New York (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh chaired an open debate of the UN Security Council onJanuary 9 that focused on adhering to the UN Charter to maintain internationalpeace and security.

The ministerial-level debate, held at the UN’sheadquarters in New York on the occasion of the UN’s 75th anniversary, was animportant part of Vietnam’s presidency of the UN Security Council in January,which is also the first month of its council membership.

Representatives of more than 100 countriesdelivered speeches at the discussion. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres andformer President of Ireland Mary Robinson, Chairwoman of the Elders – a groupof senior global leaders who work for multilateralism, internationalcooperation and peace, were invited to speak at the debate.

In his speech, Minh underlined the specialimportance of respect for and adherence to the UN Charter in maintaininginternational peace and security to help humankind steer clear of a new worldwar and promote dialogue to seek solutions to hundreds of conflicts.

He stressed that Vietnam considers adherence to theUN Charter and international law the most important means to nurturesustainable peace, bring about prosperity, and build a law-based world orderwith fair, equitable and friendly relations among countries.

Minh held that the UN Security Council and itsmember states should take the lead in observing and implementing the UNCharter.

He called on member states to increase dialogue;uphold multilateralism; maximise the tools that the Charter provided,especially in preventing conflicts and peacefully resolving international disputes;cooperate to enhance the efficiency and role of regional organisations,particularly in coordinating with the UN and its Security Council; and ensurethat the making and implementation of their strategies and policies ondevelopment, security, defence and external relations are in line with thestandards and basic principles of international law and the UN Charter.

At the debate, the UN Security Council adopted apresidential statement compiled under the chair of Vietnam.

This statement affirms the UN Charter’s durablevalues in maintaining international peace and security, developinginternational law, and regulating relations among states. Reaffirming the UNSecurity Council’s commitment to the Charter’s guidelines and principles, thestatement stresses that all countries, UN agencies and regional organisationsneed to act in conformity with the UN Charter, use the Charter’s basicprinciples as the orientations for making and implementing strategies andpolicies, and ensure that issues relevant to international peace and securityare handled in accordance with the Charter.

This is the first time the UN Security Councilhas adopted a particular statement on the UN Charter./.