Vietnam will participate actively and constructively in the international community’s concerted efforts to reform the UN General Assembly, said a senior diplomat.

The Permanent Deputy Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, Ambassador Bui The Giang, made the commitment at the General Debate on “Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly” in New York on Nov. 19.

Giang said after 18 years since its first appearance on the agenda of the General Assembly, the item of General Assembly revitalisation has emerged as one of the most important subjects in the process of reforming the United Nations in general and the General Assembly in particular.

He shared the view that revitalisation is not an objective per se but a means to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the General Assembly’s work with a view to ultimately strengthening the role of the General Assembly as the main deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations.

In the world of today, interdependence among nations has grown to a point where no single nation however big and powerful can solve all its own problems, the General Assembly has proven itself to be the most appropriate forum for all global stakeholders to discuss and make decisions on effective and sustainable solutions to issues of utmost importance to the international community, the ambassador said.

“We support the continued discussions of the General Assembly on topical global issues of international relevance, including particularly those in the fields of development, peace and security, humanitarian affairs and human rights, on the basis of consultation with Member States, taking into full account the interests and concerns of the broad membership, especially developing countries,” he stressed.

While acknowledging the necessity of the full implementation of all General Assembly resolutions, Giang said it is useful and legitimate to study the factual chart developed by the Ad Hoc Working Group during the 62nd Session on the implementation of relevant resolutions and take it as a productive input for thorough discussion and square assessment on this vital aspect of the work.

The Vietnamese representative voiced support for the strengthening of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, describing it as a key issue to the revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly.

He emphasised the need to step up cooperation and coordination between the General Assembly and other principal organs of the UN, other international institutions and civil society, as well as among the Main Committees and General Assembly subsidiary bodies.

Giang welcomed the decision by the General Assembly to continue its consideration of the revitalisation of the General Assembly’s role in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, as well as regular briefings by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly and periodic meetings between the General Assembly President and the Presidents of the Security Council and the ECOSOC.

For this purpose, Vietnam in July last year launched consultations with member states on the draft annual report of the Security Council to the General Assembly when Viet Nam held Presidency of the Council, the diplomat noted./.