In return for the international community’s trust, Vietnam excellently performed its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and its great performance at the powerful UN agency helped raise the country’s status in the international arena.
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Vietnamese delegation joined a working session of the UN Security Council in 2009. |
After joining the UN, Vietnam has participated increasingly actively in and contributed increasingly positively to maintaining international peace, stability and security as well as promoting sustainable development in the world. At the 62nd UN General Assembly in October 2007, Vietnam was elected to the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 period with a great majority of the vote. This marked the first time Vietnam had had a seat at the global security watchdog.
Following its foreign policy, which is based on the consistent principles of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, promotes multilateralization, diversification and international integration, and shows the country’s willingness of being a friend, reliable partner and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam successfully fulfill its mission of being a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in its 2008-09 term.
As everyone knows, the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 period has 15 members, including the Big Five or permanent member with veto power, and 10 elected non-permanent members. Although the 10 non-permanent members have no veto power, they also play an important role in international security matters as any resolutions of the UN Security Council to be passed require at least nine “yes” votes (without a veto).
During its term, Vietnam reflected its peace-loving policy in supporting peaceful solutions and negotiations for disputes, conflicts or crises around the world while restraining sanctions against nations, in line with international law, the UN Charter and fundamental rights of a nation stated in the UN Charter and other documents. As a non-permanent member, Vietnam showed its independence and self-reliance, participated actively in dealing with international issues, smartly solved differences between Vietnam and other members, particularly one or more of the Big Five, and put forward good ideas and made contributions to the work of the UN security Council, which was highly appreciated by other members and countries around the world.
During its term of office, Vietnam attended some 1,500 meetings of the UN Security Council, participated in the UN Security Council-led negotiations and joined other members in developing resolutions and other documents. Vietnam also served as chairman or deputy chairman of a number of sub-committees, twice took the monthly chairmanship of the UN Security Council, made a yearly report of the UN Security Council, drafted and successfully negotiated with partners to help the UN Security Council pass resolutions on women, and peace and security.
As a representative of Asia, Vietnam paid much attention to issues related to this continent and also actively joined efforts to handle issues in other regions of the world, particularly Africa and the Middle East.
Not only Vietnam but also other member countries always strive for a non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council with the aim of protecting and promoting their national interests, raising their position and status in the international arena, strengthening its relations with other countries, especially big powers, and making contributions to international peace, stability and security via their participation in discussions of international peace and security, making decisions on issues related to peace and security of member countries, regions and the world as a whole.
With its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council in the 2008-09 period, Vietnam had more chances to contribute to the UN and international community, as well as to realize its foreign policy of promoting its relations with other countries and international organizations and accelerate international integration.
The then US Secretary General, major powers and other countries around the world highly appreciated Vietnam’s efforts and contributions to the UN, including UN Security Council during the 2008-09 period. Particularly, members of the Non-Aligned Movement and developing countries recognized Vietnam’s great supports for them as Vietnam often voiced support for these countries in the policy-making process of the UN Security Council.
(To be continued)
Written by Thuy Linh
Translated by Thu Nguyen