Foreign Minister: Vietnam has successful tenure at UNSC

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) speaks at the press conference. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has affirmed that Vietnam had a successful tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021, a difficult period for the world and the UNSC in particular due to complicated, uncertain and unprecedented developments in the world.

Chairing a press conference in Hanoi on January 17, Son said it is the result of Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of ties; making responsible contributions to multilateral mechanisms, including the UN and firstly the UNSC.

Vietnam attaches importance to and wants to raise its voice to promote work at the UNSC in general for common benefits of the UN member states while contributing to maintaining global peace and security, he said.

He added that with the consistent motto “Partnership for sustainable peace”, Vietnam joined the UNSC in an active, positive and responsible manner, proposed a number of initiatives to make practical contributions to the UNSC’s work, upheld the council's role in seeking solutions to preventing and dealing with conflicts and responding to challenges to global peace and security in line with the UN Charter and international law.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (centre) at the press conference (Photo: VNA)

At the event, Son also highlighted 10 outstanding hallmarks made by Vietnam at the UNSC during the tenure, including promoting multilateral approach and consistently upholding international law and the UN Charter, seeking sustainable and comprehensive solutions to conflicts while stepping up humanitarian actions, protecting civilians in conflicts, directing the UNSC and international community’s attention to long-term consequences of conflicts and wars on lives as well as national security and development.

He said Vietnam showed its own identity when joining the UNSC’s work, namely promoting common consensus, cooperation and dialogue, and easing tension.

Experience earned during the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 tenures at the UNSC together with major external activities laid a solid foundation for Vietnam to continue joining multilateral forums and international organisations within and out of the UN framework, he said.

In the immediate future, Vietnam will continue pushing forward its resolutions and initiatives at the UNSC as well as promote the effective operation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Group of Friends, he stressed./.