YouSaid · the spoken record

Nguyen Manh Cam

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS NGUYEN MANH CAM

lines on the record: 158
first: 1992-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Allow me to express from this rostrum our great confidence in the capability and crucial role of the United Nations to promote peace, security, cooperation and development for a better future for mankind. In this regard, Viet Nam pledges to work closely with other Member States to contribute actively to this noble cause, the United Nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“While placing a great deal of hope in the United Nations, the Member States also understand that its effectiveness depends on the active participation of all of them. Looking back over the path we have travelled, we now appreciate more than ever the role of the United Nations and its capability, as well as the complexity and tenacity of the problems before it. We can reaffirm that the United Nations — when it has been reformed on both the organizational and institutional levels and its objectives have been adjusted — will remain an irreplaceable organization. The fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly is entrusted with a great mandate: to complete the necessary preparations so that the United Nations can enter a new stage in its development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It will make its contribution to the 19 Organization's activities and will join other Members in rebuilding and renewing the United Nations so that it can live up to the expectations of Member States and their peoples, and meet the demands of our time. During its more than five decades of existence as the world's largest international body the United Nations has made fundamental contributions to humankind's development in all areas and has created a legal framework for international relations. What the United Nations has achieved to date will come with us into the new century, along with the conviction that it will contribute to new achievements, to further progress and the resolution of outstanding differences between nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The United Nations and its specialized agencies have greatly contributed to this achievement, as was acknowledged at the conference to review cooperation between Viet Nam and the United Nations development bodies, held in Hanoi two years ago. Furthermore, Viet Nam has, as a member of the Economic and Social Council and of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund Executive Board, played an active part in the joint undertakings of the international community. Viet Nam highly appreciates the role played by the United Nations in international life, both today and for tomorrow.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Viet Nam is an active member of ASEAN and APEC and is preparing to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as possible. Viet Nam's diplomatic activities have been founded on the achievements recorded over the past 12 years in our work of national reconstruction, the industrialization and modernization of the country to achieve our goal of a wealthy people, a strong State and a just and advanced society. We have maintained a high rate of economic growth, reduced the poverty rate from 30 per cent in 1992 to 15.7 per cent at the end of 1998, and created more than a million jobs each year. These are tangible proofs of our economic and social development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In this regard, ASEAN's current efforts to draw up a code of conduct in the South China Sea, in accordance with the spirit of the sixth ASEAN summit, held in Hanoi, are a step in the right direction and a constructive measure, contributing to confidence- building and the peaceful settlement of disagreements in the region. As a Member of the United Nations and the international community, Viet Nam has done its utmost, and will continue to do so, to contribute to the common work of humankind. Viet Nam's consistent position is to pursue an independent, sovereign foreign policy, seeking the multilateralization and diversification of external relations, with regional and global integration. It wishes to be the friend of all the members of the international community struggling for peace, independence and development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Viet Nam believes that disputes in that sea should be settled by peaceful means, through bilateral and multilateral negotiations between the parties directly concerned, with respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1992 Declaration of ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the South China Sea. While seeking a lasting solution, all the parties concerned should exercise self-restraint, refrain from any act that may further complicate the situation and take confidence-building measures to ensure regional peace and stability, thus facilitating the search for fundamental, permanent solutions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This Treaty, which came into effect in 1997, reflects the keen desire of the South-East Asian countries for peace and security in the region, and their serious commitment to the disarmament goal of a nuclear- weapon-free world. We are pleased to note, and greatly appreciate, the support for the Treaty expressed by China and Russia. When referring to the situation in the region, one cannot fail to mention the situation in the Eastern Sea — the South China Sea — where there are still incidents that cause concern to the countries of the region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“ASEAN with 10 members is now better placed to make its voice heard in international and regional forums, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Non-Aligned Movement, on regional and global problems pertaining to peace, security, development and the survival of humankind. Maintaining peace and security in Asia in general, and in South-East Asia in particular, remains a shared concern of all member States. We hope that countries outside the region, especially the nuclear-weapon States, will cooperate with the South-East Asian countries for the implementation of the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“However, full economic recovery and overcoming the adverse impact of the crisis to ensure sustainable development is a continuing, long-term process, a challenge that the countries of the region must take up. The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has taken new steps forward. The success of its sixth summit, held in Hanoi in December 1998, and the admission of Cambodia, which means that all 10 countries of the region are now members, have demonstrated a high level of unanimity and the determination and capacity of the ASEAN countries to promote solidarity, expand cooperation and overcome difficulties to give the group its appropriate role, status and strength.