Promoting cooperation, building trust and dialogue for international peace and security

As the President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in April 2021, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presides over a high-level open debate today (April 19) on enhancing cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in promoting confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution. This is an important external relations event in the second year that Vietnam takes on the role of a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2020-2021 term, demonstrating the policy throughout its term of “Partners for sustainable peace”.

Promoting cooperation, building trust and dialogue for international peace and security

The UN was established with the aim of maintaining international peace and security with efforts to prevent conflicts and assist conflict resolution through peaceful means, creating a sustainable environment for maintaining peace.

The topic of conflict prevention is one of the focuses in the operation of the UNSC while measures to build trust and dialogue are one of the groups of tools for conflict prevention and resolution.

In the context of complicated and unpredictable conflicts in many regions in the world, conflict prevention becomes the focus of policy and strategy in the operation of regional organisations.

Cooperation between the UN and regional organisations has increasingly attracted much attention and discussion from the UNSC. The UNSC has held a number of sessions on trust building, but so far there have been no sessions focusing on the role of regional organisations in conflict prevention through the building of trust and dialogue.

Held in both direct and online form, the high-level open debate will be attended by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, leaders and representatives of the UNSC member states and several regional organisations.

Presiding over the session, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and world leaders exchanged opinions in order to affirm the importance of cooperation between the UN and UNSC and regional organisations in preventing and resolving conflicts through peaceful measures in accordance with UN Charter and international law while affirming that trust building and dialogue measures are essential to conflict prevention and resolution.

Thereby, the debate will also express Vietnam's stance on peace and security in the region and the world as well as reflect the interests and expectations of the international community for a peaceful world, based on understanding, trust and dialogue.

In 2020, Vietnam successfully completed the first year of its term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, making outstanding contributions to important activities of the UNSC as well as the United Nations.

Chairing the high-level open debate of the UNSC helps to promote the success of the Chairmanship of ASEAN Year 2020 and results of the UNSC meeting on the cooperation between ASEAN and the UN chaired by Vietnam during its first UNSC chairmanship in January 2020.

The event, thereby, demonstrates the activeness and responsibility of Vietnam as an ASEAN member and a non-permanent member of the UNSC. Through this event, Vietnam also shows its great interest in promoting the role of regional organisations and cooperation between ASEAN and regional organisations in maintaining peace, stabilisation, development and conflict prevention.

Together with two sessions on overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines and protecting the essential basis to the lives of the people chaired by Vietnam as the President of the UNSC, this high-level open debate demonstrates the motto throughout the term of “Partners for sustainable peace” while conveying the Vietnam's message as a country for peace, dynamism, innovation, and positive integration, thus making a positive contribution to peace, security and development in the world.

The presiding over the high-level debate of the UNSC by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is the first multilateral foreign affairs activity of the country after the successful organisation of the 13th National Party Congress. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to send the message of its Party and State about the country's development orientation, vision and development aspirations set by the 13th Party Congress to the international community, which also affirms the foreign policy of peace, independence, autonomy, multilateralisation, diversification, and proactive and active integration into the world in a comprehensive, extensive and effective manner.

This special event contributes to enhancing the prestige and position of Vietnam and upholding its role and responsible contribution to peace and security issues, thereby implementing the policies of the Party and State on promoting and raising the level of multilateral diplomacy.

May the high-level open debate of the UNSC chaired by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc be a success, affirming Vietnam proactive and active participation and contribution to the joint work of the UNSC and the international community while boosting cooperation and trust and dialogue building for peace and security in the region and in the world.