ASEAN backs Viet Nam’s bid for Human Rights Council

(CPV/VNA - 01/10/2012) - ASEAN members have pledged to support each other’s bids for seats at the United Nations, including Viet Nam’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for 2014-2016 tenure.

The bloc’s foreign ministers made the affirmation at the recent Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (IAMM), which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

The ministers agreed to continue increasing coordination on stance and raising the role of the grouping at the UN and working for a UN General Assembly Resolution on enhancement of cooperation between ASEAN and the UN.

The regional ministers adopted a list of major outcomes of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 45) and affirmed their resolve to implement effectively the results, including the six-principle statement on the East Sea and pushing for official ASEAN-China negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The ministers also discussed international and regional issues of common concern, including recent developments in Southeast and Northeast Asia. They highlighted the importance of the six-principle statement on the East Sea and the Declaration of the East Asia Summit on principles for mutually-beneficiary relations. They called on concerned parties to solve differences through peaceful measures based on the committed principles and international law.

Also on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, the ASEAN foreign ministers attended a series of meetings on September 27-28.

At the ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, both sides expressed their pleasure with the progress in bilateral ties and agreed to work towards a strategic partnership for the common goal of peace, security and development in the region.

The US Secretary of State affirmed the US’ policy to boost cooperation with ASEAN and back ASEAN’s efforts to build a Community with a central role in the region.

At meetings between ASEAN ministers and the UN Secretary General and the Chair of the UN General Assembly, all sides reached a consensus on furthering the implementation of the joint statement on the ASEAN-UN comprehensive partnership approved last November, and enhancing cooperation in prioritised areas such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, disaster management, narrowing development gap and building the ASEAN Community.

Meanwhile, the meetings between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) reached agreement on maintaining exchanges and regular contacts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. The sides also considered the possibilities in promoting cooperation between ASEAN and the regions.

At these meetings, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh, who headed the Vietnamese delegation, stressed that ASEAN need to continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation in order to implement effectively outcomes of the AMM-45 and spare no effort to ensure the success of the ASE AN Summit meetings scheduled for November in Cambodia.

Amid complicated developments in the region, he proposed that ASEAN closely work together and promote its central role through upholding the fundamental principles stated in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the EAS Declaration on principles for mutually-beneficiary relations, especially those on respecting international law, restraining oneself, refraining from the use of force or threat to use force, solving disputes through peaceful measures, cooperating for mutual benefit, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security and cooperation in the region.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Deputy Minister Vinh stressed that countries should strictly obey and implement fundamental principles on the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures, respecting international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). ASEAN should exert effort to ensure the effective implementation of the six-principle statement on the East Sea and the early conclusion of the COC.

Vinh also met with heads of delegations and representatives of several countries to discuss measures to promote bilateral cooperation and issues of common concern./.