Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam's permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, chaired the final plenary sessions of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) on August 14-15 under Vietnam’s presidency of the conference from June 24-30 and from July 29 to August 18.

Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam's permanent mission
to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland (Photo: VNA) 

Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, participated in the August 14 plenary session for the first time as Secretary General of the CD and individual representative of the UN Secretary General.

 At the end of the plenary session on August 15, Ambassador Dung evaluated the outcomes of the conference to build a proper working agenda in the future.

 With the endeavours of Vietnam as president of the CD and the cooperation of member countries, participants discussed practical issues, which will be important components for the working agenda of the CD in the following years, he said.

 Vietnam’s presidency declaration and recommendations for building the conference’s working agenda will be circulated as official documents, he added.

 Member countries said Vietnam was successful in bringing a positive, balanced and constructive atmosphere for bilateral and multilateral consultation as well as skilfully operating the plenary sessions facilitating countries to exchange their viewpoints on many sensitive issues.

 Vietnam proposed the principle of continuity and promoting consultations with the presidents of the CD in 2020, which received support from other countries and was considered an important activity that should be carried out by the next president nations.

 The attendance of many senior speakers from the UN Office in Geneva, the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN), the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTIO), as well as ambassadors from CD member countries and disarmament experts expressed admiration for Vietnam’s presidency.

 Vietnam’s initiative to invite ASEAN Secretary General to deliver a speech at the CD was highly valued by countries as it helped create a new dialogue channel between the CD and regional organisations.

 Concluding the conference, Ambassador Dung expressed his hope and belief that Vietnam’s constructive work during its presidency will help the disarmament conference achieve practical outcomes in the near future.