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Vietnam pledges to fight proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

Hanoi, June 29 (VNA) – Vietnam is strongly committed to weapons of mass destruction(WMD) disarmament and non-proliferation efforts and actively advocates for the peaceful use of related technologies , said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN). 

Speaking at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on “The global effort to prevent the proliferation of weapon of mass destruction by non-State actors” in New York on June 28, the diplomat said Vietnam welcomes the ongoing United Nations Conference  to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. 

“ We acknowledge the positive progress made by the member states to the success of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly devoted to Disarmament”, she stated. 

The ambassador appreciated the UN Security Council for adopting Resolution 2325, which has mapped out a global agenda for the full implementation of Resolution 1540, as well as the increased cooperation and coordination at national, regional and international levels in these global non-proliferation endeavors, between the UN and other stakeholders. 

 “Non-proliferation efforts should not hinder the legitimate rights of states to acquire, produce and use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-related materials, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes.” she said. 

She also underlined the importance to avoid placing an undue burden on states in these efforts, but rather to help states, especially developing countries, develop their effective strategies for countering new types of crime. 

In her opening remarks, Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affair of the UN, called for stronger international cooperation to prevent terrorists from accessing and using weapons of mass destruction, warning that technological advances – such as unmanned aerial vehicles, 3-D printers and the Dark Web – make it easier for terrorist groups to effectively use such weapons.| 

She affirmed the UN prioritises coordinating joint efforts to cope with proliferation of weapon of mass destruction by non-State actors, and called on countries to fully implement Resolutions 2325 and 1540 of the UN Security Council. 

She stressed the UN Security Council is willing to support and provide technical assistance for its member nations, helping them improve national capacity in controlling export and import of relevant weapons and materials, as well as intensify preventive measures and better resilience to weapons of mass destruction disarmament and non-proliferation, and cyber attacks.
VNA/VNP


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