting, and guaranteeing human rights is a consistent and overarching principle in all the guidelines, policies, and laws of the Vietnamese Party and State. Therefore, providing information on achievements in ensuring human rights and combating misinformation and distorted narratives about the human rights situation in Vietnam is an important and ongoing task, harmoniously combining both constructive and counterproductive efforts.

The Party and the State have always paid attention to and created the best conditions for children to develop comprehensively and have a safe and healthy living environment. (Source: VNA)

Currently, Vietnam's position is increasingly enhanced on the international stage, and external communication and information work needs to be adjusted to overcome existing shortcomings and limitations and to meet the new situation. In this context, Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW of the Politburo reflects the new spirit and perspective of our Party on external information work, as well as the requirements placed on external communication and information work regarding human rights.

Theoretical basis - guiding principles

The Party and State of Vietnam have always paid attention to directing and allocating resources to perfecting the system of policies and laws on protecting and guaranteeing human rights, thereby gradually establishing Vietnam's position on the international stage and making positive and responsible contributions to the protection and struggle for human rights at the global level. In particular, the dissemination of information on human rights is always considered important and is identified as a crucial aspect of human rights protection and struggle in Vietnam.

A series of documents related to human rights work have been issued, such as the Central Party Secretariat's Directive No. 12/CT/TW dated July 12, 1992, on "The issue of human rights and the Party's viewpoints and policies"; the Prime Minister 's Directive No. 41/CT-TTg dated December 2, 2004, on "Strengthening the protection and struggle for human rights in the new situation"; and the Central Party Secretariat's Directive No. 44-CT/TW dated July 20, 2010, on "Human rights work in the new situation".

In particular, the Secretariat of the Central Committee issued Conclusion Notice No. 46-TB/TW dated February 6, 2018, on continuing to implement Directive 44-CT/TW, which emphasized the need to "innovate thinking, proactively promote, expand the scope, and diversify the forms and content of information and propaganda to strengthen and improve the quality and effectiveness of information and propaganda work, especially external information and propaganda on Vietnam's achievements in ensuring human rights; proactively and promptly combat and refute false, distorted, and hostile arguments about the human rights situation in our country."

On October 22, 2018, the Politburo adopted Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW "Strengthening the protection of the Party's ideological foundation and combating erroneous and hostile viewpoints in the new situation." This work is increasingly being implemented systematically, uniformly, synchronously, comprehensively, decisively, and in depth.

Information and propaganda work has seen many innovative changes in content, form, and methods of expression, effectively promoting the leading role of press and media agencies, especially on the internet and social networks, promptly disseminating the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies, positive information, the achievements of the country's reform process in all fields; good practices, and exemplary individuals to a large number of cadres, Party members, and the general public.

Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Steering Committee on Human Rights, Major General Nguyen Van Ky, delivered a speech and presented a specialized report at the 2024 training conference on external information and human rights for leaders and officials in 15 provinces and cities in the North Central, Central Coastal and Central Highlands regions.

The Human Rights Communication Project in Vietnam for the period 2023-2028, approved by the Prime Minister (Project 1079, issued on September 14, 2022), identifies human rights communication as a political task and a regular responsibility of the entire political system, both in the short and long term. The project affirms that human rights communication should be implemented across three main areas: disseminating and educating the public on human rights; publicizing efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights; and explaining, clarifying, and refuting false and distorted information about the human rights situation in Vietnam.

At the same time, priority should be given to effectively leveraging the strengths of media on digital platforms to provide transparent information to domestic and international citizens about the efforts and achievements of our State in ensuring human rights.

In particular, most recently, Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW dated June 15, 2023, of the Politburo on continuing to improve the quality and effectiveness of external information work in the new situation specifically emphasizes external information on human rights.

The Politburo issued Conclusion No. 57-KL/TW with the goal of closely linking and implementing synchronously, with a focus on key areas, external information with internal information, and between Party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. It aims to leverage the combined strength of the entire political system while encouraging the active participation of the people, Vietnamese compatriots abroad, and international friends. External information needs to be proactive, highly predictive, and harmoniously combine "construction" and "counter-attack"...

In the context of Vietnam's increasingly elevated position on the international stage, external communication and information work needs to change in order to overcome existing shortcomings and limitations and to meet the new situation. Conclusion 57-KL/TW of the Politburo reflects the new spirit and perspective of our Party on external information work, as well as the requirements placed on external communication and information work regarding human rights.

Synchronized implementation - a remarkable achievement

Significant achievements have been made in Vietnam's external information work regarding human rights in recent years. Agencies such as the Central Propaganda Department, the Steering Committee on Human Rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Information and Communications have played a leading role in directing and implementing external information activities.

The Central Propaganda Department is one of the leading forces in guiding ideology and directing press and media agencies to focus on refuting false information about the human rights situation in Vietnam. It closely coordinates with ministries and agencies to develop strategies to refute inaccurate international reports, helping international public opinion better understand Vietnam's human rights policies. These activities have helped raise awareness among people both domestically and internationally about the importance of human rights in relation to political stability and economic development.

The success of external information work cannot be attributed solely to the role of the Standing Offices of the Steering Committee on Human Rights in proactively researching and comprehensively innovating the content and form of propaganda on human rights issues through seminars, training courses, and publications.

The Standing Office publishes 12 issues of the Human Rights Magazine annually, containing over 200 in-depth articles combating and refuting false and hostile views on human rights; it also publishes the book "Questions and Answers on Human Rights," along with many other documents to convey Vietnam's voice on human rights. It collaborates in producing and broadcasting numerous documentaries, short films, news reports, and articles on human rights on radio and television stations to publicize achievements in ensuring human rights and to counter distorted and slanderous allegations that Vietnam violates human rights.

