President Luong Cuong delivers a speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. (Photo: Viet Cuong/VOV)

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly has the theme “Better together: 80 years and Beyond for peace, development, and human rights.” 150 heads of state, heads of government, and senior representatives of member countries attended the event.

Overarching message of upholding peace

In his speech, President Luong Cuong stressed that, over the past 80 years, the United Nations has embodied humanity’s shared aspiration for peace, cooperation, and development based on the universal values of human rights, national independence, equality, democracy, and social progress.

Today the world is facing conflicts, localized wars, arms races, use of force and threats to use force, fierce competition between the great powers, unilateralism, and a sharp decline in political commitment and resources. President Cuong called on the international community to uphold multilateralism and a rule-based international system, with the United Nations at its center. “Peace is the goal and the prerequisite for a stable, just, democratic, and prosperous future. Above all, we must honor values of peace through our words and our actions. All countries need to demonstrate their responsibility by complying with international law and the UN Charter, respecting independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, refraining from interfering in other countries’ internal affairs, not using or threatening to use force, and resolving disputes by peaceful means.”

Vietnam supports recent efforts for peace and reconciliation and calls for ceasefires and an end to all acts of violence, protection of civilians, and support for access of humanitarian aids in conflict zones. Highlighting the role of regional organizations in ensuring peace, cooperation, and development, President Cuong underscored ASEAN’s central role in Asia-Pacific in maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, based on international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

 “It’s necessary to create a sustainable development model based on digital transformation and green transition. Countries should develop comprehensive strategies, make strong investments in research and development, train high-quality human resources, and develop green technology infrastructure. In particular, international cooperation in technology transfer and green finance mobilization must be strengthened. We must ensure that social transformation remains people-centered and focused on multi-dimensional poverty eradication, decent employment, equity, and social inclusion,” said President Cuong.

President Luong Cuong affirms Vietnam’s strong message on the responsibility to build a peaceful world and calls on the international community to work together in shaping a sustainable future. (Photo: Viet Cuong/VOV)

Affirming Vietnam’s aspirations

In his message to the international community, President Cuong shared the story of Vietnam’s recovery from the war devastation and from a poor, backward, low-level country under blockade and embargo becoming a developing, middle-income nation with deep international integration.

 “We completed the Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule. We are striving to fulfill our international commitments and achieve two strategic goals of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030 and becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045. With a strong commitment to being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam will always do its utmost and work together with all nations to share responsibilities, overcome challenges, and promote transformation to build a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and sustainable world, bringing happiness and prosperity to all people,” said the President.

President Cuong’s message comes on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to the United Nations in September of 1977. Over the nearly half a century, cooperation between Vietnam and the UN has seen tremendous progress in many fields and at multiple levels. Vietnam has consistently affirmed its role and made practical contributions to UN activities.

Cooperation with the UN has always been an important part of Vietnam’s foreign policy, reflecting the will and aspiration of the Vietnamese people to strive for peace, independence, democracy, cooperation, and development with people around the world.