Vietnam, 2005

At the outset, I

would like, on behalf of the Vietnamese delegation,

sincerely to congratulate Mr. Jan Eliasson on his

election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixtieth session. I am convinced that under his able

stewardship this session will be crowned with success.

Let me express our deep appreciation for the

contributions made by his predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping,

to the work of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth

session. I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his great

efforts over the past year to reform and strengthen our

Organization.

Taking place in the context of the many activities

commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the United

Nations — especially the High-level Plenary Meeting

of the General Assembly that just concluded — the

present session constitutes an event of crucial

significance that offers us a great deal of hope and

confidence. We believe that Member States will be able

to work out effective ways in which to implement the

commitments contained in the outcome document

(resolution 60/1) just adopted by our leaders, especially

those concerning the implementation of the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We are

confident that, amid both challenges and opportunities

and with the necessary wisdom and determination, we

will find the right path towards a brighter future for

humanity in the twenty-first century.

In today’s celebratory atmosphere, we cannot and

should not forget stark realities as we continue to see

the spread of war and conflict, the resurgence of

terrorism, natural disasters, poverty, the outbreak of

epidemics and transnational crime, which are

threatening the peace, security, independence and

prosperity of nations. The people of the world were

shocked by the recent terrorist attacks in London, in

Sharm el-Sheikh and elsewhere. Viet Nam therefore

joins with others in the fight against terrorism of all

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kinds. It is our view that, in order to root out terrorism,

the international community must seriously and

adequately address the phenomena of poverty, injustice

and inequality.

Viet Nam welcomes the recent positive

developments in the Middle East peace process. It is

our consistent policy to support the just cause of the

Palestinian people in their struggle for their inalienable

rights. In that connection, we welcome Israel’s

withdrawal from resettlement areas in the Gaza Strip.

Proceeding from its principled position that

international disputes should be settled by peaceful

means, Viet Nam supports peaceful solutions to the

nuclear issue in Iran and on the Korean peninsula.

Considering embargoes and blockades to be

unacceptable in the modern world, we call for the early

lifting of the unilateral embargo against Cuba. It is Viet

Nam’s view that the United Nations should be more

active in that connection.

The tsunami that affected Asian countries last

year and Hurricane Katrina, which hit coastal cities of

the United States, both resulting in the loss of a great

number of lives and damage worth hundreds of billions

of dollars, are reminders of the need for effective early

warning systems, preparedness and international

solidarity in confronting the forces of nature.

As we are preparing to translate the commitments

contained in the outcome document into action to

reform the United Nations, I would like to associate

myself with the views expressed by the Secretary-

General in his report “In larger freedom” (A/59/2005)

and reaffirmed in the outcome document concerning

the interactive links among peace, security,

development and human rights. Viet Nam’s experience

shows that an environment of peace and political and

social stability is indispensable for development and

that economic growth, the improvement of people’s

lives, will help to strengthen peace and stability. In that

regard, we believe the United Nations should play a

greater role in making those links more interactive.

Viet Nam shares the common view that reform of

the United Nations should aim, first and foremost, at

enhancing the Organization’s efficiency and democracy

on the basis of strengthening the fundamental

principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. It is

essential to reinforce the central role and power of the

General Assembly, a body that stipulates the equal

participation of all United Nations Members. Reform

of the Security Council should be accorded adequate

attention, so that the Council can be turned into a body

that is able to perform its functions in maintaining

international peace and security effectively. The

Council’s working methods should be improved to

ensure democracy and transparency. The Council needs

to be enlarged in both categories of its membership in

order to ensure that it truly represents all United

Nations Members, as stipulated in the Charter. We

believe that developing States should be more

adequately represented in that important organ. We

would like to reiterate the support we have expressed

since 1999 for India, Japan and Germany as permanent

members of an expanded Council.

Furthermore, Viet Nam believes that reform of

the United Nations must be carried out

comprehensively and in a way that ensures a balance

between the two equally important and mutually

complementary goals of maintaining peace and

security and promoting development. An enabling

environment for development must be built on the

basis of equitable international economic relations,

mutual benefit, shared responsibility and the fulfilment

of agreed commitments.

In that spirit, Viet Nam supports the proposals on

development set out in the report of the Secretary-

General and the commitments contained in the

outcome document, especially the recommitment of the

international community to achieving the MDGs on

schedule. Viet Nam welcomes the commitment on the

part of some developed countries to allocate 0.7 per

cent of their gross national income to official

development assistance without any conditions. If

developing nations are to achieve the MDGs, it is

essential that they be enabled to participate more

actively in the global economy. Viet Nam therefore

calls on the United Nations to adopt and implement

measures to facilitate the entry of developing countries

into the World Trade Organization. Moreover, non-

tariff and other protective measures aimed at blocking

exports from developing countries, under such pretexts

as sanitary and phytosanitary standards, should be

dismantled.

Guaranteeing and promoting human rights always

remain high priorities in the work of the United

Nations. Viet Nam supports a greater role for the

Organization in that regard. We will continue to spare

no effort in contributing to the common cause of

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human rights protection. Mindful of the need to reform

the United Nations machinery for protecting human

rights, we believe that reform must be conducted in a

manner that is free from acts of politicization. More

in-depth discussions are needed with regard to the

issue of establishing a Human Rights Council and the

concept of the responsibility to protect, so as to ensure

broad support for the measures to be implemented.

The Vietnamese people have just celebrated the

sixtieth anniversary of the founding of their democratic

State. Having gone through a process of comprehensive

renewal, Viet Nam today is a country with high and

sustained economic growth and social equity, and we

have made significant progress in implementing the

MDGs. Today, Viet Nam is a safe and stable country

that has further integrated into the global economy and

has pursued a foreign policy of independence,

sovereignty and diversification, strengthening

multilateral ties in its external relations. It is a country

that is willing to be a friend and a reliable partner of all

countries of the world community.

We have actively participated in various regional,

interregional and global cooperation arrangements.

Viet Nam has been making great efforts to conclude

negotiations for its early accession to the World Trade

Organization. I would like to take this opportunity to

extend our thanks to those countries that have

supported Viet Nam in that connection. We are actively

engaged in the cooperation activities of the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific

Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as with

ASEAN cooperation with East Asia. To make a greater

contribution to the work of the United Nations, Viet

Nam has decided to present its candidacy for a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the

2008-2009 term. We are now actively preparing to

participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations

when conditions are ripe.

To conclude, let me assure the Assembly that Viet

Nam will continue to work closely with other countries

in the international community to strive for our

common goals, among them a stronger United Nations.