New York (VNA) – All countries need to respect and fulfill obligations in accordance with international law, including the obligation to enforce decisions and judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with goodwill, said Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu, Assistant to the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He made the remarks while leading a Vietnamese delegation to join in a discussion held by the United Nations General Assembly on October 24 to look into the ICJ report for 2023 - 2024.
Vu affirmed that Vietnam supports the ICJ’s essential role in promoting peace, stability, and justice, and it is ready to cooperate with other countries and the ICJ to promote the rule of law at all levels.
With regard to the settlement of disputes, the ambassador said the role of the ICJ is widely recognised. With this role, the ICJ has been exerting efforts to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes and help maintain friendly relations among countries.
Aside from hearing and resolving international disputes, the function of giving advice is also important to clarifying controversial legal issues, he added.
Amid the need for immediate and more ambitious actions to cope with climate change, Vietnam has joined others in the core group to propose the UN General Assembly request the ICJ to give advice about countries’ obligations related to climate change, Vu said, noting that this advice can help clarify legal aspects of climate change and provide a prerequisite for the substantive and fruitful implementation of the commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
At the discussion, representatives of other countries highlighted the ICJ’s importance in maintaining international peace and security, and enhancing the adherence to, development, and enforcement of international law.
They considered the increasing number of cases handled by the ICJ as a demonstration of countries’ trust in this court./.
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