Human Rights Dialogue between Vietnam and Norway

The annual Human Rights Dialogue between Vietnam and Norway took place in Oslo on 14–15 May 2009. Freedom of expression, human rights defenders, the role of civil society, women and gender equality, and capital punishment were among the topics that were discussed. The dialogue was conducted in an open and constructive atmosphere.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Director General Le Hoai Trung, and the Norwegian delegation by State Secretary Gry Larsen.

The Vietnamese delegation came to Oslo straight from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where the human rights situation in Vietnam had been up for review. The discussions in the Human Rights Council were followed up in the dialogue in Oslo.

The Vietnamese delegation also gave a presentation of the country’s socio-economic development. The dialogue was conducted in an open and constructive atmosphere and contributed to strengthening relations between the two countries.

A technical seminar with experts from both countries was held in connection with the dialogue. The themes of the seminar were criminology, freedom of information legislation, women and gender equality, and human trafficking. The seminar will be followed up in ongoing project cooperation between the two countries.