From September 16-18, 2023, representatives from several foreign news agencies and media outlets based in Vietnam visited Dak Lak province to learn about the local economic and social development potential. In the photo: Reporters interview parishioners at a Christian missionary meeting point at Mr. Ai Kien's house in Mo O hamlet, Ea Hiu commune, Krong Pac district. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

As a member agency of the Central Steering Committee for External Information Work and the Steering Committee for Human Rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently coordinated closely with ministries, departments, and localities to adhere to the Party and State's guidelines and policies on external information work in general, and on information and propaganda regarding human rights in Vietnam in particular. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively integrates and promotes Vietnam's achievements in ensuring human rights in the foreign affairs activities of high-level leaders and diplomatic contacts; promotes bilateral dialogue channels on human rights; and always prioritizes the work of spokesperson and information provision to domestic and international press, thereby actively combating and refuting the false narratives of hostile forces.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has achieved many important accomplishments in its external information work on protecting and promoting human rights, as well as combating false narratives about human rights in Vietnam.

With the issuance of Decision No. 1079/QD-TTg dated September 14, 2022, by the Prime Minister approving the Human Rights Communication Project in Vietnam for the period 2023-2028, assigning the Ministry of Information and Communications the responsibility of leading and guiding ministries and agencies in implementing the Project, the Ministry of Information and Communications' external communication work on human rights has seen many positive changes.

In particular, the Ministry of Information and Communications has proactively implemented measures to manage information on the internet, effectively preventing distorted and harmful information aimed at undermining the Party and the State; building and perfecting the legal framework to manage and facilitate the development of information, journalism, freedom of speech, and freedom of the Internet; and requesting cooperation from Google and Facebook in preventing harmful and toxic information on the Internet, preventing the dissemination of slanderous and distorted information against Vietnam regarding human rights.

At the local level, external information work has also been strongly implemented, focusing on raising public awareness of human rights and combating distorted narratives. Some localities have organized international forums and cultural exchanges to introduce Vietnam's human rights policies, especially in the area of ​​protecting the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, children, and people with disabilities.

Besides the achievements made, the work of external information and communication on human rights by ministries, central agencies, and local authorities also faces a number of difficulties and challenges. Prominent aspects include: hostile forces using technology to spread propaganda and sabotage in cyberspace and modern media; a lack of coordinated efforts among ministries and agencies leading to overlapping solutions; limited diversity in communication methods, sometimes with one-sided and outdated information; and limited resources for information and communication work in general, and for human rights communication in particular.

From a "new way of doing things" mindset to solutions.

To enhance external communication efforts in the field of human rights in Vietnam today, based on the current state of external information work in general and in the protection and struggle for human rights in particular, a "new approach" with specific and flexible policies is needed in the current complex international context.

Specifically, firstly , it is necessary to identify the implementation of external information work, including the field of human rights, as a political task and the responsibility of the heads of ministries, departments, localities, and relevant agencies. Accordingly, it is necessary to create synchronization and uniformity in awareness and innovation in thinking and methods at all levels, and to enhance the responsibility of the heads of units and the staff assigned to external information work on human rights.

Secondly , continue to build and improve the system of legal documents and the overall legal framework; review, amend, and supplement legal documents related to external information work on human rights, and coordination regulations between relevant ministries, departments, and localities in accordance with the 2013 Constitution and the provisions of international conventions to which Vietnam is a signatory; ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in practice.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son poses for a commemorative photo with the team of authors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who won the 10th National Award for External Information. (Photo: Bach Duong)

Thirdly , the foreign communication strategy on human rights needs to focus on areas where the country has achieved significant progress, such as poverty reduction, gender equality, children's rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, and access to education and healthcare. Human rights is a broad concept, so focusing the promotion and dissemination of achievements in the field of human rights in specific areas is crucial.

Fourth , external communication on human rights should focus on innovation and creativity in content and methods based on the application of scientific and technological advancements and digital transformation (online, a combination of in-person and online, or the use of virtual reality technology...). Simultaneously, reforming external communication methods towards measurable effectiveness; developing multi-channel communication (media, digital, social media platforms...) and modern communication in the field of fighting for and protecting human rights in Vietnam is an effective solution to raise awareness, protect human rights, and refute misinformation.

Sixth , external communication efforts in the field of human rights protection and advocacy require adequate and comprehensive investment in human resources, infrastructure, and finances. To achieve effective external communication in the human rights field, it requires external communication professionals with high ethical standards, expertise, and a deep understanding of communication and human rights both domestically and internationally; modern equipment that keeps pace with international technological trends; and appropriate funding to ensure continuous communication, not just for specific events or incidents.

Seventh , strengthening cooperation with international organizations and foreign media in the field of external communication to fight for and protect human rights in Vietnam is an important strategy to promote the national image, raise international awareness of the human rights situation in Vietnam, and build a fair dialogue environment in international forums.

External information work, including external information work in the field of fighting for and protecting human rights, will continue to face significant challenges alongside its advantages. Therefore, external information work in the field of fighting for and protecting human rights in Vietnam in the coming period needs to focus more on implementing the major policies of the Party and State in the field of external information in general, and human rights protection in particular; while also emphasizing the use of modern communication tools to build a positive image of human rights in the country.

On December 19th, the World and Vietnam Newspaper (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), in collaboration with the Standing Office of the Government Steering Committee on Human Rights, organized the seminar "External Information on Human Rights in the New Context." The seminar was attended by representatives from agencies managing external information activities, press agencies, researchers, and scholars related to external information and human rights work. They exchanged policy and academic ideas, suggesting new and effective ways to implement external information work on human rights as Vietnam is about to enter a new era, an era of national progress.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thong-tin-doi-ngoai-va-bao-ve-quyen-con-nguoi-ket-hop-hai-hoa-giua-xay-va-chong-297821.html