In 2010, the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue took place in Hanoi in November. Last year, in 2009, the Human Rights Dialogue was held in Oslo in May. For more information about the Dialogue in 2009, see the Press Release from the Norwegian Government.
Norwegian Human Rights Dialogues
Norway has formal human rights dialogues with China, Indonesia and Vietnam. The overriding aim of Norway’s bilateral human rights dialogues is to strengthen the adherence to international human rights. The political level dialogue offers an opportunity to exchange views on often quite difficult issues. Such discussions are supported through the building of networks between government officials, members of the judiciary, legal professionals and other experts. Through bilateral contact and the ongoing human rights dialogue with Vietnam, Norwegian perspectives concerning freedom of speech, human rights defenders, the death penalty and the role of the civil society is well known by our Vietnamese counterparts.
Cooperation projects with Vietnam
The ongoing cooperation projects between Norwegian and Vietnamese institutions and experts in different fields are very important for the dialogue. Key projects include access to information legislation, journalistic standards, criminal procedure standards and gender equality. The networks and contact between institutions and experts make it possible to exchange information and engage in discussions regarding concerns and criticism, through relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Most of the cooperation projects are coordinated by the Vietnam Programme at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights; this programme was established in March 2008 as an academic component in support of the official human rights dialogue between Vietnam and Norway.
The Vietnam Programme at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
The overall goal for the Vietnam Programme is to improve the knowledge and strengthen the implementation of international human rights in Vietnam. The programme works actively with stakeholders in government, academia and professional groups, and runs projects on human rights education, access to information and legal research/criminology (fair trial standards), with a special focus on civil and political rights. For more information about the Vietnam Program, press here.
Human rights in Vietnam
The situation for human rights in Vietnam has improved on several levels over the last decades, mainly due to the country’s general shift in openness and the economic reform process. Questions concerning economic and social rights can be discussed relatively open. However, questions concerning political and civil rights are not in the same way open for discussion. The latter field has seen a tightening over the last years. Norway has on several occasions expressed to Vietnam our concern over this negative development, either alone or in cooperation with other foreign embassies in Vietnam – especially through the “Group of Four” (G4), which consists of Canada, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. The G4 has cooperated with regard to development and human rights issues in Vietnam since 2001, with a particular focus on ethnic minorities and religious groups.
Why does Norway engage in human rights dialogues?
Mutual trust is the prerequisite for the dialogues; the aim is not to impose Norwegian societal values upon our dialogue partners. We listen to our partners and try to understand what they themselves consider to be the most pressing human rights problems, and which measures they believe will be most effective. Exchange of ideas, discussion and the posing of critical questions regarding the human rights situation stimulate reflection and may offer ideas with respect to possible measures that can be taken.
An important principle is, nevertheless, that having a human rights dialogue must not prevent Norway from being able to voice its disapproval of human rights violations in the country. A human rights dialogue is just one of a number of measures that can be used to improve the human rights situation in a country. The working methods, level of intensity and choice of topics may vary from one dialogue to another. For more information about Norway's Human Rights Dialogues, see here.