UNSC approves Vietnam-drafted statement on children
Talking with the New York-based Vietnam News Agency correspondent following the UNSC’s open debate on “Children and armed conflicts” on July 17 where he worked as chairman, Deputy PM Khiem said child issues and armed conflicts were considered as significant by the UNSC because those matters caught the international community’s concern.
Around 2 million children were reportedly killed and 6 million others seriously injured or permanently disabled in armed conflicts besides falling victim of fighting, kidnappings, rapes, sexual slavery, and other cruel forms of tortures in the past decade alone, said the Vietnamese deputy PM.
“The UNSC’s effective operation will help prevent and put an end to armed conflicts and completely root out such situations,” Deputy PM Khiem said.
At the open debate held under the initiative of
Also at the debate, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon delivered a speech on the issue on behalf of 40 nations and leaders of many international organisations, Deputy PM Khiem said.
He affirmed that his Chair of the open debate reflected
Deputy PM Khiem unveiled that he had separate meetings with the UN General Secretary, UN Special Envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Swaziland Moses Mathendele Dlamini, and US Ambassador to UN Zalmey Khalizad on the sidelines of the debate.
He went on to note that the country’s initiative to highlight the theme “Children and armed conflicts” at the open debate and its joint preparations on contents and organisational work has been highly valued as active contributions to the UNSC’s operation by the UN General Secretary and other member countries.
The Deputy PM stressed that through those preparations and the Vietnamese representative’s speeches to the UNSC and contacts with the world media,
This was of more significance when
He talked about the UNSC’s operation in the second half of the year, mentioning debates on issues already mentioned in its agenda, i.e those related to peace and security in different regions and discussions on issues possibly arising in the world.
Deputy PM Khiem referred to the situation in the Middle East, Darfur, and Kosovo, nuke issues in
In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to partake in the UNSC’s activities in an active, initiative, constructive and responsible manner and work with other countries to seek practical solutions to issues arising in the UNSC’s operation on the basis of the UN Charter in respect of legitimate interests of all nations and for the sake of peace, cooperation and development, Deputy PM Khiem said.