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Viet Nam calls for an early and complete end to the policy of embargo and blockade against Cuba and other countries. Such policies are not only outdated, but run counter to current trends towards democratization and equality in international relations, causing damage and 18 suffering to the populations of the countries concerned, especially women, the elderly and children. In South-East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region the economic recovery in many countries over the past year has restored confidence in the future. The countries of the region have learned lessons, found effective solutions and taken full advantage of assistance from the international community. As a result, the growth rate has gradually recovered; exports, cooperation and investment have step by step been revitalized.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“With regard to the expansion of the Security Council, we support those candidates, such as India, Japan and Germany, that have the capacity to make a major contribution to the work of that important organ. At the same time, it should be stressed that the veto power should be used only in accordance with the letter and the spirit of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Viet Nam welcomes the encouraging prospects of a peaceful settlement of conflicts and tensions in certain regions of the world, such as the Great Lakes region of Africa, and the resumption of the peace and reconciliation process in the Middle East. We follow with interest the developments in East Timor and hope that there will be no further complications, so that the situation there can be stabilized soon, thus contributing to peace and stability in the region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We consider that United Nations reform involves enhancement of the role of the General Assembly, the principal organ in which the vast majority of members of the international community are represented, to reflect fully the principles of democracy and equality among Member States. Reform of the Security Council is the most important part of the process. Viet Nam's consistent view is that the Security Council needs to be made more representative by increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent members and by bringing about greater democratization, transparency and accountability. Viet Nam is of the view that an indispensable element of reform is that a representative of the developing countries must be a permanent member of the Security Council.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Such support by the United Nations will facilitate every nation's efforts and will gradually and effectively tackle the issue of poverty and hunger. The problems facing the United Nations at the turn of the century are large, complex and difficult. But, with the benefit of the experience of 54 years, the support of Member countries and the opportunities that mankind has generated, the Organization will be able to tackle them if United Nations reform is accelerated and implemented at an early date. In this regard, we welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, to make the administrative structure more effective and to cut unnecessary spending.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We are convinced that the United Nations could play an important role in promoting North-South cooperation by encouraging developed countries to expand direct investment, provide and secure long-term financing, open their own markets and grant preferential terms of trade to developing and least developed countries, fulfil their commitment of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance, promote technology transfer, support human-resource development, vocational education and training and join other countries in implementing the 20/20 initiative on social development, especially the commitments embodied in the October 1998 Hanoi declaration on the 20/20 initiative.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Over the past half century, the United Nations and its specialized agencies have made an active and effective contribution to the fight against hunger and poverty; they have gained a great deal of valuable experience, of which the Organization should now make greater use. The eradication of hunger and the alleviation of poverty have become a primary, pressing task for the United Nations. They also form part of the Organization's responsibility towards Member countries that are now suffering under these twin scourges. The United Nations has set as a target the halving world hunger and poverty by 2015. To this end, it is crucial that every country's internal resources be mobilized, but external cooperation to create an enabling environment for development is equally important; it is, indeed, indispensable.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Only then can equality be secured and the painful side-effect of this process, namely the widening gap between the rich and the poor, be addressed. Despite the striking progress we have made on the long road of civilization, the end of the twentieth century is still marked by poverty and hunger, which are among the gravest tragedies and the greatest challenges facing mankind. Poverty and hunger not only lower living standards in certain countries; they have become a global problem, a factor for socio-political instability in many regions, and a problem that at present many countries cannot resolve by themselves. This problem will grow more serious if early efforts are not made to adequately address the adverse consequences of globalization and regionalization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The first victims are none other than the least developed countries: those that face the greatest difficulties in their process of socio-economic development and that should have enjoyed greater attention and more favourable conditions in the process of regional and global integration. Those countries can and should count on United Nation support as they engage in this process. 