New York (VNA) – Ambassador Do Hung Viet has reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to supporting all efforts to achieve the complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, while ensuring the legitimate right of states to the peaceful use of science and technology, and upholding international law, including the UN Charter and key multilateral disarmament treaties.
Viet, who is also Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, made the statement while addressing the plenary debate of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session in New York on October 8.
He said that the global security environment has worsened over the past year while trust among countries has eroded, channels of dialogue have been disrupted and reliance on military means to address security concerns has grown, leaving the multilateral system under severe strain.
Citing the outcomes of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the ambassador said Vietnam calls on countries to strengthen the review process and deliver on their shared commitments.
He also urged nuclear-weapon states to step up dialogue to reduce nuclear risks, meet their obligations under Article VI of the NPT, and make substantive progress on nuclear arms control and disarmament.
Vietnam stressed the need for international cooperation in controlling small arms and light weapons, tackling the aftermath of landmines and explosive remnants of war, advancing multilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and governance of emerging technologies, and keeping outer space for peaceful use.
All countries, particularly developing ones, should have equitable and sustainable access to space technologies and services, Viet said.
With divisions and challenges mounting, countries must keep listening to one another, engage in dialogue, shape and respect common principles, and make global disarmament mechanisms more effective, transparent and inclusive to create more room for dialogue and consensus building, he added./.
