Vietnam officially assumed the one-month chair of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the second time on Oct. 1, after the first one in July 2008.

On the first day of the new position, the Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN and Head Representative to the UNSC, Ambassador Le Luong Minh held bilateral talks with Ambassadors and Head Representatives of the council’s member countries.

They discussed the UNSC’s October programme of action, which is scheduled to be approved at an ambassadorial-level session on Oct. 2.

The first session of the UNSC in the month will be an open debate on Vietnam-initiated theme of women and peace - security.

The discussion will look at how to meet women’s needs in the post-conflict period and promote their rights and participation in peace process for the goal of sustainable peace and security.

The session, to be chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, is expected to ratify an important document on this issue.

Also during the month, the UNSC will hold an open debate on the Middle East, and seminars and negotiations on issues relating to regional conflicts in Somali, Sudan and Congo in African, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Timor Leste in Asia, Kosovo in Europe, and Haiti in America.

The council will consider the extension of some UN peace-keeping missions./.