Vietnam reaffirmed its foreign policy of peace and disarmamentwith highest priorities attached to nuclear disarmament andnon-proliferation at the general debate of the UN First Committee inNew York on October 15.
Following is the speech by Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN at the debate:
“Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, allow me, on behalf of the delegation of Vietnam, toexpress our warm congratulations on your assumption of the Chairmanshipof the First Committee of the 68th Session of the United Nations GeneralAssembly. It is our confidence that with your vast experience inmultilateral affairs, you will lead this year’s session to a successfuloutcome.
Vietnam associates itself with the statement madeby H.E. Ambassador Desra Percaya of Indonesia on behalf of theNon-Aligned Movement, and the statement made by H.E. Ambassador U MaungWai of Myanmar on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).
Mr. Chairman,
As we begin the 68th Session ofthe First Committee, conflicts and the accompanied inhumane use ofweapons are still raging across regions, including the use of chemicalweapons last August which was widely condemned. It is our collectiveresponsibility to address these issues given the fact that majormultilateral negotiations related to disarmament continue to fail toovercome the current impasse.
However, there is room forcautious hope for future successes thanks to well-grounded reasons,including the high-level meeting of the United Nations on nucleardisarmament. It is however a long way to go from these first-stepachievements to the long overdue disarmament instruments. Therefore, itis critical that we do not lower our own standard of success andintensify our efforts to move forward the multilateral disarmamentagenda.
Mr. Chairman,
Vietnam’s foreign policy is alwaysof peace and for disarmament. It is our conviction, shaped by decadesof war and human suffering, that disarmament must be complete andgeneral, implemented in a balanced and comprehensive manner, withhighest priorities attached to nuclear disarmament andnon-proliferation.
It must be reiterated that the three pillarsof the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, namely nuclear disarmament,nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technologies,must be moved forward in a balanced manner. As there is only one moresession of the Preparatory Committee in 2014 before the 2015 ReviewConference, it is of utmost importance that every party concerned mustaccelerate efforts to fulfill their obligations set out by every singlepoint contained in the 2010 Action Plan. We commend the continued roleof the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in providing technicalassistance to states in pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.Vietnam has closely cooperated with the IAEA in ensuring nuclear safetyand security in the development of nuclear power infrastructure inVietnam. We will make every effort to fulfill our responsibilities asthe Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IAEA for the term2013-2014.
While reiterating our consistent commitmentto nuclear non-proliferation, we stress that nuclear disarmament is ourultimate collective goal. In this regard, the High-Level Meeting onNuclear Disarmament convened last September was significant in steppingup momentum, which would be further advanced by the steps set out in thedraft resolution that the Non-Aligned Movement is going to table tofollow up on this Meeting. A number of outstanding issues remain to beaddressed, including the initiation of consultations on a nucleardisarmament convention, the negotiation of legally binding instrument onnegative security assurances, and the substantive negotiation of afissile material treaty. Pending those issues, it is critical to bringinto force existing international instruments, especially theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty. We therefore call on those states thathave not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty at an early date.
We share the view that nuclear-weapons-free zone andMongolia’s nuclear-free status contribute critically to the maintenanceof international peace and security. In Southeast Asia, together withother ASEAN countries, we look forward to an early signing by theNuclear Weapons States of the Protocol to the Treaty on Southeast AsiaNuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ). We therefore share thedisappointment over the delay of the Conference on the Establishment of aNuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East, considering this as aserious issue for the credibility of the NPT regime, and call for itsearly convening.
We welcome the framework agreement on thedestruction of chemical weapons in Syria, as well as other promisingsigns of the primacy of diplomacy and peaceful settlement of pressingissues in the Middle East. It is our wish that this agreement would beimplemented in an expeditious, objective and comprehensive manner.
Mr. Chairman,
Whileissues related to weapons of mass destruction continue to occupy us, itis necessary to bear in mind that conventional arms directly affectdaily lives of innocent people. We strongly share the humanitarianpurposes of international efforts related to addressing effect ofanti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. We share the view that theArms Trade Treaty could have been more inclusive and it is important, atthis stage, to emphasise that the future implementation of the treatymust be balanced and non-discriminatory.
Mr. Chairman,
Asdisarmament goes into the very heart of national security of everystate, it is of critical importance that in order to deliver in thisarea, we have to work harder together to create an environment ofstrategic trust, an environment that enables states to believe that ourcollective achievement in disarmament is not attained at the expense ofany member of the international community.
Experiences ofsuccess in Southeast Asia, in Europe… have shown us that the key is toexpand and deepen cooperation, further mutual understanding, and sustaincommitment to common rules and principles, including respect forinternational law, the United Nations Charter, and peaceful settlementof international disputes.