17 The role of the United Nations is to promote interaction among peace, security and development in order to ensure that globalization and regionalization will not evolve in a way that is incompatible with the needs, levels of development and specific conditions of each State and each region. Only then will nations be able to contribute to that process and enjoy the legitimate and rightful benefits derived from it.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It should be no surprise that socio-economic development has become the main focus of the policy of the majority of States and an area in which the United Nations will continue to have an important role to play. It is undeniable that over the past decade the process of regionalization and globalization has transformed the world and benefitted many countries. But the side-effects and adverse consequences of this trend have also been increasingly evident. Obvious examples have indicated over the past two years that those consequences could destroy the achievements of long years of development and could lead to instability, locally and on a broader scale.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“By so doing, the United Nations will be able to preserve its important role and to meet the expectations of Member States with respect to preventing policies of diktat and the use or threat of use of force in international relations. And by so doing, the United Nations will be able to help create and foster the climate of lasting peace and security that is needed for the solid, sustainable development that all Member countries need today and will need in the coming century. Today, peace and security have a dialectical and consistent link with development. Development has become an important element in the broadly accepted concept of security. This has made every country more globally relevant while making all States less isolated.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Secondly, the United Nations can play the role and exert the influence that is commensurate with its magnitude only if, now as well as in the future, it steadfastly upholds the purposes and principles defined at San Francisco 54 years ago and carries out a thorough and in-depth reform of its organizational structure and operation, in order to imbue our Organization with inner strength. By so doing, the United Nations will be able to prevent any country or regional organization from using a pretext, or a cause such as human rights, for example, to trample on the independence, sovereignty or territorial integrity of another country or to interfere in its internal affairs.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The unilateral military attacks against the territorial integrity of sovereign States in the Balkans and the Gulf have set a dangerous precedent in international relations, running counter to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and in violation of the fundamental principles of international law, especially those of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States. This presented a serious challenge to the role and effectiveness of the United Nations, as well as to its legal foundations. The first lesson to be learned from those events is that it is not possible for the United Nations to build or guarantee peace and security in the world at large or at the regional level unless international law and the United Nations Charter are fully respected and strictly implemented.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is unfortunate, however, that many of these achievements have not been used purely for the benefit humankind, but have been misused or even used abusively against humankind. The arms race, especially the development of nuclear weapons and other new weapons that are more and more sophisticated, dangerous and deadly weapons, is not only draining significant resources but also threatening to destroy people's lives and the environment. In the past year, the situation in certain regions has faced the international community with the challenge of the politics of diktat practised by a group of countries and regional organizations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The achievements of the United Nations over the past 54 years are due in large part to the contribution of those young, independent countries. In spite of the important progress made towards the development of nation States during the twentieth century, we must acknowledge that humanity is confronted with many unresolved problems. Over the past few decades of this century, the explosion in science and technology, especially in the field of information technology, has changed the structure of many economies and profoundly affected the cultural and social life of every State. Our world has become a global village, geographic distance is less of a factor than it used to be, and interdependence, interaction and cooperation among States, regions and continents have continued to increase.