Vietnam has affirmed its consistent policy of strongly committing to international efforts towards disarmament and arms control, including the prevention of excessive use of conventional arms and their illegal transfers.

The affirmation was made by Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Vietnamese permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in a speech delivered at the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in New York on July 9.

Viet Nam therefore supports and takes part, in an active and responsible manner, in international efforts towards an international instrument regulating international transfer of arms as specified in Resolution 64/48 of the UN General Assembly, Trung said.

According to him, to ensure the success of the Conference and broad participation of states, the Conference shall be conducted in a transparent and open manner and its decisions, including the final text of ATT, must be considered and adopted by consensus.

The Conference must ensure that the ATT is balanced and non-discriminatory. ATT should uphold basic principles of international law and the UN Charter, including respect for state sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs, the senior diplomat added.

Concluding the speech, Ambassador Trung reiterated Vietnam ’s commitment to contributing actively and constructively at the Conference in striving for an international instrument to minimise consequences of illicit transfers of arms.

The UN conference on Arms Trade Treaty kicked off in New York on July 2 and are set to continue through July 27 with an aim to draft a global arms trade treaty.-VNA