Vietnam calls for strengthening multilateralism and peaceful settlement of disputes

Vietnam reaffirms its steadfast stance in support of multilateralism and collective action led by the United Nations.

Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations, spoke at the discussion session.

On July 22 and 24, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a high-level open debate on the topic "Promoting international peace and security through multilateralism and peaceful settlement of disputes" under the chairmanship of Pakistan, the UNSC President for July 2025.

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about the deep political divisions, widespread conflicts in many regions, and violations of international law in recent times that have eroded trust and weakened the international law-based order.

Citing the cases of Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, etc., where conflicts escalated leading to humanitarian crises, exacerbating insecurity and extreme poverty, the Secretary-General called on countries to fully comply with their legal obligations and maximize the power of diplomacy to end or prevent conflicts from escalating.

In order to restore confidence in multilateralism, Secretary-General Guterres called on member states to make efforts to listen to each other, overcome differences and build consensus. The UN Security Council - a pillar institution in ensuring international peace and security - needs to reform to strengthen its role and ability to act, promptly addressing challenges posed by current geopolitical realities.

Responding to the Secretary-General's message, the majority of member states, representatives of regional groups and international organizations participating in the discussion session affirmed their strong support for multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations, emphasizing that international law and the UN Charter continue to be the core foundation for maintaining global peace and security.

Many countries expressed deep concern about the increasing trend of unilateral actions, imposition, use or threat of force, increasing the risk of conflict outbreak.

Countries called for strengthening the role of the Security Council in preventing conflicts and promoting peaceful solutions, encouraging the use of preventive diplomacy, mediation, conciliation as well as international judicial mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to ensure the settlement of disputes in an objective, fair and sustainable manner.

Speaking at the discussion session, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UN, said that the root cause of many current challenges stems from the lack of respect for international law, especially the core principle of peaceful settlement of disputes.

Vietnam reaffirms its steadfast stance in support of multilateralism and UN-led collective action, and calls on all countries, regardless of size, to fully comply with international law and the UN Charter.

Referring to the disputes in the East Sea, the Ambassador emphasized Vietnam's consistent stance of resolving all disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), rejecting the use or threat of force and calling on relevant parties to respect diplomatic and legal processes, exercise restraint, and avoid actions that complicate the situation in this sea area.

In order to strengthen multilateralism and international law-based order, Ambassador Do Hung Viet recommended that countries persevere in sincere, open, and sincere dialogue through all channels; exercise restraint, avoid unilateral actions or use of force when there is still an opportunity to resolve by peaceful means; at the same time, when disputes arise, the parties should fully promote the mechanisms stipulated in the UN Charter, including the use of international judicial bodies to reach fair and long-term solutions, thereby strengthening peace and sustainable friendship among nations and peoples.

During the Debate, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2788 (2025) drafted by Pakistan to strengthen mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of international disputes.

The resolution calls on States to make effective use of all mechanisms and procedures available under the UN Charter, including negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, regional arrangements and arrangements, or any other peaceful means of their own choosing.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-keu-goi-cung-co-chu-nghi-da-phuong-va-giai-quyet-hoa-binh-cac-tranh-chap-322053.html