Vietnam ready to perform UNSC President duties from April

Vietnam will serve as the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in April, the second time the country will assume the post during its 2020-2021 tenure as a non-permanent member, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
April 02, 2021 | 08:09
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Officials of the Defence Ministry, representatives of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, and staff members of the Level-2 field hospital No 3 pose for a group photo before the field hospital staff leave for a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. (Photo: VNA)

Three priorities in Vietnam's UNSC President month

Vietnam has pledged to successfully perform its duties in the role of President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which will start from April. This marks the second time that the country has taken on the presidency role during its 2020 - 2021 tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, following the first time in such a role back in January 2020.

Developing stronger ties between the UN and other regional organizations for the purpose of promoting trust-building and dialogues to prevent and settle disputes continues to be one of Vietnam’s three priorities for this month. Vietnam is expected to host a ministerial meeting on April 19 that will feature the participation of the UN Secretary-General, along with leaders of the three leading regional organizations, namely ASEAN, the EU, and the African Union, according to VOV.

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On June 7, 2019, with a record approval rate of 192 out of 193 votes, Vietnam officially becomes a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. (Photo: VNA)

The second priority is the settlement of bomb and mine consequences, which is both a global issue and a matter of significance to Vietnam. As the issue occurs in many countries in the world, it is expected to draw the attention of the UN and the international community, he said, adding that Vietnam plans to organize a ministerial-level meeting chaired by the Foreign Ministry on April 8.

The third priority that Vietnam will focus on is the protection of necessary infrastructure that is crucial for people’s life amid armed conflicts, including health care facilities, power, water supply systems, food security, sanitation, and schools. Experiencing years of war in the past, Vietnam hopes to promote the issue to draw greater attention from the UNSC, the UN, and other countries. For this issue, a ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held on April 27 with the participation of the Deputy Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs, leaders of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Organisations, Vietnam Plus cited.

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Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (third row from above, first right), and other delegates attend a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council (Photo: UN)

An honor and great responsibility

Director-general of the International Organisations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet said the assumption of UNSC presidency twice in a tenure provides Vietnam with a significant opportunity to promote the orientations and policies for external relations adopted by the 13th Communist Party of Vietnam. It is also an opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its commitment to making further efforts to promote dialogue and contribute to common efforts of the UNSC in maintaining international peace and security, seeking suitable solutions to issues of common concern of the international community in line with international law and the UN Charter while meeting the legitimate interests of member states.

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Director-general of the International Organisations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet. (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, says the country has acquired plenty of experience in its role as a non-permanent member of the UNSC during the past 15 months. Indeed, it has also received great support from other UNSC member countries during the current term, especially major powers, therefore offering some advantages to Vietnam. Despite these positives, Ambassador Quy admits that the UNSC Presidency in April marks a challenging task for Vietnam given the current context in Myanmar and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as issues in both Yemen and Syria in the future.

According to the diplomat, Vietnam will work closely with other UNSC member countries to devise the President’s statements and resolutions during the month. He expresses his belief that the remarkable achievements Vietnam has recorded during 35 years since implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process and its first UNSC Presidency success in 2020 will serve as motivation to fulfill its role for the second time.

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