Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnam Permanent Mission to the UN, speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)NewYork (VNA) – Cooperation between the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) and the United Nations (UN) in maintaining international peaceand security was debated at a meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) thatwas held in New York on January 30 under the chair of Vietnam.
Inhis remarks, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said ASEAN has played anactive role in UN activities, especially in peace-keeping, and lauded thegrouping’s initiatives regarding preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention andpeace-building, as well as its main role in the evolving regional architecture.
ASEANSecretary General Lim Jock Hoi reviewed the progress in cooperation between thetwo sides, saying ASEAN shares visions and objectives with the UN.
Theten-member group’s efforts in building the ASEAN Community has received thesupport from partners, including the UN, he said, affirming that ASEAN commitsto promoting multilateralism and working together with the UN to build “thefuture we want” and “the UN we need.”
UNSCmember countries applauded the initiative to organise the first-ever UNSCmeeting on ASEAN-UN cooperation, and backed ASEAN’s efforts in enhancingdialogue and collaboration through ASEAN-led mechanisms.
Theystressed the significance of enhancing ASEAN’s centrality in the regionalarchitecture, expressing hope that the group will carry forward its role inregional and global issues of shared concern.
Thecountries lauded the progress in ASEAN-UN cooperation, especially theestablishment of the comprehensive partnership in 2011, and the effectiveimplementation of the cooperation action plan during the 2016-2020 period andthe building of a new action plan for the next five years.
AmbassadorDang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnam Permanent Mission to the UN, highlighted thesignificance of strengthening cooperation between the UN and regionalorganisations, including ASEAN, saying the UN is a dynamic and trust-worthy partnerof the bloc.
AsASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2020-2021 tenure,Vietnam will make greater efforts to intensify the effective and comprehensivecooperation between the sides, focusing on such priority areas as conflictsettlement, preventive diplomacy, disarmament, peace-keeping, counter-terrorismand maritime cooperation and security, he said.
Theambassador presented Vietnam’s proposals for ASEAN-UN cooperation in 2020 likeimproving the quality and efficiency of ASEAN member countries’ engagement inUN peace-keeping missions and promoting women’s role and contributions to peaceand security.
Vietnamalso proposed organising a high-level ASEAN-UN dialogue on sustainabledevelopment on the occasion of the ASEAN-UN Summit slated for October in thecountry./.
VNA
