A meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on March 1, 2022 (Photo: AFP/VNA) At a meeting on June 7 (New York time),the UNGA elected the President and Vice Presidents of the UNGA’s 77th session. Vietnam, representing the Asia-Pacific, was elected to the Vice Presidency and will serve in this post for one year, starting on September 13, 2022.
Talking to the press, Do Hung Viet, Directorof the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Organisationsand Assistant to the Foreign Minister, said the election is greatly significantto Vietnam, especially when the country is marking its 45-year UN membership in2022.
Vietnam’s biggest advantage when servingin this post is the prestige it has built up in the recent past, which can beseen in the international community and activities of the UN, he remarked, notingthat the country recently fulfilled its role as a non-permanent member of theUN Security Council and is currently a member of the International LawCommission, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),the Executive Board of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO), and the Postal Operations Council of the Universal Postal Union.
Another advantage is its trained and experienced personnel who have performedduties at many mechanisms and forums, especially the recent tenure at the UNSecurity Council. They also have strong support from the homeland, includingthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and sectors, so as to confidentlychair activities of the UNGA in the time ahead, according to Viet.
Do Hung Viet, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Organisations and Assistant to the Foreign Minister. (Photo: VNA) It will help promote and organise high-levelevents and others of the UNGA while chairing the building of UNGA documents andinitiatives. It can also bring into play its role in ironing out differencesamong countries and create consensus about the UNGA’s decisions, he elaborated.
Vietnam’s target is to continue itsactive, proactive, and comprehensive engagement in such fields as promoting internationalpeace and security, disarmament, the building of a new UN agenda for peace, andthe peaceful settlement of international disputes. Other focal areas includethe implementation of international commitments on sustainable development, thesettlement of common challenges like epidemics, climate change, andenvironmental pollution, and the facilitation of green transition and digitaltransformation.
In particular, as a representative ofthe Asia-Pacific region and developing countries, Vietnam will highlight thedemand for international cooperation to provide technological resources fordeveloping nations, the official said.
Vietnam is planning and running formembership of some international mechanisms, including the UN Human RightsCouncil, he added, expressing his hope that the UNGA Vice Presidency willcreate momentum for the country to hold important positions in other UNmechanisms./.
VNA
