Việt Nam to play more active role at UN: PM

VIETNAM, May 17 -  

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will continue bringing into play its role and making more active and constructive contributions to the common work of the United Nations in all the three pillars – security-politics, development and human rights, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has said.

At a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed in New York on May 16 (local time), the PM stressed that the year 2022 is of great significance as it marks the 45th anniversary of Việt Nam’s UN membership.

Appreciating the UN’s valuable contributions and support to Việt Nam over more than four decades, the PM asked Amina to convey his invitation to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other UN leaders to visit Việt Nam this year to foster multi-faceted cooperation between the two sides.

Chính reiterated Việt Nam’s strong commitments to multilateralism and world order based on international law and the UN Charter, as well as the country’s support for the UN’s central role in the global administration system, saying it needs a global, all-people, and comprehensive approach to tackle common challenges like epidemics and climate change.

Việt Nam backed enhancing relations between the UN, parliaments of its member countries and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to make use of the support from legislative channels for the UN agenda, he continued.

The PM said Việt Nam was working hard to achieve the target of becoming an industrialised country with high income by 2045, and the country hoped for more companionship and support from the UN, including in the implementation of the national digital transformation programme by 2025, with a vision towards 2030.

He also suggested the UN continue to assist developing countries in the COVID-19 fight, social welfare and recovery in a greener, more sustainable and self-reliant fashion.

Việt Nam was resolved to fulfilling its commitment at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26), he said, calling for the UN’s support in establishing partnerships in energy transition with G7 countries, and building a financial strategy for climate to mobilise resources from international development partners.

Chính also suggested the UN give more assistance to Việt Nam in fulfilling sustainable development goals (SDGs), including those on gender equality, clean energy, economic growth, and sustainable employment.

Việt Nam would actively engage in discussions and consultations at the UN to consider the implementation of recommendations mentioned in the UN Secretary-General’s report regarding the common agenda, he added.

Highlighting Việt Nam’s deployment of forces at UN peacekeeping missions, PM Chính said the country needed more support from the UN in this regard, and its further cooperation in the settlement of war consequences, particularly the clearance of unexploded ordnance left by the war.

Regarding regional and international issues, the PM noted with pleasure the enhanced relationship between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He appealed to the UN to back ASEAN’s centrality in handling regional issues, including maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the South China Sea, the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and support Myanmar to stabilise the situation through dialogue and reconciliation, ensuring safety for civilians and humanitarian access.

On the situation in Ukraine, the PM affirmed that it was necessary to push dialogues and negotiations in search of sustainable peaceful solutions on the basis of respect to the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, respecting and considering the legitimate interests of the sides concerned. He announced Việt Nam had decided to provide US$500,000 to humanitarian activities to support the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, and stood ready to make active contributions to diplomatic process, dialogues, and negotiations, as well as to the reconstruction and recovery in the country.

Amina emphasised that Việt Nam was an important partner and a friend of the UN, expressing her hope for more comprehensive, effective relations between the two sides.

The UN official said she was impressed by Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements, its policies and efforts to safely and flexibly adapt to the COVID-19, and effectively control the pandemic.

She also commended Việt Nam’s active and responsible contributions to the UN, especially in the country’s performance as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-21.

Amina praised Việt Nam for its strong support for multilateralism, peace and reform at the UN, its responsible participation in UN peacekeeping operations, implementation of SDGs and materialisation of climate commitments, especially its pledge at the COP26. She stressed that the UN would pay more attention to Việt Nam’s development priorities.

The official shared Việt Nam’s viewpoints in many regional and international issues, including one on the South China Sea, and expressed her hope that the ASEAN-UN relationship would be strengthened for peace, security and prosperity in the region and the world.

Amina also expressed her belief that Việt Nam would carry forward its role in addressing global issues.

 

PM Chính also had a meeting with Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly, during which he spoke highly of the priorities set by the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, covering sustainable development, post-pandemic recovery, climate change response, and UN reform.

Việt Nam backed improving the role of the UN General Assembly and enhancing relations of its agencies, he said.

Briefing Shahid on major policies and guidelines of the Vietnamese Party and State on socio-economic development, and pandemic response and adaptation in the new normal, Chinh suggested the UN step up priorities towards developing countries in the transfer of vaccine and drug production technologies, medical equipment and finance in service of their development, among others.

As a coastal country, Việt Nam had paid due attention to enhancing maritime security, and the observance of the 1982 UNCLOS, he said, calling on the UN General Assembly President to pay more heed to the matters over which many UN member countries share concerns.

Shahid held that Việt Nam was a success story as the country had overcome a range of difficulties to record marked achievements in socio-economic development and pandemic fight.

Việt Nam was a model of the UN, he continued, praising the country’s significant contributions to consolidating multilateralism and UN activities, especially its efforts in promoting global commitments like the one on climate change response.

The two sides shared the view on the necessity to intensify multilateralism and international cooperation to cope with global challenges, especially epidemics and climate change.  — VNS