Center for human rights and constitutional law

The Hanoitimes - Vietnam said people must always be placed at the center of all dialogues and trust-building measures in Myanmar. Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy has called on international efforts to assist Myanmar’s democratic transition with an aim to ensure the people-centered approach. Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy calls for international support for Myanmar issues. Photo: Vietnam News Agency The support, including that from ASEAN, needs to respect the independence, sovereignty, and internal affairs of Myanmar while securing humanitarian access and essential services to local people, mostly vulnerable ones, Quy said at the United Nations General Assembly’s informal meeting on Myanmar held on February 26. He urged stakeholders to exert restraint, avoid escalating tensions and seek dialogues towards satisfying solutions, which are in line with the constitution, laws and people’s aspiration. He asked UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener and representatives of 50 members of the UN and eight regional organizations to coordinate with ASEAN in stabilizing the situation in Myanmar. Kyodo News has reported that Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member states will hold a special meeting on March 2 to discuss the situation in Myanmar. It would be the first of such meeting of the 10-member bloc since Myanmar’s military declared a state of emergency and detained leaders, including U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. Most ASEAN countries have expressed readiness to attend the meeting, with Myanmar's military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin also asked to attend. Myanmar has seen an outpouring of anger and defiance from hundreds of thousands of protesters who have gathered to call for Suu Kyi's release and a return to democracy. Hundreds of anti-coup protesters who have rallied daily in the country’s largest city against a …

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Representatives from 107 countries and territories gathered in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982, to sign the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It came into force on November 16, 1994, with approval from 60 members. It is now binding on 168 states as well as the European Community, which is the only international organisation that is a member. The Convention has 320 articles, set out in 17 parts, as well as nine annexes and four resolutions. It governs all critical issues relating to seas and oceans. It sets out the legal regime for seas and clarifies the rights and obligations of both coastal and mainland countries in relation to international traffic, environmental protection, and scientific research, etc., regardless of their development status. It also sets forth procedures to peacefully settle marine disputes between countries. The 1982 UNCLOS was signed after nine years of negotiations, expressing the strenuous efforts of the international community in setting up such a legal framework. Following its signing in 1982, then UN Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar hailed the document as the most significant achievement in international law in the 20th century, while Tommy Koh, President of the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, called it “A constitution of the Oceans”. The most notable achievement reached through the convention is binding countries in a standardised method of identifying different zones at sea, including internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelf. In case of overlaps between the territorial waters, contiguous zones, and continental shelf of neighbouring countries, they will negotiate over a boundary line. UNCLOS has affirmed its significance in maintaining peace and stability in the maritime space. Every member is responsible for fully adhering to its regulations, with no exceptions or delays. The convention …

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To mark the 42nd anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran (February 11) Việt Nam News introduces a story by Ali Akbar Nazari, Ambassador of Iran February 1-11 are unforgettable days in the history of our great nation, Iran. They are the days of the victory of the Islamic Revolution with the participation of all strata of society under the leadership of Imam Khomeini. Forty-two years ago, on February 11, 1979, the Iranian people established their religious democracy and chose a new political system based on independence relying on the two principles of republic and Islam. A system which defined international relations on the basis of compliance with international laws, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and mutual respect based on the three-pillar foreign policy of dignity, wisdom and expediency following the logic of dialogue and emphasising respect for human dignity and co-operation to achieve universal prosperity, peace, stability and security. Azadi Tower, the most iconic landmark and symbol of Tehran - the capital of Iran.  Photo courtesy of the embassy Over the past 42 years, Iran has sprung up in all dimensions one after another. Globally speaking, being among a few countries in the field of science production, nuclear and satellite technology, ranking fourth in nanotechnology, fifth in drone manufacturing, fifth in cyber power, ninth in access to space, third in converting gas to gasoline, fourth in bioethanol production, first in attracting medical tourists in the region and having the largest shipbuilding pools in the Middle East all reflect Iran’s success in the past four decades. Of course, Iran’s huge progress was not to the liking of enemies and they tried in every possible way to create obstacles from imposing maximum pressure on Iran in military, economic and political ways to the assassination of significant military and scientific figures such as General Soleimani, the …

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