Substantive results inmultilateral disarmament are feasible. Their deliverance rests upon ourcollective action, including those at this important committee, topromote such an environment, apart from the meticulous work ofsubstantiating political commitment. To that end, Vietnam reiterates itscommitment to work with international partners and with you, Mr.Chairman, to ensure the success of this year’s session.”-VNA
Following is the speech by Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN at the debate:
“Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, allow me, on behalf of the delegation of Vietnam, toexpress our warm congratulations on your assumption of the Chairmanshipof the First Committee of the 68th Session of the United Nations GeneralAssembly. It is our confidence that with your vast experience inmultilateral affairs, you will lead this year’s session to a successfuloutcome.
Vietnam associates itself with the statement madeby H.E. Ambassador Desra Percaya of Indonesia on behalf of theNon-Aligned Movement, and the statement made by H.E. Ambassador U MaungWai of Myanmar on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).
Mr. Chairman,
As we begin the 68th Session ofthe First Committee, conflicts and the accompanied inhumane use ofweapons are still raging across regions, including the use of chemicalweapons last August which was widely condemned. It is our collectiveresponsibility to address these issues given the fact that majormultilateral negotiations related to disarmament continue to fail toovercome the current impasse.
However, there is room forcautious hope for future successes thanks to well-grounded reasons,including the high-level meeting of the United Nations on nucleardisarmament. It is however a long way to go from these first-stepachievements to the long overdue disarmament instruments. Therefore, itis critical that we do not lower our own standard of success andintensify our efforts to move forward the multilateral disarmamentagenda.
Mr. Chairman,
Vietnam’s foreign policy is alwaysof peace and for disarmament. It is our conviction, shaped by decadesof war and human suffering, that disarmament must be complete andgeneral, implemented in a balanced and comprehensive manner, withhighest priorities attached to nuclear disarmament andnon-proliferation.
It must be reiterated that the three pillarsof the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, namely nuclear disarmament,nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technologies,must be moved forward in a balanced manner. As there is only one moresession of the Preparatory Committee in 2014 before the 2015 ReviewConference, it is of utmost importance that every party concerned mustaccelerate efforts to fulfill their obligations set out by every singlepoint contained in the 2010 Action Plan. We commend the continued roleof the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in providing technicalassistance to states in pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.Vietnam has closely cooperated with the IAEA in ensuring nuclear safetyand security in the development of nuclear power infrastructure inVietnam. We will make every effort to fulfill our responsibilities asthe Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IAEA for the term2013-2014.
While reiterating our consistent commitmentto nuclear non-proliferation, we stress that nuclear disarmament is ourultimate collective goal. In this regard, the High-Level Meeting onNuclear Disarmament convened last September was significant in steppingup momentum, which would be further advanced by the steps set out in thedraft resolution that the Non-Aligned Movement is going to table tofollow up on this Meeting. A number of outstanding issues remain to beaddressed, including the initiation of consultations on a nucleardisarmament convention, the negotiation of legally binding instrument onnegative security assurances, and the substantive negotiation of afissile material treaty. Pending those issues, it is critical to bringinto force existing international instruments, especially theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty. We therefore call on those states thathave not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty at an early date.
We share the view that nuclear-weapons-free zone andMongolia’s nuclear-free status contribute critically to the maintenanceof international peace and security. In Southeast Asia, together withother ASEAN countries, we look forward to an early signing by theNuclear Weapons States of the Protocol to the Treaty on Southeast AsiaNuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ). We therefore share thedisappointment over the delay of the Conference on the Establishment of aNuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East, considering this as aserious issue for the credibility of the NPT regime, and call for itsearly convening.
We welcome the framework agreement on thedestruction of chemical weapons in Syria, as well as other promisingsigns of the primacy of diplomacy and peaceful settlement of pressingissues in the Middle East. It is our wish that this agreement would beimplemented in an expeditious, objective and comprehensive manner.
Mr. Chairman,
Whileissues related to weapons of mass destruction continue to occupy us, itis necessary to bear in mind that conventional arms directly affectdaily lives of innocent people. We strongly share the humanitarianpurposes of international efforts related to addressing effect ofanti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. We share the view that theArms Trade Treaty could have been more inclusive and it is important, atthis stage, to emphasise that the future implementation of the treatymust be balanced and non-discriminatory.
Mr. Chairman,
Asdisarmament goes into the very heart of national security of everystate, it is of critical importance that in order to deliver in thisarea, we have to work harder together to create an environment ofstrategic trust, an environment that enables states to believe that ourcollective achievement in disarmament is not attained at the expense ofany member of the international community.
Experiences ofsuccess in Southeast Asia, in Europe… have shown us that the key is toexpand and deepen cooperation, further mutual understanding, and sustaincommitment to common rules and principles, including respect forinternational law, the United Nations Charter, and peaceful settlementof international disputes.
Substantive results inmultilateral disarmament are feasible. Their deliverance rests upon ourcollective action, including those at this important committee, topromote such an environment, apart from the meticulous work ofsubstantiating political commitment. To that end, Vietnam reiterates itscommitment to work with international partners and with you, Mr.Chairman, to ensure the success of this year’s session.”-VNA
