Addressing a plenary debate themed “The rule of law at the national and international levels” hosted by the 80th U.N. General Assembly’s Legal Committee (Sixth Committee) in New York from October 7 – 10, the Vietnamese diplomat noted that in recent years, Vietnam has actively participated in international legal bodies and processes, and positively contributed to the negotiation and drafting of aforementioned key legal instruments.
    |
 |
|
Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the U.N., speaks at the plenary debate themed “The rule of law at the national and international levels” hosted by the 80th U.N. General Assembly’s Legal Committee. |
Upholding, respecting, and strictly implementing international law is the foundation of global peace, security, and sustainable development, he stressed.
Viet affirmed the U.N.’s irreplaceable role in developing the modern international legal system over the years. He also welcomed recent significant progress in strengthening the global legal framework, including the soon-to-enter-into-force Agreement on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), the U.N. Convention Against Cybercrime, as well as ongoing negotiations on a convention on international tax cooperation and the launch of processes to draft new legal documents on crimes against humanity and the protection of civilians in natural disasters.
As a nation that has endured wars and division, Vietnam deeply understands the value of peace and the rule of law, and therefore it always remains steadfast in its principle of resolving all disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, he stated.
On that principled basis, the Vietnamese diplomat reaffirmed that all claims and actions by parties in the East Sea must comply with international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
He took this occasion to highlight Vietnam’s recent reforms to strengthen the socialist rule-of-law state, including adopting a two-tier local administration model, revising the Constitution and key laws, thus enhancing governance and creating motivation for socio-economic development and better protecting citizens’ rights.
Speaking at the session, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and representatives of many countries affirmed that the rule of law is a core value and guiding principle enshrined in the U.N. Charter and reflected in all the organization’s activities since its founding.
They called on countries to join hands in safeguarding the rule of law - the foundation of multilateralism - through concrete actions at multilateral forums, in each region and nation.
Source: VNA