Attending the conference were Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông; Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province Nguyễn Đài Thy; Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in Viet Nam Federica Dispenza; representatives from the Office of the President, the Office of the Government, central ministries and agencies; the UNDP delegation in Viet Nam; leadership of the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province; representatives of Departments of Ethnic and Religious Affairs from several provinces and cities; religious dignitaries and representatives of ethnic minority communities in Tay Ninh Province.

Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông delivers his opening remarks at the conference

Delivering his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Thông affirmed that Viet Nam is a unified nation comprising 54 brotherly ethnic groups. The consistent policy of the Party and State is to ensure the principles of equality, solidarity, respect, and mutual assistance for joint development.

Since acceding to the CERD Convention in 1982, Viet Nam has continuously consolidated its legal framework and made sustained efforts to guarantee the fundamental rights of ethnic minorities.

The Prime Minister's promulgation of Decision No. 1567/QD-TTg on December 12, 2024, along with concrete action plans by ministries and agencies in 2025, represents a practical step toward fulfilling international obligations.

Deputy Minister Y Thông emphasized that the review conference serves as a substantive forum to objectively assess achievements, candidly identify difficulties and bottlenecks, and thereby devise concerted orientations and solutions for the subsequent phase, while preparing thoroughly for international dialogues and periodic reporting on the implementation of the CERD Convention.

Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in Vietnam Federica Dispenza speaks at the event

Representing the partner organization, Federica Dispenza, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP in Viet Nam, highly appreciated Viet Nam's proactive and consistent commitment to implementing the CERD Convention.

She emphasized that the core spirit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is "leaving no one behind"; therefore, promoting rights and empowering vulnerable groups and ethnic minority communities always remain top priorities.

The UNDP representative acknowledged Viet Nam's significant strides in issuing the national action plan and preparing periodic reports before international treaty bodies. Reaffirming UNDP's commitment to standing side by side and providing close technical assistance to Viet Nam, she recommended that the country continue focusing on narrowing the socio-economic development gap, preserving traditional cultural identities, and broadening the participation of ethnic minority people in the policymaking process.

Permanent Vice Chairwoman of Tay Ninh provincial People's Committee Nguyễn Đài Thy speaks at the event

On behalf of the local leadership, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province Nguyễn Đài Thy extended a warm welcome to all delegates attending the conference in Tay Ninh - a land steeped in revolutionary tradition, history, and spiritual culture.

She shared that Tay Ninh is a strategic locality in the Southeast region, home to 17 ethnic minority groups and various major religions living together in harmony and solidarity.

The implementation of Decision No. 1567/QD-TTg has laid an essential foundation for the locality to realize human rights objectives, foster economic development in ethnic minority regions, and preserve distinctive cultural heritage values.

The Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province expressed gratitude for the trust of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and the valuable support of UNDP, affirming that the province will seriously assimilate the recommendations from the conference into its local socio-economic development plans in the upcoming period toward inclusive and sustainable development.

Religious delegates in Tay Ninh attend the conference

Delegates who are reputable persons attend the conference

The conference took place over one day, featuring thematic working sessions and in-depth discussions. In the morning session, representatives from the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs outlined the implementation of Decision No. 1567/QD-TTg before delegates heard reports on CERD implementation in Tay Ninh Province, outcomes achieved in belief and religion and achievements in human rights protection. During the afternoon session, the conference centered on discussions regarding solutions to enhance the effectiveness of CERD implementation in Viet Nam through presentations by representatives of central ministries and agencies, provincial Departments of Ethnic and Religious Affairs attending the conference, and practical sharing from reputable persons and representatives of religious organizations across Tay Ninh Province.

Posing for group photo