Vietnam emphasizes the role of sustainable development in maintaining international peace and security.

On June 19, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu attended and spoke at the High-level Open Debate of the United Nations Security Council.

Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized that the message of sustainable development is not only a goal but also a foundation for maintaining long-term peace.

The discussion session was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana (the Council Presidency in June 2025) on the theme “Poverty, underdevelopment and conflict: Implications for the maintenance of international peace and security”. The session was attended by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, along with many Ministers, Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ambassadors, Heads of Delegations of United Nations member states.

In his opening remarks at the Discussion Session, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed that poverty and deep social inequality are the root causes of increasing and prolonging conflicts and instability in many countries and regions. It is no coincidence that 9 out of 10 countries with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) in the world are countries in conflict. In this situation, the UN Secretary-General and many delegates called on the international community to increase investment in conflict prevention through sustainable, comprehensive, inclusive development and to prioritize the protection of vulnerable groups.

Speaking at the discussion session, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized that the message of sustainable development is not only a goal but also a foundation for maintaining lasting peace. Challenges such as poverty, inequality, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods are the root causes and, if not thoroughly resolved, can become triggers and increase tensions and conflicts.

Sharing lessons and practical experiences in post-war national reconstruction, the Deputy Minister affirmed that focusing on sustainable development, with the support of international partners - including United Nations agencies - is the driving force to help Vietnam recover its economy, promote social solidarity and create outstanding development achievements in recent decades.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed that poverty and deep social inequality are the root causes of increasing and prolonging conflicts and instability in many countries and regions.

Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized Vietnam's positive contributions in promoting development priorities in the United Nations peace and security agenda, notably the initiation of Resolution 2573 on protecting essential infrastructure for people's lives in armed conflicts when assuming the role of a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2021-2022 term.

On this occasion, Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu made a number of specific recommendations to promote closer coordination between the Security Council and the United Nations development apparatus, especially the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as well as the Peacebuilding Commission and other relevant agencies, thereby creating a more comprehensive and synchronous approach to preserving, building and maintaining peace, post-conflict recovery and sustainable development.

Sharing the proposal of the UNDP representative, the Permanent Deputy Minister called on the international community to increase resources for new projects focusing on addressing poverty and underdevelopment in countries and regions at high risk of conflict; affirming that "Vietnam is ready to coordinate with partners for a more comprehensive, effective and sustainable peace and security agenda of the United Nations".

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-nhan-manh-vai-tro-cua-phat-trien-ben-vung-trong-duy-tri-hoa-binh-va-an-ninh-quoc-te-318532.html