New York (VNA) - Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has highlighted the critical role of sustainable development in maintaining international peace and security, stressing that sustainable development is not only a goal but also a foundation for lasting peace.

Addressing a high-level open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on “Poverty, Underdevelopment, and Conflict: Implications for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security” in New York on June 20, Vu stressed that challenges such as poverty, inequality, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods are root causes of instability, and if left unaddressed, they can act as triggers that escalate tensions and fuel conflicts.

Sharing Vietnam’s lessons and practical experience in post-war reconstruction, Vu stressed that placing sustainable development at the centre with the support from international partners, including UN agencies, has been a crucial catalyst for Vietnam’s economic recovery, social cohesion, and remarkable development achievements over the past decades.

He also spotlighted Vietnam’s active contributions to advancing development priorities within the UN’s peace and security agenda. Notably, during its 2021–2022 term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Vietnam initiated Resolution 2573 on the protection of essential infrastructure for people's lives amid armed conflicts.

He took the occasion to offer several concrete recommendations to strengthen closer coordination between the UNSC and the UN development system, particularly with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as the UN Peace-building Commission (PBC), and other relevant bodies, thus fostering a more comprehensive and integrated approach to peacekeeping, peacebuilding, sustaining peace, post-conflict recovery, and sustainable development.

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is also Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), emphasised that deep-rooted poverty and inequality are fundamental causes of prolonged conflict and instability in many countries and regions.

He urged the international community to step up investment in conflict prevention through sustainable, inclusive, and equitable development, with strong protection for vulnerable groups, and to give this issue the highest priority.

Echoing Guterres’s proposal, Vu called on the international community to enhance resource mobilisation for new projects, focusing on addressing poverty and underdevelopment in areas at high risk of conflict.

He affirmed that Vietnam stands ready to work with partners toward a more comprehensive, effective, and sustainable peace and security agenda of the UN./.