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“They have destroyed the creative achievements of many generations, some of which was irreplaceable. That has given human beings a deeper, more burning desire to live in peace, security, freedom and happiness, and to achieve stable and sustainable development for the benefit 16 of humankind and our beautiful planet. The creation of the United Nations more than 50 years ago, with its clearly defined statutes and objectives, contributed to the realization of those aspirations. Indeed, during the twenty- first century humankind has witnessed extraordinary progress in the decolonization process, the collapse of the colonial system and the successful promotion of the sacred right of peoples to national self-determination, resulting in the birth of many independent States and, therefore, in fundamental changes in international relations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Such an assessment will help us draw lessons and provide us with the necessary valuable experience from which we can identify what needs to be done so as to allow the United Nations to continue to play its role and exercise its influence in the world today and in the future. The twentieth century, which is drawing to a close, has been marked by great achievements for humankind at every level of its development, but it also requires us to reflect deeply about problems unforeseen in previous centuries. Two world wars and hundreds of protracted conflicts, civil wars and situations of local tension in various regions of the world have claimed the lives of more than 150 million people and left permanent scars, both spiritual and physical, on hundreds of millions of others.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Government and the people of Viet Nam are pleased to greet those three Pacific countries and to assure them of our willingness to establish and develop fruitful and close cooperation. The current session of the General Assembly is of special significance. As a bridge between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it will prepare us for entering a new century and a new millennium. This is therefore an important moment, as it affords us the opportunity to take stock of the advent and evolution and the highs and lows of this greatest international Organization over more than half a century.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On behalf of the delegation of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and on my own behalf, I should like to warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. I am convinced that, thanks to your experience and wisdom, this session will have a successful outcome. I should like also to express my thanks and great appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, for his important contribution and the effectiveness of his presidency during the fifty-third session. I should also like to congratulate and warmly welcome the three new States Members of the Organization: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Viet Nam will spare no effort to contribute fully to the achievement of that lofty goal.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“To do this and promote peace, cooperation and development, Viet Nam will continue to pursue its foreign policy in support of independence, sovereignty, openness, multilateralism, diversification of foreign relations, and gradual global and regional integration. Thus Viet Nam will always be an active member of international and regional organizations. It will continue to contribute to the United Nations efforts for peace and development, particularly in its capacity as a newly elected member of the Economic and Social Council. Humanity enters the new millennium with earnest hopes for a better and more prosperous life. At this historic turning point, we expect the United Nations to make greater efforts to achieve lasting peace and a climate of international cooperation supportive of the development of every nation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“They require an environment of peace and development, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. Socio-economic rights, including the right to development, are inextricably part of real human rights.” Having suffered humiliation under foreign domination, having been ridiculed and having sacrificed innumerable lives in order to regain their human rights and dignity, our people will spare no effort to hold on to the fundamental rights they have regained. To achieve the objective of becoming a prosperous people, a strong State and a just and developed society, the Vietnamese people are, and will remain, resolved to pursue their policy of renewal and to industrialize and modernize the country.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This year the international community will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have always regarded the Declaration as a great achievement of the world?s peoples in their long struggle for fundamental rights, the most important of which are the right to live in peace, independence, prosperity and happiness, and with social justice, and the right to self-determination. It is unfortunate that the issue of human rights has sometimes been twisted to serve as a pretext for intervening and interfering in other countries? affairs. In this regard, Viet Nam greatly appreciates the position the Non-Aligned Movement expressed in the Durban Declaration, during its recent twelfth summit meeting, that human rights should not “be used as a political instrument for interference in internal affairs. ...”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We all agree that it is essential to reform the Security Council so that it will be more democratic, more transparent and more accountable to the General Assembly, the biggest and most representative forum of the community of nations. Viet Nam and its Non-Aligned Movement partners are committed to the position that the developing countries should be represented in the Security Council through permanent membership. In view of the legitimate interests of potential candidates, Viet Nam will support the rotation formula if a majority of countries accept it. Our country also supports the proposed limiting of the right of the veto — prior to abolishing it — to decisions relating to issues provided for under Chapter VII of the Charter.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The Summit, whose theme will be strengthening unity and broadening cooperation for a South-East Asia of peace, stability and balanced development, will adopt the Hanoi declaration and plan of action, which will guide South-East Asia as it enters the next century. As a result of the factors I have outlined, we are firmly convinced that South-East Asia will soon overcome its difficulties and regain its previous pace of growth, and that the international community will continue to regard the region as a promising and reliable partner. To build peace and promote development, it is urgently important to reform the United Nations, to make it more democratic and better adapted to confront the profound changes that have taken place in the world in the 50 years since the Organization was founded.