Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has written an article entitled “Partnership for sustainable peace: Vietnam stands ready to make active contributions to international efforts for global peace, security, development and progress” after Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2020-2021 tenure.

 According to the article, Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2020-2021 term by almost all UN member countries at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly on June 7. 

This was the second time Vietnam has been voted as a member of the UN organ with a leading role in maintaining global peace and security over the past more than 10 years, proving the international community’s recognition of Vietnam’s improving position as well as trust in its responsible contributions to regional and international peace and security in the coming years. 

When joining the UNSC for the first time during the 2008-2009 tenure, Vietnam, with the support from UN members, successfully fulfilled its assigned tasks in line with international law and the UN Charter, helping to ease tensions and promoting cooperation and settlement of peace and security issues in many regions across the world, PM Phuc wrote.

With a foreign policy of peace, independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, Vietnam has actively joined important multilateral organisations and forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and successfully hosted significant international events, and most  recently the APEC Year 2017 and the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN 2018. 

The country has also actively participated in the UN peacekeeping operations, successfully deployed a level-2 field hospital to South Sudan for the UN peacekeeping mission in October 2018, and successfully hosted the second DPRK-USA Summit in February 2019, gradually upholding its role as a mediator in regional and global peace and security issues. 

Over the past more than three decades of comprehensive reform and global integration, Vietnam’s annual gross domestic product has grown by 6.67 percent on average, which rose to 7.08 percent last year, the PM wrote.

Vietnam was among a few countries to fulfill the UN millennial development goals 2015 ahead of schedule, especially the goal regarding poverty reduction, according to the article.

The country also formed strategic and comprehensive partnerships with 28 countries around the world, including all five permanent members of the UNSC. 

Amid the fourth industrial revolution, the emergence of nationalism and populism, and geo-political competition among major countries, the UN faces both challenges and opportunities, the PM wrote, adding that the UN needs to urge all countries, especially small and medium nations, to rally resources and seek long-term solutions to global challenges at present. 

During the first year of serving as UNSC non-permanent member, Vietnam will also take over the role as the ASEAN Chair 2020, enabling the country to boost ties between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, including the ASEAN, he wrote. 

The PM expressed his belief that with experience during the 2008-2009 tenure, Vietnam has been ready to do its best to successfully undertake the role of a UNSC non-permanent member for the 2020-2021 term, towards becoming a partner for sustainable peace. 

The Vietnamese government leader also expressed wish to receive more support from the UN and UNSC member countries for the effort.