Vietnam vows to best fulfil role as UNSC Presidency in April

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will strive to outstandingly perform its role as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) President in April, significantly contributing to realising the foreign policy set by the 13th National Party Congress.

The affirmation was made by Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in his recent article published on the occasion of Vietnam assuming the rotating UNSC Presidency for the second time during the 2020-2021 tenure.

“This is the first multilateral mission the country has taken on following the 13th National Party Congress, which has drawn up vision and major orientations and policies for national development, including the foreign policy in the new period,” Minh wrote at the beginning of the article.

Vietnam’s imprint at UNSC – favourable condition for further success

Vietnam has joined the UNSC for the second time in the context of complex developments of the global situation, increasing competitions between powers, conflicts and uncertainties occurring in many places worldwide, and the COVID-19 spreading, according to the article.

However, the country has effectively implemented activities relating to the UNSC, completed the heavy workload in the first year of the tenure, and created its own imprint at the UNSC – the most important body of the UN in maintaining international peace and security.

“This is the imprint and characteristics of the foreign policy of Vietnam, a country that loves peace, opposes all forms of war and the use of force, upholds the UN Charter and observes international law,” Minh wrote.

Vietnam has demonstrated its responsibility as a UNSC member that always works to promote consensus and makes efforts to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts, he went on.

“We have persistently pursued the principles of independence, self-reliance, protecting national interests in harmony with the interests of the international community; made active, proactive, constructive and responsible contributions, and properly handled complicated issues in the UNSC agenda, while promoting Vietnam’s efforts and experience in national reconstruction and development,” he said.

The Deputy PM and FM stressed that Vietnam has actively put forward many initiatives and played a core and leading role in several major matters.

While holding the UNSC Presidency for the first time in January 2020, Vietnam successfully chaired an open debate on upholding the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security, and the first-ever meeting on cooperation between the UN and the ASEAN, which well combined the country’s dual role of UNSC non-permanent member and ASEAN Chair in 2020, thus helping enhance the ASEAN’s solidarity and role, and strengthen connectivity between the regional grouping and the UN and the UNSC.

Vietnam also hosted the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security with the participation of more than 400 delegates from nearly 90 countries and many international inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations. Countries had supported and appreciated Vietnam’s efforts and resolve to host such an event amidst the pandemic, and lauded the country’s leading role in building the Hanoi Action Commitment that promotes women’s role in peace process. The document was co-sponsored by 75 countries in the region, and circulated as an official document of the UN.

Moreover, the country has made specific and pragmatic contributions to maintaining stability, reconstruction and peace building through engaging in UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Vietnamese forces at the UN missions have worked professionally, and completed their assigned tasks, receiving applause of the UN and the international community, and winning love and trust of local residents, Minh noted.

Such achievements have contributed to maintaining and consolidating a peaceful, stable and favourable environment for national development, improving Vietnam’s prestige and position in the international arena, and deepening multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and major partners, thus combining bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, he stressed.

Successfully serving as UNSC President, bringing into play pioneering role of diplomacy

Entering the second year of its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and acting as the council’s President for the second time in the tenure, Vietnam is strongly implementing the foreign policy set out by the 13th National Party Congress, especially bringing into play the pioneering role of diplomacy and promoting multilateral diplomacy and comprehensive and intensive international integration.

Minh stressed that the strategic orientations and new mindset about foreign relations, along with the successes gained in the first year of the UNSC membership have provided a favourable foundation for the country to better perform the UNSC Presidency in the second time, in April 2021.

According to him, as the council’s President, Vietnam is set to organise and chair about 30 UNSC meetings and represent the council in the relations with non-UNSC member states, UN agencies, international organisations, and the press in an active, proactive, and responsible manner, aiming to concurrently ensure objectivity and transparency, flexibly and harmoniously deal with and balance countries’ interest in discussed issues, while enhancing cooperation and consensus in the UNSC.

Vietnam will promote the priorities and hallmark events that match its commitment to boosting “partnership for sustainable peace” during its membership. Accordingly, Vietnam will seek satisfactory and sustainable solutions to conflicts, promote dialogue, resolve disputes by peaceful means, foster the role of regional organisations, put people at the centre, and promote humane policies towards vulnerable groups.

In that spirit, Vietnam is going to chair three important events during the month of its UNSC Presidency.

The focal event is a high-level open debate slated for April 19 on strengthening cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in promoting trust and dialogue in conflict prevention and settlement. This is the continuation of Vietnam’s priority of fostering the role of regional organisations and also an occasion for the country to join other states to share experience and propose solutions to tighten links between the UN and regional organisations in handling global challenges as well as preventing and solving conflicts in certain regions – an extremely practical topic that matches both Vietnam’s interest and the expectations of the international community.

Vietnam will organise a ministerial meeting (on April 8) on settling bomb and landmine consequences and maintaining sustainable peace. As a country hit hard by war-left bomb, landmine, and explosive consequences, Vietnam will share experience and attract the UNSC’s attention to this issue. Together with other states, it will show support for humanitarianism and the necessity of reinforcing international cooperation in settling UXO aftermath.

A ministerial-level open debate on the protection of facilities essential to people’s life in armed conflicts will take place on April 27. Protecting civilians in armed conflicts, especially the facilities essential to their life like food production and distribution facilities, water and power supply facilities, and hospitals, is an issue frequently discussed at the UNSC and many other multilateral mechanisms and forums.

Deputy PM and FM Minh concluded that with high resolve to promptly and effectively implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, and with the growing strength, fortune, stature, and prestige, Vietnam has the firm belief that it will successfully fulfill its role as UNSC President in April 2021 with new contributions and hallmarks./.