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Despite difficulties and challenges, ASEAN continues to 29 become more unified, promote cooperation and play an active role in Asia and the Pacific and the world, not only through intensive interactions with dialogue partners and other international and regional organizations, but also by means of its vigorous work in different multilateral forums: the ASEAN Regional Forum, the Asia/Europe Meeting, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations itself. After successfully hosting the seventh summit of the French-speaking community in November 1997, Viet Nam has the great honour to again play host — this time to the sixth ASEAN Summit, which will be held in Hanoi this December.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Moreover, there remain substantial economic foundations, unique cultures and the achievements of the people of the region realized thanks to their hard work and creativity — not to mention other positive factors, such as the region?s abundant natural resources, large internal market and major role in world politics and economics. The existence and growth of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been another positive factor in the development of South-East Asia.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This has led certain people hastily to declare the demise of the miracle of the East Asian development model and even go so far as to reject “Asian values”. I would humbly suggest that such views are groundless. Indeed, the current crisis in East Asia is neither the first nor the last in the history of the market economy. Although some errors were made, the East Asia and South-East Asia development model has already provided quite a few valuable experiences and useful lessons. Are not the virtues of studiousness, industriousness, thrift, intelligence, creativity and caring for one another eternal and universal values?”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This is in line with the all-out efforts by the countries of the region to build neighbourly relationships of friendship and cooperation based on the principle of mutual respect. In this spirit, as Cambodia?s immediate neighbour, we welcome the success beyond expectations of the Cambodian elections last July, which were recognized to be free and fair by the entire international community. We sincerely hope that this will lead to the early formation of a new government in Cambodia that will set the Cambodian people on the road to building and developing their country in conditions of peace and stability. Regrettably, East Asia in general and South-East Asia in particular, reputed in past decades to be the world?s most dynamic economic growth area, are suffering an unprecedentedly serious crisis.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty has been signed. Nevertheless, problems remain, including sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, that must be resolved in order to ensure peace and stability for all countries in the region. We believe, however, that tensions can be avoided if all parties concerned practise self-restraint; refrain from aggravating the situation; ensure freedom of international maritime transportation; settle their disputes through negotiation on the basis of respect for international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and, in the immediate future, seek to identify patterns of cooperation acceptable to all sides.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Such a peace will be established only when the goal of total disarmament is achieved, first and foremost through the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. In this spirit, all States must put an end to the production, testing, stockpiling, proliferation, use or threat of use of these weapons. South-East Asia, as an integral part of the planet, is affected by current global developments. In these last 50 years, it has been a hotbed of conflicts and disputes and the scene of numerous bloody wars and crises. But today South-East Asia?s luck is changing, and an atmosphere of peace, stability and cooperation for development prevails. The membership of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has increased, bringing it closer to its goal of 10 member countries and helping to put an end to the region?s historical divisions.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The painful lessons of the twentieth century — a century replete with conflicts and wars, including the two World Wars, which claimed tens of millions of lives — and the burning desire of humankind for a better life on the eve of the new century require that we all redouble our efforts to achieve a solid and lasting peace. In today?s world, such a peace will be achieved only if every people and every State — large or small, rich or poor, wherever its location — make every effort in jointly working towards it. Such a peace can be achieved only if it is based on a strict observance in international relations of the principle of respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; non-intervention in one another?s internal affairs; the non-use or threat of use of force; and sanctions.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“On the one hand, numerous events have shown a continuing trend of peace and improved relations among countries, 28 as evidenced by fact that the peaceful settlement of certain decades-long conflicts is under way and that relations among nations, including major Powers, continue to improve. On the other hand, we are witnessing on a daily basis bloodshed and confrontation in many regions, from the Middle East to Africa, from the Balkans to South Asia, and so on. The arms race continues unabated. One terrorist act follows on the heels of another. The list of countries to be “punished” is not getting any shorter, and the direct victims continue to be the elderly and women and children. Our planet is thus not yet out of the reach of the Damocles sword of insecurity.