A/HRC/20/25 decades. However, as the Special Rapporteur noted in her mission report, poverty reduction rates are slowing down considerably. Statistics provided by the Government reflect this; the 2010 survey of poor households estimates that the national poverty rate is 14.25 per cent, 0.25 per cent lower than in 2008. 76. The Special Rapporteur’s recommendations focused on the measures necessary to ensure that continued poverty reduction would be enjoyed equally by all Vietnamese people, particularly the most vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities and those living in rural areas. In particular, the Special Rapporteur urged the Government to increase support for social protection programmes, expand health insurance coverage, and ensure that human rights principles are at the heart of all social policies. 77. Although only two years have elapsed since the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Viet Nam, there have been a number of changes in the country that are relevant to her recommendations. The Special Rapporteur notes that the Government of Viet Nam was open to engaging in dialogue during and after the mission and extends her appreciation to the Government for responding to her enquiries and providing information about developments relevant to her recommendations. 78. The information contained below is drawn in part from responses provided by the Government. United Nations agencies and international agencies also provided input, for which the Special Rapporteur is grateful. A. Legal and institutional framework 79. The Special Rapporteur had recommended that Viet Nam take steps to further incorporate its international human rights obligations into domestic law and to ratify a range of international human rights treaties. She reiterates her recommendation and urges the State to redouble its efforts in that regard. 80. In addition, a continuing issue of concern is the lack of an NHRI in Viet Nam. The Special Rapporteur was informed that the Government had been conducting studies on different NHRI models, and again encourages Viet Nam to establish an independent human rights mechanism in conformity with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles). B. Situation of people vulnerable to poverty 81. The Special Rapporteur made a number of recommendations on the need for poverty reduction to be enjoyed equally by the most vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, women, older persons, children, internal migrants and persons with disabilities. According to the information available to the Special Rapporteur, it appears that the situation of most vulnerable groups (except children and ethnic minorities) has not changed significantly since her visit. She therefore reiterates her previous recommendations to the Government as regards vulnerable groups. 1. Ethnic minorities 82. The Special Rapporteur had expressed particular concern about the significant disparities in income, opportunities, health and development experienced by minority ethnic groups, which represent just over 10 per cent of the Vietnamese population. 83. A large segment of ethnic minorities live in rural areas, where poverty rates are more than double those in urban areas. As noted in the report, however, geographical isolation alone does not account for stark inequalities in living standards and access to services. 16