He pledged that Viet Nam would advance key priorities, including addressing human rights in the context of climate change and digital transformation, promoting gender equality, and protecting vulnerable groups.

Dang, who also heads the Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), made the remarks during the interface meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in Manila, the Philippines, on July 20. The meeting took place within the framework of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-59) and related meetings, held from July 20–24.

He emphasized that Viet Nam highly values AICHR's role in advancing regional human rights cooperation, describing human rights as a cross-sectoral and cross-pillar issue that requires a comprehensive approach and close coordination among ASEAN's specialized bodies.

Dang stressed that AICHR should continue to operate in line with the ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, and ASEAN's agreed rules, procedures, and principles, ensuring that regional human rights cooperation is guided by mutual trust and understanding.

He reaffirmed Viet Nam's readiness to work closely with fellow ASEAN member states to strengthen the bloc's voice and contribution to international human rights efforts.

The deputy minister also thanked ASEAN member states and AICHR representatives for supporting the AICHR workshop hosted by Viet Nam in Ha Noi in June, which focused on raising awareness and sharing best practices on promoting and protecting human rights at sea.

At the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers commended AICHR's contributions to ASEAN Community-building and its continued efforts to promote and protect human rights. They highlighted the commission's cooperation with ASEAN bodies to raise human rights awareness across various sectors, advance the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, and address emerging challenges such as environmental protection, the rights to development and peace, transnational crime, human trafficking, and online scams.

The ministers reviewed AICHR's 2025–2026 annual report and Priority Agenda 2027, acknowledged the initial progress in implementing the AICHR Work Plan 2026–2030, and discussed the roadmap for implementing the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment and the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace.

During the meeting of the Commission for the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), Dang expressed concern over growing strategic uncertainty and the increasing role of nuclear weapons in national security doctrines, warning that these trends undermine strategic trust and heighten the risks of arms races and nuclear proliferation.

He underscored that the SEANWFZ Treaty reflects Southeast Asia's shared determination to prevent nuclear proliferation, reduce nuclear risks, and work toward the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, thereby contributing to regional and global peace and security.

Dang called on ASEAN to fully and effectively implement the Treaty's Plan of Action by not only supporting international peace and security but also strengthening cooperation on nuclear safety, emergency preparedness, and response.

He further proposed that ASEAN expand its contribution to global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation by establishing closer consultative relations with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. Such cooperation, he said, would facilitate the exchange of experiences, strengthen collective advocacy for nuclear disarmament, reduce strategic risks, and reinforce compliance with international non-proliferation norms.

On the occasion, Dang thanked ASEAN member states for their strong support for Viet Nam in its role as President of the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The ministers welcomed progress in implementing the 2023–2027 Plan of Action for the SEANWFZ Treaty. They also exchanged views on encouraging nuclear-weapon states to accede to the Treaty's Protocol and discussed potential cooperation with the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) and the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ). They reaffirmed their commitment to upholding ASEAN unity and promoting the Treaty's significance at the global level.

On July 19, ASEAN senior officials finalized the agenda and key documents for ministerial consideration, including the draft joint communiqué, joint ministerial statements with dialogue partners, and new action plans with ASEAN's partners.

On July 21, ASEAN foreign ministers will continue the second day of AMM-59 with the opening ceremony, plenary session, and retreat, followed by an expanded informal consultation on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar./.