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“These multi-level linkages among States also give rise to favourable conditions for all nations to exploit their comparative advantages, and they give impetus to increased mutual assistance among various partners, which leads to more equitable and sustainable growth within each region as well as among regions. Peace, stability and development are closely interrelated, like companions on the road to prosperity. Our own experience has taught us that a peaceful environment and political and social stability are indispensable for a nation to devote itself to achieving economic development. In turn, a more developed economy and improved living standards help strengthen political and social stability and thus preserve peace. Two opposing tendencies have characterized the world security situation since the fifty-second session.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“More recently, the effective support provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the implementation of a tripartite agricultural cooperation mechanism agreed among FAO itself, Viet Nam and certain African countries has yielded encouraging results. We hope that on the basis of that experience, the United Nations will focus more on development issues and create conditions that are more favourable for providing assistance to the developing and less developed countries. In recent years, we have witnessed the formation and expansion of linkages among countries at the regional, interregional, intercontinental and global levels.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We therefore welcome the adoption of measures by the United Nations to improve the quality of its development cooperation, as well as the initiative of the Secretary- General to create a Development Account using the savings realized from reductions in administrative costs. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), along with other international organizations and bilateral and multilateral donors, is currently working to find solutions to the urgent problems of developing and least developed countries. Viet Nam has in recent years benefited from their considerable assistance, which ranged from restructuring the economy into a market economy to specific activities in different areas of society, particularly in the battle to eliminate famine and reduce poverty.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Moreover, this assistance is considered important for developing countries because it allows them to strengthen their energy resources and contributes to building both their economic and social infrastructures, elements which are essential for development and in order to attract foreign investments. The role of multilateral institutions — particularly that of the United Nations — is very important in resolving the long- and short-term problems of developing nations. However, it is regrettable that United Nations assistance to developing countries is continuing to decline.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“More than ever, developed countries should facilitate access to their markets, accord most-favoured-nation status to developing countries — especially those countries which have been ravaged by the crisis or are suffering from its consequences — and include them in the Generalized System of Preferences. They should also support developing and least developed countries. It is more necessary than ever to maintain the level of official development assistance. This is not only necessary to halt the downward trend, but also for donor countries to seek to reach the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product devoted to development by donor countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As far as external aid is concerned, we believe that the individual conditions of each recipient country should be taken into account in order to avoid the imposition of any remedy that might worsen its situation and cause unforeseen effects to social stability. Furthermore, we are convinced that in implementing these measures to stimulate liberalization, attention should be paid to the diversity of the global economy, as well as to the heterogeneous nature of national and regional economies. This is the only approach capable of ensuring the efficiency of our cooperation, the beneficial quality of our ties and our common prosperity. In this light, we would like to express the following hopes.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is only through this basic approach of mutual assistance that developing countries and 27 countries in crisis will have an opportunity to join in the efforts of the developed countries to overcome the problems and make the global economy?s growth more stable, which in the long run will benefit everyone. Obviously, such cooperation and mutual assistance must be based on mutual interest and respect. It can certainly be said that in a situation of generalized crisis, going to someone else?s aid means saving oneself. We believe that in adopting this approach, developing countries and countries in crisis should fully exploit their own domestic strengths and mobilize their existing potential to speed up and take advantage of international aid and cooperation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Additionally, although the current financial and monetary crisis began in East Asia, it is no longer an East Asian phenomenon, but has spread like an oil slick to the rest of the world and now resembles a dangerous storm causing unpredictable losses across many countries in different continents. This illustrates the negative side effects of globalization and provides additional proof of the fact that the greater the rate of globalization, the more interrelated both developed and developing economies become and the more they influence one another. This situation calls for the international community?s programme of action to include mutual cooperation between the developed countries and developing and least developed countries; and among countries that have strong economies, international institutions and the countries in crisis.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)