Vietnam successfully fulfils role as President of UNSC in January

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy chairs the review session at the UNSC (Photo: VNA)

The meeting was attended by more than 100 representatives from UN member countries and observers, including 23 ambassadors and head of missions.

Taking the rotary presidency of the UNSC in the first month of the year marking the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter, Vietnam selected a priority theme of January as adhering to the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security. The initiative was meant to contribute to promoting the adherence to international law, the UN Charter and reiterating the importance of multilateral cooperation in maintaining international peace and security.

The second initiative of Vietnam during the month was the first ever meeting at the UNSC on cooperation between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The event provided an opportunity for the international community in general and the UNSC in particular to get an insight into the ASEAN’s role in the region and discuss ways to further enhance the collaboration between the UN and the regional bloc.

Vietnam took the occasion to affirm that as Chair of the ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UNSC, it will make efforts to promote the comprehensive and effective cooperation between the two organizations, with focus on priority fields such as the peaceful settlement of disputes, preventive diplomacy, disarmament, maintenance of peace, anti-terrorism, maritime cooperation and maritime security.

Also on the occasion, Vietnam proposed organizing a high-level ASEAN-UN dialogue on sustainable development on the occasion of the ASEAN-UN Summit slated for October 2020 in Vietnam. The initiatives aside, Vietnam has made timely reactionss to arising issues that threatened international peace and security, responded to countries’ ideas and proposals, creatively utilized the UNSC’s rules and practices and promoted consensus so that the council could make timely decisions.

During the month under the presidency of Vietnam, the UNSC held 30 official activities, including two open debates, eight sessions to listen to reports and four sessions to approve resolutions, which were broadcast live on the UN’s media system. As UNSC president, Vietnam also held an international press conference and many press briefings on the council’s work. The council adopted 13 decisions, including four resolutions and a decision on extending the mandate of UN missions, forces and mechanisms, one declaration of the UNSC President, five press statements and two press releases. This is the largest number of decisions made by the UNSC during one month over many recent years.

At the session, many delegates said Vietnam has well performed its role as president of the UNSC right in the first month of its tenure as a non-permanent member. They said Vietnam has built a reasonable agenda and handled complicated issues in a flexible manner. Many recognized Vietnam’s efforts to regularly provide information on the council’s work to non-member countries, non-governmental organizations and the media.

On January 30 evening, Ambassador Quy hosted a reception to mark the end of the month Vietnam served as the UNSC president.

Following Vietnam, Belgium will be the next president of the UNSC.