I join others in congratulating Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. As Vice-President, Viet Nam has full confidence in his able leadership and guidance and will work with him to steer the work of the Assembly to success.
I thank Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session, for his important contributions to the work of the General Assembly, and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the leadership and innovation he has instilled in the Organization over the past year.
We are at a watershed moment in history. Confrontation, conflicts and violations of international law continue to intensify, mirroring great Power competition and unilateralism. Global military expenditure surged to a record high $2.1 trillion, while the international community failed to mobilize $100 billion for climate actions.
The nuclear risk has reached its highest point in decades, but that was still not enough for the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to achieve any collective commitment to action.
The outbreak of armed conflicts and heightened tension, especially between major Powers, have made the international security climate more volatile than at any time since the Cold War.
The climate crisis and other non-traditional security risks threaten our very existence.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on health systems, economies and societies worldwide. Poverty, inequalities, violence and exclusion are denying the rights of millions to the basic necessities of life. With less than a decade to go, the Sustainable Development Goals are even further off track.
Facing these multiple crises, developing countries and vulnerable groups, which lack the capacity, resources and resilience to cope with external shocks, are those hardest hit. To reverse this course, we must fundamentally change our ways of thinking and doing things. This entails reshaping a global approach to addressing global issues, enhancing resilience and placing people at the core of all development efforts.
And key to such an approach is international solidarity and partnerships at all levels. We know this from our own history. International solidarity has been crucial to the success of Viet Nam’s national liberation and reunification. Multilateralization and diversification of partnerships, meanwhile, have proven indispensable to Viet Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development. They have opened the door for Viet Nam to the world and helped bring catalytic resources to propel Viet Nam’s Doi Moi renovation process. They have helped improved the lives tens of millions of Vietnamese and brought prosperity to a formerly war- torn country, now confidently on a path to become a developed, high-income country by 2045.
But I believe the experience of Viet Nam is not an exception. There is an abundance of stories about how solidarity and partnerships triumph over mistrust and fragmentation and bring about positive change. As we move forward in the spirit of solidarity and partnership, I wish to underline four key points:
First, a confrontational and zero-sum game approach must be eliminated. Imposition, intervention and unilateral acts have no place in the good conduct of international affairs. Major Powers are particularly looked upon to behave responsibly and work for the common good and not their own selfish interests. Viet Nam calls for strengthened multilateralism and international cooperation in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, equality and mutual benefit. Major United Nations and international agendas, especially the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and climate actions, must not be put on hold due to isolated disagreements among countries. We must stay focused on our common goals and responsibilities.
We stand in firm solidarity with the people of Cuba and call for the immediate lifting of the unilateral embargoes on Cuba, which are contrary to international law.
Secondly, our actions, both individually and collectively, must be guided by and in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Viet Nam firmly believes that respect for international law, especially respect for the sovereign
equality, political independence and territorial integrity of States and the peaceful settlement of disputes, is the most effective and viable measure to prevent conflicts and promote sustainable peace and security. Constructive dialogue and respect for the legitimate rights and interests of all parties, in accordance with international law, are key to resolving differences and reducing tensions.
Viet Nam calls for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, and stands ready to contribute to the diplomatic process and to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Ukraine.
Thirdly, we need strong and effective multilateral institutions, with the United Nations at their heart, to best address global challenges. They are best positioned to initiate and incubate transformative ideas approaches and solutions and to forge partnerships and mobilize resources for the implementation of those initiatives. Viet Nam welcomes the forward-looking proposals in the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) report. We will engage actively in the deliberation of these proposals, and in the preparations of the Summit of the Future and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. We have high hopes that these summits will provide concrete, meaningful and long-lasting commitment and actions.
Fourthly, regional organizations can pioneer and play a prominent role in bolstering multilateral cooperation.
In South East Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is doing its part to help address regional and global issues. We are working to build a strong and united ASEAN community and advance the central role of ASEAN in the regional security architecture. Building a broad and extensive network of partnerships, ASEAN has created a premier forum for strategic dialogue, engaging important partners of the region, especially with major Powers. ASEAN is working hard to implement the five-point consensus to help find comprehensive solutions to the situation in Myanmar.
Viet Nam underlines the need to maintain peace, stability, maritime safety and security in the South China Sea, and calls on all parties to resolve disputes by peaceful means, in full respect for legal and diplomatic processes. We call on parties to exercise self-restraint, refrain from unilateral activities and attempts to change the status quo, and not to threaten or use force, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This year, Viet Nam celebrates its forty-fifth year as a Member of the United Nations. Since that September day in 1977, the United Nations has been a trusted friend and reliable partner, standing with us in our most difficult times of post-war reconstruction and more recently in the fight against COVID-19, and accompanying us on our path of Doi Moi renovation, improving our people’s lives and advancing the country’s development.
Welcoming Viet Nam to the United Nations 45 years ago, the President of the General Assembly at its thirty-second session highlighted Viet Nam’s dedication to the purposes and principles and affirmed that the admission of Viet Nam “marks a further step towards consolidating peace and security in the world” (A/32/PV.1, para.95).
Forty-five years on, these statements remain valid. Viet Nam’s history and its vision for the future have always been intimately linked to its aspirations for peace and development. We have consistently supported and pursued a balanced and constructive approach in seeking lasting solutions to global issues.
As member of major United Nations bodies, most recently the Security Council, Viet Nam has consistently underlined the importance of upholding the United Nations Charter and ensuring that the United Nations best serves the needs and interests of all Members. Our men and women are proudly serving in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Abyei and the Central African Republic.
Viet Nam is sparing no effort to realize our commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, an ambitious goal given the level of development and technology capacity of Viet Nam.
At the Human Rights Council, Viet Nam has consistently worked to advance mutual understanding and respect and to foster dialogue and cooperation. We lead efforts to promote the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of climate change.
And now we are aspiring to a seat at the Human Rights Council for the term 2023-2025. I hope we can count on the members’ valuable support, just as they can count on us as a reliable, responsible and constructive partner in the promotion and protection of all human rights for all.
In unity there is strength; with solidarity and partnership, there is power. Let us all work together in unity, solidarity and a spirit of partnership to surmount the interlocking challenges we all are facing together at this watershed moment, for the sake of sustainable peace and development in the world.