Ambassador and Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN Dang Dinh Quy (Photo: VOV)

The UN Security Council, one of 6 major organs of the UN, has 5 permanent seats – held by the US, Russia, China, the UK, and France – and 10 non-permanent seats, which are distributed on a regional basis and elected by the UN General Assembly every 2 years.

The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. While other UN organs can only make recommendations, the UNSC’s decisions and resolutions are legally binding upon all UN members. To be a member of the UNSC is a point of pride and a mark of status and position.

With its growing prestige and experience, Vietnam has reason to be optimistic

Vietnam was a non-permanent member of the UNSC in the 2008-2009 term and President of the UNSC in July, 2008 and October, 2009.   

In order to win a seat in the coming vote, Vietnam needs two-thirds of the votes from 193 UN member nations. Last May, Asia-Pacific countries nominated Vietnam as their candidate for the 2020-2021 term.  Ambassador and Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN Dang Dinh Quy said the region’s strong confidence in Vietnam should win votes from UN members in other regions. “We have a good chance to win. Vietnam is the sole candidate for Asia-Pacific. We have written commitments from 100 countries and verbal pledges from 30 to 40 more.” Mr. Quy said.

Vietnam continues to lobby countries for a written commitment to vote for Vietnam.

Vietnam wants to contribute to the global peacekeeping effort

10 years after its first nomination, Vietnam once again has an opportunity to become a member of the most powerful and prestigious organ of the UN. Vietnam wants to contribute more to international efforts to promote international law, the UN Charter, and multilateral mechanisms for maintaining global peace and security.

The world faces security challenges from disagreements, conflicting ambitions, and strategic competition between countries. Vietnam is prepared to take on the responsibility. Ambassador Quy said: “Vietnam’s primary task will be to strengthen its delegation to the UN and domestic agencies and establish cooperative mechanisms. It will also need to study the issues it will have to deal with in the next 2 years, particularly in the 2 months Vietnam will be President of the UNSC.”

Long periods of war and suffering in its struggle to obtain national independence  taught Vietnam the human cost of war and the value of peace. The world has acknowledged Vietnam’s achievements in healing the pains of war and resolving war’s aftermath. Its achievements in the national renewal process and its increasingly important role in the international arena position Vietnam to do an outstanding job on the Security Council.