VN urges adherence to int’l law, multilateralism promotion in Bonn

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (second row, third from left) and G20 foreign ministers pose for a photo

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh called for the adherence to international law and the promotion of multilateralism for peace and sustainable development in his speech at a session of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bonn, Germany.

Vietnam was invited to the meeting as it is the APEC chair in 2017.

At the February 17 session on the maintenance of peace in a complex world, Minh said the world is facing an array of challenges, and how to maintain the peace in a complex world in a major challenge which requires the international community to together take actions to overcome.

International law is a crucial factor to ensure a stable international environment, and the respect to and compliance with international law is the prerequisite for sustainably keeping peace, he stressed.

Countries should resolve disputes and conflicts by peaceful means and observe international law and legal – diplomatic processes, he stressed, describing preventiveness as an effective measure to keep peace and stability. He called on countries to increase measures of preventive diplomacy, including trust building and early conflict prevention.

Meanwhile, a multilateral and comprehensive approach which harmonises the interests of all parties is useful for maintaining peace in a complex world. He asked for strengthening international cooperation and bringing into play the role of international organisations, especially the United Nations, in addressing global challenges and keeping stability and peace.

Minh requested the G20 members, which are the world’s biggest economies, to have more concrete and constructive contributions to global peace and security. The G20 economies should take the lead in assisting developing countries to attain the Sustainable Development Goals through helping them improve the capacity of responding to development challenges, particularly climate change, food security, and water resources security.

Despite its modest capacity and resources, Vietnam is working hard to contribute to multilateral institutions, including by participating in the UN’s peace-keeping operations in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, he noted.

In his address, Minh emphasised the central role of ASEAN in building the security environment in Southeast Asia. That the grouping’s decision making is based on solidarity and consensus has proved effective in dealing with challenges to the regional peace and stability, including territorial and maritime disputes.

He also asked the G20 economies to continue supporting ASEAN’s central role in the region.

Highlighting Vietnam’s host of APEC events in 2017, Minh affirmed his country’s resolve to promote and connect the agenda of APEC and the G20, particularly in issues of shared concern such as fostering sustainable, creative and inclusive growth; cooperation in climate change prevention; and food security and sustainable agriculture to bolster regional and global coordination in handling global economic and governance issues.

At the session, participants shared the view that ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth and leaving no one and no region in the world behind is the best way to sustainably maintain peace and stability. They urged all countries to take concrete and responsible actions to carry out the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They underlined that global and regional cooperation needs to be reinforced while every domestic and international resource should be mobilised to realise the Sustainable Development Goals.