New York (VNA) – Head of the PermanentDelegation of Vietnam to the United Nations, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy hashighlighted the country’s contributions to the global organization over thepast four decades, ahead a visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to New Yorkfor the high-level General Debate of the 73rd session of the UNGeneral Assembly (UNGA 73).

Since Vietnam became an official member of the UN inSeptember 1977, the country has made best endeavours to contribute to UNactivities in all the three pillars of peace-security, development and humanrights.

In peace-security, Vietnam has been consistent inpromoting basic principles of international law and the UN Charter in settlinginternational disputes by peaceful means based on respect for independence,sovereignty and non-intervention of any state without use of force or threat touse force, Quy told Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam has played an active part in advancing disarmamentand non-proliferation of nuclear and mass destruction weapons. As anon-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) from 2008 – 2009,Vietnam has been actively engaged in efforts in political crisis prevention andpeacekeeping, and put forward important proposals to protect women and childrenin armed conflicts, promote human rights and post-conflict peace-building andreform the UNSC.

He further noted that the joining of the UN peacekeeping missionsdemonstrated Vietnam’s responsibility in maintaining international and regionalpeace and security. Since 2014, the country has sent a number of militaryofficers to take part in peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republicand South Sudan. In June, Vietnam was selected to become training sites for UNpeacekeeping forces alongside three others in Southeast Asia – Cambodia,Indonesia and Thailand. At the same time, Vietnam’s first level-2 fieldhospital will leave for its mission in South Sudan shortly, the ambassadoradded.

Quy moved on to highly speak of the success ofcooperation between Vietnam and the UN in development. With tremendous supportfrom the UN, Vietnam is among the countries in the world succeeding infulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Vietnam also volunteered tobe one of nations piloting the global “Delivering as One” reform initiative andis the first country to have the Green One UN House where all UN staff in thecountry are brought together in a single location. The house has become a rolemodel for sustainable green buildings in Vietnam as it is both energy and waterefficient and UN staff working here are encouraged to adopt green behaviours.

As a member of the UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC) for the 2016 – 2018 term, Vietnam has become active in the UN’seconomic and social development by advising and implementing UN developmentpolicies and voicing the country’s needs and concerns that require the UNassistance. It has also mobilized resources for development through operationsof funds and programmes in Vietnam.

Vietnam has exercised the responsibility of a UN member bymaking the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and engaged in global efforts toprotect human rights. The country was elected to the Human Rights Council forthe 2014 – 2016 term, during which the it put forward the resolution on theimpact of climate change on the rights of the child, and proposed andparticipated in a number of initiatives on the protection of the right of the disableto work, ensuring a safe working environment for the people at sea andprevention of women and girl trafficking, he said.

On May 25, Vietnam was selected as the only candidate ofthe Asia-Pacific region for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2020 –2021 tenure at a monthly meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group at the UN and thevoting will be held in June 2019. The nomination shows trust and support ofregional nations for Vietnam, he added.

Quy further noted that he is confident that Vietnam willcontinue to play an active role in maintaining peace, stability and sustainabledevelopment of the region and the world and deepening partnership with the UN.The country will also work alongside other member states to promote thefundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law to foster equal,friendly and cooperative international relations and ensure the legitimateinterest of all states, particularly developing countries, he affirmed.–VNA