Peace and transformation matter to shape sustainable future: Vietnamese president
State President Luong Cuong urged nations to uphold multilateralism, respect sovereignty under international law and settle disputes peacefully.
THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong began his speech at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters on September 23 by highlighting the value of peace and driving transformations for a sustainable future.
Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong speaks at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters on September 23. Photos: baoquocte.vn
Addressing the General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly, Cuong affirmed that peace is both a goal and a prerequisite for development.
He urged all nations to comply with the UN Charter, respect independence and sovereignty, refrain from interfering in internal affairs and not use or threaten to use force, resolving disputes by peaceful means.
The president emphasized that over the past 80 years, the UN has embodied humanity’s aspirations for peace, cooperation and development, while warning of unprecedented challenges such as conflicts, arms races, strategic rivalries, unilateralism and declining political commitments.
He called on the international community to uphold multilateralism and an international system based on international law, with the UN at its core.
In addition, President Luong Cuong promoted a culture of peace, protection of civilians and humanitarian assistance in conflict zones and welcomed the recognition of the State of Palestine by many countries.
He also called for support to the Palestinian people and urged the United States to lift its embargo on Cuba and remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
In his speech, Cuong stressed the role of regional organizations, including ASEAN, in building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable ASEAN Community; implementing the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar; and maintaining peace, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
To build a sustainable future, he called for reform of multilateral institutions, especially the UN and international financial and monetary bodies, to ensure fairness, transparency, efficiency and responsiveness.
He stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation on technology transfer, mobilize green finance and advance digital and green transitions with people at the center.
Overview of the General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly.
Sharing Vietnam’s journey from post-war devastation to a middle-income, deeply integrated economy, the president reaffirmed the country’s determination to become a modern industrialized nation with upper-middle income by 2030, achieve high-income status by 2045 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Vietnam remains committed to working with all countries to shoulder common responsibilities and drive transformative change for a peaceful, stable, prosperous and sustainable world,” Cuong stated.
He announced Vietnam’s preparation to chair the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and sought support for Vietnam’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council (2026–2028) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2026–2036).
On this occasion, the Vietnamese president invited all countries to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi on October 25.
