Vietnam highlights message at United Nations General Assembly

Vietnam calls for strengthening multilateralism and compliance with international law for peace, cooperation and sustainable development.

On the morning of September 24, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh delivered a speech at the High-Level Debate of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA. The speech highlighted Vietnam's message calling for "strengthening multilateralism, complying with international law for peace, cooperation and sustainable development"; sharing Vietnam's stance, concerns and contributions on current prominent international and regional issues.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh delivered a speech at the High-level Debate of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Regarding the world situation, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized that the trend of reform, innovation, economic restructuring in many countries and the internationalization process are creating great opportunities to promote regional and global cooperation and connectivity.

The UN’s adoption in 2015 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development; the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction not only address and respond to immediate challenges, but also create new momentum for substantive and effective partnerships, laying a more sustainable foundation for shared peace and prosperity.

However, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Pham Binh Minh expressed concern about the slow recovery of the world economy, increasing protectionism, increasingly serious challenges regarding food security, water security, resource depletion, climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics that are negatively and widely affecting many countries; instability, violence, conflict, and terrorism are increasing in many places; and the mindset of exalting power, using or threatening to use force continues to be a threat to international peace and security.

In the face of the above situation, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh called on countries to make joint efforts to “strengthen multilateralism and comply with international law for peace, cooperation and sustainable development”; emphasizing the need to enhance the role of multilateral mechanisms, especially the United Nations, in promoting partnerships and supporting countries to successfully implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that international law is a fundamental factor for a stable international security architecture and that policies and measures of imposition, unilateralism, coercion, and the use of force are causing tension, confrontation, and hindering efforts to resolve disputes and conflicts by peaceful means.

Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that compliance with international law and the UN Charter is a fundamental factor for international peace and security; he suggested that the UN should also strengthen preventive diplomacy and resolve disputes by peaceful means as clearly stipulated in Article 33 of the UN Charter.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh also emphasized that multilateralism, international law, peace, cooperation and development are essential factors to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. However, this region is facing potential risks of conflict, especially in the Korean Peninsula and the East Sea, threatening peace, security and common prosperity.

Regarding the East Sea, the Deputy Prime Minister called on all relevant parties to exercise restraint, resolve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, respect diplomatic and legal processes, comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and soon move towards a Code of Conduct.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that Vietnam is committed to successfully implementing the Sustainable Development Goals; announced that Vietnam is completing procedures to soon ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change; suggested that each country should make the sustainability perspective a regular and long-term orientation, integrating sustainable development goals into all national strategies and programs, in which people are always at the center.

The Deputy Prime Minister also called on developed countries to support developing countries, including Vietnam, in terms of finance, capacity building, transfer of new technology, and trade facilitation.

Finally, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized that Vietnam will strive to contribute to peace, cooperation and development in the world; announced that Vietnam has decided to run for a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and increase its participation in UN peacekeeping activities./.

According to VOV