Vietnam commits to cooperating with the United Nations and its member states to promote the rule of law to realise sustainable development goals, said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of ​Vietnam's ​Permanent Mission to the UN.

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of ​Vietnam's ​Permanent Mission to the UN. 

She made the statement at the 72nd session of the 6th Committee of the UN General Assembly on Agenda Item 84 “The rule of law at the national and international levels," held in New York on October 4-5.  

The diplomat stressed the fundamental role of the rule of law in sustaining peace, enabling sustainable development, protecting and promoting human rights, saying that "We share the view that without the rule of law, the implementation of the 2030 agenda would be unachievable and the rule of law at both international and national levels must be closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals."

She said that the promotion of the rule of law at the international level must be based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, such as sovereign equality, respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in internal affairs, non-threat or use of force, and peaceful settlement of disputes. 

Vietnam has always been actively upholding and promoting the rule of law at both international and national levels, Nga said, adding "We continue the legal harmonisation process to align our legislation with international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory and fully adhere to our obligations." 

Together with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam is striving to build South East Asia into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity. 

In the context of complex developments in the East Sea, Vietnam calls upon all parties concerned to exercise self-restraint and settle disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully respect diplomatic and legal processes, implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and expedite the completion of an effective and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC), she underlined.

Participants at the event also said that the rule of law is essential to tackle security and conflict challenges, and recommended solutions to popularising and studying international law to set up a rule-based international system.

VNA