State President Lương Cường meets with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, the US, on September 22 (local time). VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

NEW YORK – Vietnamese State President Lương Cường expressed Việt Nam’s trust in and support for multilateralism and the United Nations’ central role in global governance while meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, the US, on September 22 (local time).

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the High-level General Debate of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Congratulating the Secretary-General on the UN’s 80th anniversary, President Cường voiced Việt Nam’s support for UN reforms, stressing that member states should take the lead in this process and engage in thorough discussions to ensure a comprehensive and transparent overhaul. Việt Nam is ready to welcome the UN to set up its headquarters or offices in the country, he said.

The President highlighted Việt Nam’s positive socio-economic achievements and strides in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. He noted progress in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and called for greater support from the UN and international partners.

On this basis, President Cường called for enhanced UN technical assistance, workforce training and resource mobilisation to help developing countries, including Việt Nam, access concessional climate finance and next-generation clean technologies, and strengthen adaptive capacity.

Guterres, for his part, mentioned the multidimensional challenges facing both the UN and the world, expressing his hope that countries would enhance collaboration to deliver on their existing commitments. He also underlined the need for UN reforms to improve operational efficiency.

Conveying his warm regards to the Vietnamese Party and State leaders, the UN chief voiced special appreciation and support for the country and said he was looking forward to an official visit to Việt Nam in late October.

Expressing his admiration for Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and its rising global standing, the Secretary-General hailed the country as an excellent partner actively contributing across all UN priority areas, especially peacekeeping, sustainable development, climate action and just energy transition.

Guterres described Việt Nam as an active UN member and a pillar in today’s multipolar world, saying that emerging economies, including Việt Nam, deserve a stronger voice, representation and role in the global governance system.

Both sides agreed to further deepen Việt Nam–UN and ASEAN–UN ties in the time ahead and uphold ASEAN’s central role in the regional security and development architecture, including the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea (also internationally known as the South China Sea) in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as making joint contributions to global issues.

The meeting concluded with both sides underscoring the historic significance of the upcoming signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hà Nội in late October.

VN introduces opening for signature Hà Nội Convention signature

On the same day, Việt Nam introduced the opening for the signing ceremony for the landmark Hà Nội Convention against cybercrime at United Nations headquarters.

The event, jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drew the participation of 120 representatives from UN member countries, research institutes and international organisations.

In his opening remarks, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung emphasised that international cooperation is essential in combating cybercrime and will be more effective with the adoption of the Convention, the first global legal framework to address the issue.

He stressed that as the host of the signing ceremony, Việt Nam hopes the event will mark a new milestone in reinforcing multilateralism and advancing global efforts against cyber threats.

UN Deputy Secretary-General and UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly described the Convention as a launchpad in the fight against cybercrime, highlighting it as the UN’s first criminal justice treaty in more than 20 years, designed to address both current and future forms of cybercrime.

She commended Việt Nam’s efforts in preparing the signing ceremony and pledged UNODC’s continued support for countries in adopting and implementing the document.

Senior Lieutenant General Lê Quốc Hùng, Deputy Minister of Public Security, reaffirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to prioritising cybersecurity and combating high-tech crimes.

He noted that Việt Nam will work to align its domestic legal system with the Convention’s provisions and strengthen inter-agency coordination throughout the signing, ratification and implementation process.

Participants at the event highlighted the significance of multilateralism, underscoring the Convention’s role as the first global legal instrument against cybercrime. They also expressed confidence in Việt Nam’s successful hosting of the opening for the signature. — VNA/VNS