Socialist Republic of Vietnam

NEW YORK — Vietnamese representative to the United Nations, Nguyen Duy Chien, has called for limiting and eventually abolishing the veto power of the Security Council of United Nations as part of reforming the organisation.

At the 59th plenary session of the General Assembly, which discussed UN Secretary General’s report on the reform process in the UN, last Friday, Chien, Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam, reaffirmed Viet Nam’s continued support for the institutional reform process in the United Nations, including reforms to the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

"The real reforms in the Security Council will be completed only when membership to the Council is increased and when working methods are improved. The use of the veto should be limited and eventually eliminated," he said.

Security Council reforms are only a part of the UN reform process. Restoration of the authority of the General Assembly and ECOSOC reforms are other measures indispensable to the process," he added.

Viet Nam has always supported and continues to support all efforts aimed at making the Security Council more representative, democratic, effective and transparent, he stressed.

On developmental issues, Viet Nam supports balanced and equitable international trade to help developing and underdeveloped countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Underscoring the need to ensure the entry of developing countries into the World Trade Organisation, he said this would make the organisation universal.

While developing countries have chalked out MDGs-based national development strategies and scaled up investments to achieve them, developed countries should honour their commitments to provide unfettered development assistance and create necessary conditions for giving market access to goods from developing countries, he said.

Pledging Viet Nam’s continued support for controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, he said the matter has to be addressed in a more balanced manner.

"The focus only on controlling proliferation is not justified. We are convinced that the international community has the obligation to address both nuclear disarmament and proliferation issues in a balanced way," he said.

Viet Nam condemns all acts of terrorism in all forms and manifestations. We are convinced that the fight against terrorism can only be won through comprehensive and balanced measures conducted in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in accordance with international law, in particular the relevant international conventions," he said.

Pointing out the necessity of upholding the rule of law both at the national and international level, he said, "The principles and purposes of the Charter and other basic principles of international law have to be strictly respected, and force should only be used as a last resort and with the approval of the Security Council".

Viet Nam News, April 11, 2005