VN officially assumes rotating presidency of UN Security Council

A ceremony to install the flags of five newly-elected non-permanent members of the UNSC, including Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Viet Nam, was held in front of the Council’s meeting room. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN, emphasized that it was a great honor for Viet Nam to assume the role of non-permanent member at the UNSC and rotating President of the
Council right in the first month of its term.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Viet Nam will spare no efforts to contribute to the affairs of the UNSC, aiming to ensure compliance with the UN Charter and the promotion of multilateralism, he said, calling on countries to support Viet Nam’s efforts not only in its presidency month but also in the near future.  Following his speech, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy installed the national flag of Viet Nam into the line of flags of UNSC member countries.

In the morning of the same day, the UNSC approved the working program for January 2020 proposed by Viet Nam. Accordingly, the Council is expected to convene 12 public meetings and 15 private meetings to discuss many international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East, Syria, Yemen, West Africa, Sahel, Mali, Libya, Central Asia and Cyprus. The UNSC’s subordinate bodies will hold many meetings on the issues such as sanctions, counterterrorism, courts, children and armed conflict.

The moment when Viet Nam assumes the UNSC presidency is of special significance. This is the first month celebrating the 75^th founding anniversary of the UN and the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter, as well as kick-starting Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. Viet Nam has proposed and received high approval concerning the organization of an open discussion on promoting compliance with the UN Charter on January 9 and a meeting on UN-ASEAN cooperation in maintaining international peace and security on January 23.

Viet Nam’s proposals are aimed at promoting the role of multilateralism, the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law for a more peaceful, fairer and better world. At the same time, Viet Nam also wishes to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation and comprehensive partnership between ASEAN and the UN, for the mutual benefits of ASEAN countries and the international community.

Shortly after the meeting to announce the UNSC’s working program for January 2020, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy presided over an international press conference as President of the Council, which attracted more than 60 reporters and representatives of resident news agencies at the UN.

The Vietnamese diplomat answered 19 questions concerning the work of the UNSC, Viet Nam’s foreign policy and the country’s priorities during its UNSC Presidency month.

As one of the six major bodies of the UN, the UNSC has been tasked with maintaining international peace and security. Under the UN Charter, all UN member states agree to accept and enforce the UNSC’s decisions. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the Council’s decisions and resolutions, when adopted, are binding, and all the UN member countries are obliged to respect and implement them.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy poses for a photo with ambassadors of the non-permanent member states at the UNSC in the 2020-2021 tenure

The UNSC consists of 15 members, including five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term.

The 10 non-permanent seats at the UNSC are distributed on a regional basis (currently Estonia, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Tunisia and Viet Nam). According to statistics, in 2019, the UNSC held 258 formal meetings (including 243 public meetings) and 137 consultations. /.

By Vien Nhu