Vietnam leaves strong imprints as active, effective member at UNSC

As Vietnam started its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on January 1, 2020, UN Deputy Secretary-General in charge of peace activities Jean-Pierre Lacroix told Vietnam News Agency that he believed Vietnam would be an active and effective member of the council.

Lacroix's comments, along with the almost absolute yes votes for Vietnam to become a member of the council, showed the strong confidence and expectation of the international community in Vietnam's capacity and responsible engagement in the common efforts for peace, stability and security in the region and the world.

The reality has affirmed that in its post, Vietnam has taken part in discussing and seeking solutions to all issues included in the UNSC agenda for all regions, including conflicts in Africa, humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, and other important matters such as the prevention of mass destruction weapon proliferation, the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, maritime security, climate change, and COVID-19 response.

Ambassador Philippe Kridelka, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN, affirmed that Vietnam has a strong voice and gains trust from the world, especially countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the US.

UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Barbara Woodward highlighted that Vietnam directly engaged in settling many important issues, affirming that Vietnam’s contributions are valuable.

Meanwhile, UN Antonio Guterres said that as the President of the council (in January and April 2020), Vietnam showed its ingenuity and the role of a mediator and bridge in supporting the settlement of conflicts, creating a peaceful atmosphere among world powers.

Particularly, as the ASEAN Chair in 2020, and the only ASEAN representative at the UNSC, Vietnam upheld the central role of the association in coping with regional security issues as well as strengthening cooperation between the ASEAN and the UNSC as well as the UN as a whole.

Ambassador Nathalie Estival-Broadhurst, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the UN said that Vietnam has been very successful in connecting ASEAN with the UNSC. Meanwhile, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) underscored Vietnam’s contributions in promoting the comprehensive partnership between the ASEAN and the UN.

Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, underlined that Vietnam has made considerable contributions to the enhancement of the voice and image of the ASEAN at the UNSC.

Meanwhile, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo affirmed that by adding ASEAN matters to the UNSC agenda, Vietnam has helped to raise the bloc’s image to a new level and enhance relations between regional organisations and the UN, especially the UNSC.

Looking back on active and effective contributions that Vietnam has made to the UNSC, Director-General of the UN Office Tatiana Valovaya said during a meeting with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in late November that hailed Vietnam’s excellent performance as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2020-2021 with many initiatives and practical contributions to global issues.