Vietnam attends UN Human Rights Council summit   Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (right) at the summit (VNA)  Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led a Vietnamese delegation to the 25th annual summit of the UN Human Rights Council, which opened in Geneva, Switzerland on March 3. This marks the first time Vietnam has joined the more 80 nations and international organisations taking part in the event as a council member. On November 12, 2013, the country was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the first time, to serve the 2014-2016 tenure, which has been seen as an acknowledgement by the international community of its recent achievements in exercising civil, political, economic, cultural and social rights. During this session, participants are to review the council’s activities and discuss ways to protect and promote the rights of immigrants, children and people with disabilities. They focus on empowering the disabled to gain access to education as well as anti-genocide works. As a council member, Vietnam has proactively participated in the agency’s activities, especially those related to human rights. It has worked closely with other member countries on human rights issues of international concern in a constructive and responsible spirit. The Southeast Asian nation has also promoted dialogues and global co-operation, and approached human rights issues in a balanced, impartial manner. Deputy PM Minh also held bilateral meetings with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua Milano, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Hirotaka Ishihara, and Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Anders Johnsson, to push ahead co-operative ties between Vietnam and its partners. Nhan Dan/VNA