A meeting of the United Nations General Assembly's 73rd session in New York, US. — VNA/VNS File Photo

NEW YORK — With near unanimous approval, Việt Nam has secured a seat on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2020-2021 tenure.

According to the results announced at 11:10pm (New York time), after the very first round of votes were counted, Việt Nam earned approval from 192 out of 193 voting countries and territories late on Friday during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The result represented a record, with the landslide one of the largest in the history of the United Nations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh tweeted that Việt Nam is “proud and honoured to be elected” and that the country would “undertake the duties of a Council member to the best of our abilities to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security.”

After the results were announced, deputy foreign minister Lê Hoài Trung at the UN headquarter received congratulations from many countries. He later held talks with the foreign press to express Việt Nam’s gratitude and to reaffirm Việt Nam’s commitments to become a constructive and responsible member of the council, and live up to the confidence the international community has placed in Việt Nam.

Trung said for its term as a Council member, Việt Nam will focus on promoting multilateralism and international law, cooperation between the Council and regional organisations, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, as well as civilian protection during conflicts.

This marks the second time Việt Nam has won the position on the council, following its first stint during the 2008-2009 period.
Among the six candidates, two are from Africa, one from Latin America, one from Eastern Europe, and one from Asia-Pacific.
As the only candidate representing Asia-Pacific, Việt Nam was set to replace Kuwait at the UNSC from January 1, 2020.

As one of the six major UN organs, the UN Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent and the remaining 10 with two-year tenures. It is the only UN organ to have the right to assess threats to peace and propose or decide on measures to restore global peace and security.
The Asia-Pacific countries’ nomination and eventual voting of Việt Nam to the position reflects their recognition of its active, substantial and responsible contributions to the world’s largest multilateral organisation over the past 42 years, especially in the UN’s pillar fields such as peace maintenance and building, protection of human rights and development promotion.— VNS