ASEAN, UN commit to law-based world order

Addressing the event, the President of the 75th ongoing session of the UN General Assembly and the Secretary-General of the United Nations valued ASEAN’s central role and affirmed their continued support for the bloc’s community building efforts.

They singled out Vietnam for its leading and coordinating efforts in its capacity as the Chair of ASEAN 2020 to strengthen cooperation in disease control and community building. They voiced the UN’s continued support for ASEAN in mitigating the socio-economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through implementing adopted measures including the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

The UN leaders highly appreciate ASEAN’s contributions to regional and global peace and security as well as to strengthening women’s empowerment. They recognized ASEAN’s contribution to peacekeeping operations with the increasing participation of female soldiers and officers in these missions.

The meeting approved the ASEAN-UN Action Plan for the 2021-2025 period, while emphasizing the importance of technical assistance, multidisciplinary and multi-sector cooperation.

The two sides maintained that an effective implementation of the roadmap for realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 will practically contribute to sustainable development, thus improving disease prevention effectiveness and responding to emerging challenges.

Touching upon regional and global situations, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability and security in the region, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten nations. They agreed to promote multilateral cooperation and continue efforts to build a global order based on the rule of law.

Participants again emphasized the goal of striving to build the South China Sea (known as East Sea in Vietnam) into a sea of peace, stability, security and safety. They expressed their willingness to promote confidence building and preventive diplomacy in the region, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

To this end, they called for full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), soon develop a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in line with international law and UNCLOS 1982, constituting a legal framework for all activities at sea.

Speaking at the meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highly appreciated the UN’s role as a coordinating center for joint actions of all nations and linking international efforts to ensure peace and promote sustainable development.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the relationship between ASEAN and UN has become an exemplary model of cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, while the ASEAN Charter upholds the UN Charter and international law.

He reviewed ASEAN’s efforts over the past year in both building a community and effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in the spirit of proactive cohesiveness and responsiveness.

On behalf of ASEAN, the Deputy Prime Minister asked the UN to support regional initiatives on COVID-19 response and overall recovery, including the establishment of an ASEAN COVID-19 response fund, a backup warehouse for medical supplies, an ASEAN emergency operation centre, and the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the joint endeavour by ASEAN and the United Nations to ensure that COVID-19 vaccine becomes a commodity that will be distributed universally at a reasonable price and to all people.

With regard to the South China Sea issue, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh reaffirmed ASEAN’s consistent stance adopted by the leaders at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June 2020 and the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in September 2020.

Accordingly, parties concerned should refrain from actions that may further increase tensions; do not militarize; and settle disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, while fully and effectively implementing the DOC and continuing efforts to achieve an effective COC.

The Deputy Prime Minister also informed the meeting about Vietnam’s preparations for the 11th ASEAN-UN Summit scheduled to take place in November 2020.