ASEAN-UN comprehensive partnership grows stronger than ever: UN Chief

At the 11th ASEAN-UN Summit (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – The comprehensive partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations (UN) has been growing stronger than ever in recent years, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the 11th ASEAN-UN Summit held online on November 15.

In his speech, Guterres congratulated Vietnam on its role as ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, and expressed his deepest condolences to the country over human losses caused by recent floods and landslides this year.

“The United Nations stands with the Vietnamese people and government,” the Secretary-General said.

Guterres pointed out an array of issues such as a global pandemic, climate emergency, rising geo-political tensions, the risk of nuclear proliferation, persistent poverty, growing inequality and intense conflicts, among others.

Meanwhile, the world is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, he continued.

“I count on your leadership and your resolve for urgent actions to safeguard our shared world,” the UN chief stressed.

On this occasion, the UN Secretary-General welcomed ASEAN’s support for the nuclear non-proliferation regime and his call for a global ceasefire.

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, he commended the group’s swift and effective response, saying he welcomed ASEAN’s commitments to regional solidarity and international cooperation.

The UN welcomed ASEAN’s comprehensive recovery framework and stands ready to work with the bloc to build resilience, improve preparedness and safeguard the environment, Guterres said.

He reiterated his appeal at the 10th ASEAN-UN Summit for robust actions in the Asian region to reverse climate change.

Guterres also thanked ASEAN for its contribution of 5,000 peacekeepers to the UN operations.

Regarding the East Sea, the Secretary-General appreciated ASEAN’s commitments and efforts to reach a peaceful resolution in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In his remarks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed the UN’s role in coordinating actions of countries over the past 75 years, as well as its contributions to ensuring peace and promoting sustainable development in the world.

The principles of the UN Charter have helped to adjust the present international relations, he said.

The PM said ASEAN has proven its central and inevitable role in promoting dialogue and cooperation in common matters for peace, development and stability in the region.

The bloc has also constructively contributed to international efforts led by the UN for peace, security and sustainable development in the world, he added.

Echoing Guterres’s view, PM Phuc said the relationship between ASEAN and the UN has become a model of cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.

The relationship is of significance in the context of the present complex situation, with unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese leader stressed.

At the summit, leaders emphasised the goal of building the East Sea into a sea of peace, stability, security and safety; and the willingness to promote dialogue and build trust and implement preventive diplomacy in the region based on principles of the UN Charter and international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

The leaders called for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalise an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, creating a framework for all activities at sea.