ASEAN to continue joining UN in solving security challenges: Vietnam ambassador

Nga made the statement while speaking during the open debate held by the UN Security Council on Tuesday on regional organizations and current global security challenges, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The event, with the participation of representatives of about 50 countries and regional and international organizations, took place at the UN headquarters in New York under the chair of Nigeria, which holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for August.

Speaking on behalf of ASEAN, Ambassador Nga, head of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN, said the international community is facing many challenges in maintaining peace and security, caused by complicated developments in the fields of traditional security and non-traditional security.

ASEAN, short for Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic organization of ten countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

In order to better cope with new security challenges, it is important to build consensus among the international community, listen to the views of all related parties, respect the basic principles of international law, including those on respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, and on peaceful settlement of disputes, the Vietnamese ambassador said.

In addition, it is necessary to attach much importance to the role of regional organizations in obtaining long-term solutions for international security, she underlined.

Over the past many years, ASEAN has made joint efforts to strengthen peace and stability in the region, significantly contributing to the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, the diplomat said.

The grouping is also working closely with its partners to develop mechanisms for conflict prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes in the region, including the Code of Conduct for the East Vietnam Sea, she said.

The ambassador also told the function that ASEAN always attaches great importance to its cooperation with the UN, including strengthening UN peacekeeping operations, concretizing the ASEAN-UN Comprehensive Partnership, and fostering the ties between the secretariats of the two sides.

ASEAN countries suggested that the report of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the orientation for UN activities on the occasion of its 70th anniversary include specific recommendations on promoting cooperation with regional organizations and dialogue between the organizations and the UN and between themselves, Ambassador Nga said/