Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong in the video message to the High-level General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong onSeptember 25 (Vietnam time) sent an important message to the High-level GeneralDebate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The followingis the full text of the message.
YourExcellency Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,
YourExcellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Ladiesand gentlemen,
I would like to congratulate Your Excellency Volkan Bozkirupon your election as the President of the 75th United NationsGeneral Assembly. I am fully confident that under your experienced and able leadership, our session will be a success.
Let me alsovoice my appreciation forthe important contributions that His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande,President of the 74th Session of the United NationsGeneral Assembly, and Secretary-General António Guterres have made despite the tremendous challengesposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr.President,
We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and entering the third decade of the 21st century in extraordinary circumstances.
For the firsttime in history, the Leaders of MemberStates are unable to gather at the UNGA General Debate. This, however, does not diminish our resolve and ability to deliberate and seek solutions for issues of common concern.
I echo theSecretary-General's assessment that we are facing the most formidable challenges since thebirth of the UN, inparticular, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, society, politics and, most of all, human life.
Mr.President,
Against this backdrop, I welcome the theme ofour Session: “The FutureWe Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment toMultilateralism – confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action”. Allow me to sharesome of my thoughts along that line.
First, global and regional multilateralmechanisms must be strengthened. We need a United Nations that is truly cohesive and inclusive, where every member, large or small, rich or poor, can have a voice in deciding matters of commonconcern. The UN must serve as the “incubator” for multilateralcooperation initiatives for peace, development and prosperity.Further reforms should be undertaken to transform the UN into a stronger andmore effective organisation that canfulfill its role of harmonizing the interests and behaviours of states in the face of the monumental changes of our time.
Second, the UnitedNations Charter and the fundamental principles of international law must beupheld and advanced as the norms of behavior for all countries in contemporaryinternational relations. We must be resolute and perseverant in advancing cooperation and friendship to counter conflict and hostility.We must choose dialogue over confrontation,and peaceful settlement of disputes over unilateral acts of imposition. In this spirit, Viet Nam calls for the removal of unilateral sanctions that adversely affectcountries’ socio-economic development and people’s livelihoods, especially the embargoimposed upon Cuba.
Third, the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a stern warning to us all, requiring our stronger commitmentsand stronger actions to promote sustainable, inclusive and human-centered development. The 2030Agenda forSustainable Development should continue to be the framework for our cooperationto overcome this pandemic for sustainable recovery. Our policies and actions should have the interest of ourpeople at the heart, so that no one, and no country, willbe left behind. Developing countries should receivefinancial assistance, technological and commercial facilitation to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr.President,
Seventy-five years ago, on 02September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh delivered the Declaration of Independencethat proclaimed the birth of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (now the Socialist Republic ofViet Nam). Since thoseearly days, President Ho Chi Minh, on multiple occasions, sent letters to the founding members of the UN, expressing Viet Nam'sdesire to become amember of the Organization. While it was not until 1977 that this aspiration becamereality, the long andtenacious struggle of Viet Nam to win and defend national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity servedas a concrete contribution to the worldwide movement for peace, democracy and social progress–ultimately the same noble goals to which the UN aspires. Let me take this occasion, on behalf ofthe Vietnamese people, to express our deepest gratitude to countries andinternational friends for your generous support towards our past righteous struggle for nationalindependence and present national development.
Viet Nam was once a poor andbackward country ravaged by war, strangled by embargo. After thirty-five years of Doi Moi reform, Viet Nam has emerged as a middle-incomedeveloping country and is aiming to be a high-income industrial country by 2045. In the fight againstCOVID-19, difficulties notwithstanding, Viet Nam has recorded positive and noteworthy outcomes. We have successfully contained the pandemicwhile promoting social and economic development. Out of internationalsolidarity and withthe understanding thatthe pandemic is only defeated when we all win, Viet Nam has engaged incooperation and experience sharing with many countries, includingsupport provided to those worst affected by the pandemic and to the common international efforts.
Viet Nam pursuesa foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization anddiversification of relations. As a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community, Viet Nam attaches importance to the work of the UN and has been expanding our comprehensivecooperation with the Organization. Viet Nam will work with member states tomake the UN more democratic,transparent and effective.
As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2020 – 2021, Viet Nam promotes dialogue, de-escalationof tension and confrontation, and fair and reasonable solutions to regional and global peace and security issues. We champion multilateralism and the respect forinternational law and the UN Charter, and strengthen relationsbetween the UN and regional organizations, especially ASEAN.
As the 2020 ASEAN Chair, Viet Nam is working with fellow member states to build a region of peace, friendshipand cooperation, inorder to realize the vision of ASEAN as a politically cohesive, economically integrated andsocially responsible community. Together with countries within and outside the region, we are committed to the maintenance and promotion of peace, stability,maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea (South China Sea), in accordance with internationallaw, particularly the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Wecall on all concerned parties to exercise restraint,avoid unilateral acts that would complicate the situation, andsettle disputes and differences through peaceful means withdue respect for diplomatic and legal processes.
Mr. President,
Over the last 75years, member states have painstakingly built a United Nations for peace, cooperation and development. We are duty-bound tostrengthen and reinvigorate the world’s largest multilateral organization, particularly in face of the immense challenges andopportunities of the 21st century.
Thank you for your kindattention./.
VNA
