Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam believes that good global governance should aim to deliver for all rather than a few, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh has stated.

The Deputy PM made the remark at the United Nations Security Council Summit-Level Debate themed “Maintenance of international peace and security: global governance after COVID-19” held online on September 24.

He noted that over the past one month COVID-19 has infected more than 10 million and claimed the lives of over 200,000 people globally. 

Many more, particularly those in vulnerable conflict and post-conflict situations, have been and will be severely affected due to the lingering impacts of this unprecedented crisis.

The pandemic has laid bare the fragility of our world and “risks ignored for decades: inadequate health systems; gaps in social protection; structural inequalities; environmental degradation; the climate crisis”, as assessed in the latest Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization. Equally serious, faltering multilateral cooperation, excessive nationalism, political tensions, or even the use of the pandemic to trigger discrimination and hatred, have hampered our common response, he said.

The Deputy PM highlighted that experience in many countries and regions, including Việt Nam and ASEAN, has demonstrated that good governance is the lynchpin to cope with interconnected dimensions of COVID-19, particularly through a whole-of-government and people-centred approach, decisive and early response, social unity and cohesion, and innovative financing for development.

He held that international efforts should prioritise economic recovery with special focus on assistance for developing countries, addressing inequalities and root causes of conflicts, protection and support for vulnerable groups such as women, children, refugees, and internally displaced persons. 

“We call for more intensified political and financial commitments, particularly from developed countries, to assist the most vulnerable people and countries in need,” the official stressed.

Multilateral institutions, on their part, should seize this critical moment to spearhead concrete reform measures to adapt their relevance and efficiency to the evolving international context, he stated.

He stressed that the Council needs to show the highest level of cooperation while improving its responsiveness, adaptability and efficiency. 

To timely respond to global security challenges and non-traditional security challenges that can aggravate vulnerable political and security situations, it is important that the Council make best use of available tools, particularly preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacekeeping mandates. 

“Việt Nam supports the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2532 and urges all warring parties to earnestly heed the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire,” he declared.

He noted that on August 8, 2020, ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a joint statement reiterating commitments to maintaining Southeast Asia as a region of peace, security, neutrality and stability, and strengthening peace-oriented values in the region in line with international law. 

Subsequently, at the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on September 9, 2020, ASEAN members have reaffirmed their resolve to expeditiously develop a comprehensive recovery framework to move forward ASEAN’s COVID-19 recovery efforts and underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation with a view to mitigating the profound impacts of the pandemic. 

“As ASEAN Chair 2020 and a member of the Council for the term 2020-2021, Vietnam is strongly committed to joining global efforts to fight our common challenges and preventing them from undermining regional and international peace and stability”, he pledged. — VNS