Vietnam, 1996

On behalf of the delegation of the Socialist

Republic of Viet Nam, I would like to congratulate you

warmly, Sir, on your election as President of the General

Assembly at its fifty-first session. We are truly proud that

you, an experienced representative of Malaysia, a member

country of the Association of South-East Asian Nations

(ASEAN), have been elected to this important position. We

are confident that, under your guidance, our session will

achieve many fine results.

Let me take this opportunity to express our high

appreciation of the performance of your predecessor,

Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral. We also hold in high

regard the dynamism and perseverance of Secretary-

General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in the service of our

common cause.

Last year at this time, we had the opportunity to take

a retrospective look at the world’s development over the

past half-century and the role played by the United

Nations in this long journey. One year later, the world

landscape is still full of contrasts, interwoven with factors

and trends of hope and with events and tendencies that

give rise to the concerns of the international community

at this end of the twentieth century.

In a world of teeming changes, what emerges as

invariable are the legitimate aspiration and vigorous

determination of nations to achieve peace and

development based on equality, democracy, respect for

the independence and sovereignty of each country and the

identity of each nation. In this grand endeavour, peoples

turn to the United Nations for timely support and fruitful

assistance because the Organization, having waded

through the vicissitudes of a half-century of history, has

been daily affirming its crucial role for the world as a

whole. Today’s challenge for our world Organization is

how to reform and adapt itself to the new international

circumstances in order to meet the expectations of the

peoples.

As the system of international relations in the post-

cold-war era takes shape, we can already see its trend

towards diversification and multicentrism. In this context,

multilateral institutions and mechanisms, especially the

United Nations, have assumed an ever-more essential role.

However, there are various ways of interpreting the role

of our Organization today. As regards the vast majority of

the Member countries, the United Nations, in its capacity

as a centre for harmonizing inter-State relations, should

play a fundamental role in firmly defending international

law and in encouraging States’ strict and consistent

respect for and observation of the United Nations Charter.

In this spirit, the United Nations must use its weight and

responsibility to stem the practices — such as coercion

and imposition, arbitrary embargo and sanctions that bring

suffering to innocent people, and flagrant interference in

the internal affairs of States, in violation of their

independence and sovereignty — that run counter to the

current general trends.

To play its role adequately, the United Nations must

reform itself so as to increase the representativeness of its

institutional organs and to democratize and ensure greater

15

transparency in our Organization’s working procedures and

methods. The cornerstones of the democratization of the

United Nations system are the reform of the Security

Council and the enhancement of the role of the General

Assembly. This is a complex and difficult task which

requires utmost perseverance. The expansion of the

composition of the Security Council and the

democratization of its decision-making procedures constitute

an urgent demand of the international community. At the

same time, the authority and role of the General Assembly,

the broadest and most representative body, must be

strengthened in response to the legitimate appeal of us all.

Certainly, the reform must be undertaken on the basis of

the agreed principles, particularly that of consensus,

reflecting to the fullest extent the views and aspirations of

the majority of the member countries and ensuring the

interests of the different regions.

If in today’s world democracy in a society means the

active participation of its citizens, democracy in

international relations requires the active participation of all

countries, large or small, rich or poor. Only an increasingly

democratized United Nations can enjoy the prestige and

confidence necessary for playing its role in harmonizing the

actions of States on the basis of international law, as all

desire it to. Let us build upon the momentum gathered at

the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations so that on

entering the twenty-first century, the United Nations can

truly serve as an example of democratization in the world’s

political life.

The wise way to achieve the common objectives of

national independence, peace and development is that of

cooperation in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and

mutual benefit. The globalization of the world economy, the

liberalization of trade and investment and the dizzying

advances of science and technology now present every State

with both unprecedented opportunities and imposing

challenges. It is no mere coincidence that the recent summit

of the seven major industrialized countries, the G-7, in

Lyons, focused on the theme of globalization.

However, the developing countries, and especially the

underdeveloped ones, are approaching this trial that is so

vital for their development and prosperity poorly equipped

and in extremely difficult conditions. Therefore, it is

incumbent upon the international community and in

particular the developed countries, to give the required

attention and adequate assistance to help solve this crucial

equation, because it is impossible to accept, in the context

of interdependence, a world in which affluence is

concentrated in a small number of countries while the

majority of countries continue to struggle against

increasing poverty and the gap between the rich and the

poor grows inexorably wider.

