Statement
by H.E. Pham Quang Vinh
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist
Republic of Viet Nam
at the General Debate
of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
(New York, 1 October 2012)
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Mr. President,
Distinguished Delegates,
On behalf of the delegation
of Viet Nam,
I extend my warmest congratulations to Mr. Vuk Jeremic on your election as
President of the 67th Session of the General Assembly. I am
confident that under your stewardship, this Session will be crowned with
success. I appreciate the excellent work done by Mr. Secretary-General and
welcome the outcomes of the 66th Session presided over by Mr. Nassir
Abdulaziz Al-Nasser.
Mr. President,
To start with, we would like
to welcome the theme proposed for this year’s General Debate – “bringing about adjustment or settlement of
international disputes or situations by peaceful means”. This theme is of
particular relevance in today’s world, when instability and conflicts continue
in various regions, especially in North Africa and the Middle
East.
The decades-long
Palestine-Israel conflict lingers on and requires a satisfactory solution which
includes the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State
co-existing peacefully with the State of Israel.
Progress is yet to be made in
disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, while the risk of WMD
proliferation continues to grow.
New, complicated
developments are emerging in Asia-Pacific, a dynamically growing and important
region of the world.
We believe that the
successful outcome of this General Assembly will significantly contribute to the
primary goal of the UN in maintaining world peace and security.
Accordingly, we must further
uphold international law and strengthen its compliance. Nations must strongly
commit themselves to the fundamental principles of international law and the UN
Charter, particularly those of peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force
as well as respect for the national independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of states. We must promote dialogue and the use of peaceful means in
the settlement of disputes, particularly utilizing such roles of international
and regional organizations and international legal mechanisms. On the other
hand, we must not accept the imposition of sanctions like those against Cuba that this
very Assembly has repeatedly called for removal.
International law is an
intellectual creation of the civilized world, which all states must respect and
abide by in good faith. When international law is enforced, the risk of
conflict will be minimized, a sustained peace will be better secured.
Viet Nam therefore welcomes
the important outcomes of the recent High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law,
which reaffirmed that rule of law is fundamental to political dialogue and
cooperation among states and the indispensable bedrock for a more peaceful,
prosperous and just world. Compliance with international law is an essential
principle guiding the policies and actions of each nation, as well as the joint
endeavours of the international community.
As we will commemorate the
30th anniversary of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
later this year, we should further reaffirm our strong commitment to and
compliance with this “constitution of the seas”, which contributes to the
maintenance of peace, stability, maritime security, safety and cooperation.
Mr. President,
Entrusted by the
international community, the United Nations continues to play an indispensable
role in maintenance of international peace and security.
Viet Nam commends the work done by
the United Nations, especially in helping settle regional disputes and
conflicts by peaceful means, including through the strengthened use of peacekeeping
operations. We expect the Organization will continue to build further upon its
experience in this area and promote a culture of peace and dialogue to better resolve
the on-going conflicts and prevent the eruption of new ones.
The United Nations must step
up efforts in disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and other
weapons of mass destruction, while strengthening international cooperation and
ensuring the right of states to use related technologies for peaceful purposes.
Multilateral negotiating fora in this area, particularly the Conference on
Disarmament, must be revitalized and intensified.
Furthermore, we should
recognize the increasingly important role of regional organizations. In East
Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continues to play a
central role in the regional architecture and helps promote peace, stability
and security in the region, including maritime security in the South China Sea. Viet Nam fully supports ASEAN’s
Six-point Principles on South China Sea, which further reaffirms the settlement
of disputes by peaceful means, respect for international law, particularly the
1982 UNCLOS, the full implementation of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties
in the South China Sea (DOC) as well as the early achievement of a Code of
Conduct (COC).
Mr. President,
Peace is the prerequisite for development. Yet, it is
sustainable development, including the end of poverty and promotion of social
justice, and the elimination of inequality in international relations that help
resolve the root causes of conflicts and lay the foundation for a sustained
peace.
Today, the global economy
continues in difficulty. The Doha Development Round is yet to make progress,
while protectionism persists and the shortcomings of the international economic
and financial systems are yet to be overcome. As a result, many countries,
especially developing ones, continue to face great difficulties in their
development, including in the endeavours to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals.
In that context, it is
essential that we reaffirm our strong political commitment to ensure the realization
of the MDGs, the promotion of inclusive sustainable and green development, and
the effective response to natural disasters and climate change.
The UN needs to strengthen global partnerships
for development and take the lead in an inclusive process to formulate the
post-2015 global development agenda, including the proposed sustainable
development goals. In this regard, we urge developed countries to fulfill their
pledge for increased development assistance and support developing countries in
capacity building.
Mr. President,
This year, Viet Nam
commemorates the 35th anniversary of its UN membership. Throughout
all these years, Viet Nam
has always been an active and responsible member of the Organization, striving
for peace, national independence, democracy, social progress and prosperity for
all nations.
Building on its 25 years of
reform and important accomplishments, Viet Nam has been working towards a
growth model that links economic development with social progress and
environmental protection. In face of recent global economic difficulties, Viet Nam has
taken effective steps to maintain macro-economic stability and ensure social
security. Viet Nam
continues to strengthen the rule of law and build a State of the people, by the
people and for the people, which places the people in the center and promotes
their ownership and rights in all spheres.
Pursuing the policy of
proactive international integration, Viet Nam continues to contribute actively
to the work of the United Nations, ASEAN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the
Francophonie. We also contribute contructively in multilateral endeavours to
respond to global challenges like nuclear security, WMD disarmament and
non-proliferation, sustainable development, climate change, water security,
food security and achievement of the MDGs. Viet Nam is implementing with good
results the UN initiative of Delivering as One. To further contribute to the
work of the UN, Viet Nam
has put forth its candidature for membership of the Human Rights Council for
the term 2014-2016 and we look forward to your support.
Viet Nam always supports efforts to
enhance the role and effectiveness of the United Nations to enable the
Organization to become the true center for harmonizing the actions of nations
in the attainment of the common goals as enshrined in its Charter. We therefore
support the continued reform of the United Nations, including the strengthening
of the General Assembly as the most representative deliberative body and of the
ECOSOC in the field of socio-economic development, as well as the expansion of
Security Council membership and reform of its working methods.
I thank you, Mr. President./.
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