Strengthening Vietnam - EU cooperation on governance, rule of law and human rights

On September 30, the fifth meeting of the Subcommittee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights within the framework of the Vietnam - EU Joint Committee was held in Hanoi.

The fifth meeting of the Subcommittee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights within the framework of the Vietnam - EU Joint Committee.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Nguyen Huu Huyen, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Justice and Mr. Mario Ronconi, Director of South and Southeast Asia, Directorate General for External Relations, European Commission (EU).

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Huyen, in recent times, Vietnam and the EU have made many coordinated efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in an increasingly in-depth and practical manner, meeting the interests of both sides. Notable are cooperation programs and projects on issues such as: Sustainable development, climate change response, strengthening law and justice in Vietnam phase II and continuing to implement the Project Strengthening Law and Justice in Vietnam phase II (EU JULE II)...

"Legal and judicial cooperation between Vietnam and the EU is also increasingly deepening, supporting Vietnam in implementing priority tasks in perfecting the law and reforming the judiciary as identified in the Resolutions of the Communist Party of Vietnam ," Director Nguyen Huu Huyen emphasized.

On the EU side, Mr. Mario Ronconi, Director General of South and Southeast Asia, Directorate General for External Relations, European Commission, emphasized the importance of the Meeting in the context of the increasingly developing cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the EU. Along with that, high-level exchanges on upgrading the Vietnam - EU relationship to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership are taking place smoothly.

The EU delegation head also highly appreciated Vietnam's comprehensive reforms in institutions, policies and administrative apparatus, and affirmed that he will continue to closely cooperate with Vietnam to promote sustainable development, prosperity, peace and stability.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed issues on the agenda such as: cooperation in promoting gender equality; migration, including cooperation in the field of preventing human trafficking; cooperation in disaster prevention; cooperation in implementing recommendations of the Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism and recommendations of the Human Rights Committee under the mechanism stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The two sides also discussed Vietnam's achievements in implementing the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT); updated information on the results of perfecting Vietnam's legal system and judicial reform from October 2024 to present as well as the results of implementing legal and judicial cooperation programs and projects with the EU; discussed and proposed a number of legal and judicial cooperation activities between the two sides in the coming time...

The meeting took place in an open, frank and friendly atmosphere with goodwill and mutual respect. The Vietnamese side also clearly stated its stance on a number of EU comments that do not accurately reflect the situation of rule of law and human rights in Vietnam. The two sides agreed that the sixth meeting of the Subcommittee will take place in Brussels, Belgium in 2026.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/tang-cuong-hop-tac-viet-nam-eu-ve-quan-tri-phap-quyen-va-quyen-con-nguoi-20250930173408536.htm