Given its strength and prestige, the United Nations

is able to and needs to play a useful role in this process.

In implementing the Agenda for Development, our

Organization should concentrate first on the regions in

difficulty and on the essential issues. With its financial

resources and groups of experts, the United Nations

system can assist the countries of the South to overcome

their disadvantaged position and succeed in their efforts

for timely regional and global integration, in the context

of an economic, trade, scientific and technological race on

a global scale.

In Viet Nam, for instance, the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) is carrying out projects

to assist us in our integration into the Association of

South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). UNDP is also

playing an active and effective role to facilitate the

establishment of a framework for cooperation among the

countries along the Mekong. UNDP is currently working

on a national capacity-building project so that Viet Nam

can be prepared to participate more effectively in the

World Trade Organization (WTO) in the near future.

Such practical bilateral and multilateral development

projects are to be welcomed.

However, we are now facing a glaring paradox: the

need for international cooperation for development

continues to grow, while the available means become ever

more scarce and natural resources more depleted. In the

fierce competition for development, States must

concentrate their resources on domestic needs in order to

restructure their economies and solve the pressing social

problems, thus enhancing their internal strength. That is

quite understandable.

Nevertheless, in the current context of increasing

interdependence among States, international cooperation,

especially the flow of capital and technology transfer

from the developed to the developing countries is

indispensable, and it is also necessary and beneficial for

the sustainable development of the developed countries

themselves. Moreover, today, when urgent global issues

are strengthening links between all States, a danger to one

nation may also affect others, and the stability and

prosperity enjoyed by one society may contribute to an

environment favourable for the stability and prosperity of

other societies.

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Hunger, illness, social injustice and other phenomena

are all potential threats to the security of each country and

the stability of the world as a whole. Allocating of

resources to support the development of developing

countries and contributing in various ways to bilateral and

multilateral international cooperation for development are

wise investments for peace and for the shared future of all

of our societies.

The United Nations is not immune to this discrepancy

between resources and the needs for development

assistance. Today, the resources available to the United

Nations are not increasing; on the contrary, they are

shrinking or being overextended. This worrisome situation

calls for the attention and responsibility of all Member

States, especially of the major Powers and developed

countries that possess greater resources and potential. The

measure to be taken immediately, in the unanimous view of

Member States, is for every State to fulfil its financial

obligations. Moreover, all initiatives to provide

supplementary resources for the United Nations should be

encouraged. Recently, scholars and renowned personalities

have advanced numerous interesting proposals in this

regard. We are of the view that the General Assembly

should assign the Working Group on the Financial Situation

of the United Nations and other relevant working groups

the task of seriously studying these proposals in order to

explore all possible ways of providing the United Nations

with the resources necessary to actively assist in

development for all — first and foremost, that of the

underdeveloped countries.

The United Nations has a rather weighty responsibility

regarding the demands of development. Its role in the

globalization process is therefore no less crucial. Since the

beginning of this decade the United Nations has initiated

and organized a number of world summit conferences on a

set of global issues ranging from environment to social

development, from population to human rights, from

women to children — and coming up we have the World

Food Summit, the aim of which is to find and implement

coordinated measures at all levels — national, regional, and

international — to solve problems of importance for the

future of all nations.

If in the resolution of crisis and conflicts the

participation of the majority of countries is somewhat

limited or even indirect, through an intermediary

mechanism, in the resolution of the global issues for

development the United Nations has been able to mobilize

the direct participation of all countries, big and small, rich

and poor, developed and developing, because these are not

just “to whom it may concern” issues. In this manner, the

United Nations can succeed in its efforts to emerge from

a mere reactive role to crises and conflicts and play a

proactive role in preventing such conflicts and crises.

Clearly, the resolution of global issues is always broadly

democratic in nature.

For all these reasons, we hold that the United

Nations should further strengthen its role of assistance

and coordination in this essential field and continue to

advance the implementation of programmes of action

already adopted. It is evident that no organization can

replace the United Nations in this vital role. In fulfilling

this role, the United Nations will see its prestige enhanced

and its image brought closer to the life of each nation and

each human being.

