Vietnam will participate actively andconstructively in the international community’s concerted efforts toreform the UN General Assembly, said a senior diplomat.

The Permanent Deputy Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations,Ambassador Bui The Giang, made the commitment at the General Debate on“Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly” in New York onNov. 19.

Giang said after 18 years since its first appearance on the agenda ofthe General Assembly, the item of General Assembly revitalisation hasemerged as one of the most important subjects in the process ofreforming the United Nations in general and the General Assembly inparticular.

He shared the view that revitalisation is not an objective per se but ameans to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the GeneralAssembly’s work with a view to ultimately strengthening the role of theGeneral Assembly as the main deliberative, policy-making andrepresentative organ of the United Nations.

In the world of today, interdependence among nations has grown to apoint where no single nation however big and powerful can solve all itsown problems, the General Assembly has proven itself to be the mostappropriate forum for all global stakeholders to discuss and makedecisions on effective and sustainable solutions to issues of utmostimportance to the international community, the ambassador said.

“We support the continued discussions of the General Assembly ontopical global issues of international relevance, includingparticularly those in the fields of development, peace and security,humanitarian affairs and human rights, on the basis of consultationwith Member States, taking into full account the interests and concernsof the broad membership, especially developing countries,” he stressed.

While acknowledging the necessity of the full implementation of allGeneral Assembly resolutions, Giang said it is useful and legitimate tostudy the factual chart developed by the Ad Hoc Working Group duringthe 62nd Session on the implementation of relevant resolutions and takeit as a productive input for thorough discussion and square assessmenton this vital aspect of the work.

The Vietnamese representative voiced support for the strengthening ofthe Office of the President of the General Assembly, describing it as akey issue to the revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly.

He emphasised the need to step up cooperation and coordination betweenthe General Assembly and other principal organs of the UN, otherinternational institutions and civil society, as well as among the MainCommittees and General Assembly subsidiary bodies.

Giang welcomed the decision by the General Assembly to continue itsconsideration of the revitalisation of the General Assembly’s role inthe selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, as well asregular briefings by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly andperiodic meetings between the General Assembly President and thePresidents of the Security Council and the ECOSOC.

For this purpose, Vietnam in July last year launched consultations withmember states on the draft annual report of the Security Council to theGeneral Assembly when Viet Nam held Presidency of the Council, thediplomat noted./.