The year 1996 will go down in the history of Viet

Nam as the beginning of a new stage of development of

our country. Last June, the Eighth Congress of the

Communist Party of Viet Nam was successfully

concluded. The special significance of this historic event

is that, based on the successes achieved over the last 10

years of renewal, reform and national revival, the

Congress decided to lead the country into a new phase of

industrialization and modernization, with a view to

doubling by the year 2000 the 1990 per-capita gross

domestic product and essentially transforming Viet Nam

into an industrialized country in the next 20 to 25 years.

At the same time, we have reaffirmed the pursuit of

our foreign policy of independence and sovereignty,

openness, the diversification and multilateralism of our

international relations, and regional and international

integration. It is because of this direction that the foreign

policy of Viet Nam has achieved and continues to achieve

outstanding results, assisting in the work of nation-

building and development in a practical way, and

effectively contributing to the resolution of international

problems.

Viet Nam has established diplomatic relations with

over 160 countries, including all the major Powers and

the most prominent world political-economic centres. Viet

Nam has commercial relations with more than 100

countries and investment ties with over 50 countries and

territories. In addition to expanding its relations with

countries of all continents, last year as a full member of

the Association of South-East Asian Nations, one of the

most dynamic and successful of regional organizations,

Viet Nam actively contributed to regional and world

cooperation and development.

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We are participating more actively in the work of

international organizations, especially those of the United

Nations system, as well regional organizations. This year,

Viet Nam begins its term as a member of the UNICEF

Executive Board, and will present its candidature for a seat

on the Economic and Social Council at this session of the

General Assembly. We hope to receive the support of

Member countries of the United Nations to be able to

contribute our share to the work of that important body,

developing and coordinating policies of economic and

social development and cooperation. We are currently

preparing for the successful organization of the upcoming

seventh Francophone summit to be held in November 1997

at Hanoi. As regards broader integration, Viet Nam is also

actively preparing to participate soon in other international

organizations, such as the World Trade Organization and

the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum.

As a new member of the Conference on Disarmament,

Viet Nam played an active part in the negotiations on the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which it recently

signed. By signing that Treaty, Vietnam joined in the broad

appeal of the international community that all States refrain

from all nuclear testing, regardless of the form, strictly

observe the ban on all nuclear-tests and undertake concrete

steps and measures towards the total elimination of all

nuclear weapons. Viet Nam stands ready to cooperate with

all countries for the effective implementation of the Treaty,

contributing to a cleaner environment, to greater confidence

and to consolidation of international security, aimed at a

more secure and healthy world. At the same time, we hold

that the verification activities of the Treaty implementation

process must be carried out in a fair and impartial manner,

with strict respect for the sovereignty of States. In this

spirit, we view that the proposal for a programme of action

for the elimination of nuclear weapons submitted recently

at the Conference on Disarmament by 28 States, including

Viet Nam, deserves serious consideration.

To achieve the objective and sincere desire to build a

Viet Nam with a prosperous people, a strong nation and a

just and civilized society, we are determined to bring into

full play the achievements of the reform and renewal

process and equip ourselves with the internal strength

needed to move forward steadily on the path of integration.

On the basis of our current international relations, we will

strengthen our cooperation with other countries and

international and regional organizations; we will enhance

productivity; we will consolidate the peaceful environment

and create international conditions still more favourable, in

the service of the prosperity of our nation as well as for the

prosperity of the region and the world.

At the threshold of the third millennium, all nation-

States are subject to strong pressures of both opportunity

and challenge. The vast ability of mankind in this age,

together with the extraordinary advances in science and

technology, offers us hope for development and prosperity

for all nations. Yet the poverty that afflicts more than one

fifth of the world population and the gap between the rich

and the poor raise concerns. The opportunities seem great

but the challenges are acutely felt. To begin the twenty-

first century with more hope than anxiety, it will be

important for us first to enhance our sense of

responsibility and broaden our overall long-term interests:

those of peace and development. There is no doubt that

the United Nations, the Organization to which we all

belong, will contribute actively towards achieving that

end.