The debate, chaired by Guyana’s Foreign Minister in his capacity as President of the Council for June 2025, focused on the theme “Poverty, Underdevelopment, and Conflict: Implications for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.”

The session gathered UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UNDP’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, along with ministers, deputy ministers, ambassadors and heads of delegations from UN member states.

In his opening remarks, Secretary-General Guterres stressed that deep-rooted poverty and inequality are among the primary drivers of conflict and prolonged instability in many countries and regions. He noted that nine of the ten countries with the world’s lowest Human Development Index (HDI) scores are currently experiencing conflict. Against this backdrop, the Secretary-General and other participants called on the international community to step up efforts to prevent conflict through inclusive, sustainable development and better protection of vulnerable groups, urging that this issue be given high priority.

Speaking at the debate, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu affirmed that sustainable development is not only a goal but also a fundamental pillar for lasting peace. He highlighted underlying challenges such as poverty, inequality, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods, warning that unless these are comprehensively tackled, they may serve as catalysts for tensions and conflict.

Sharing Vietnam’s post-war reconstruction experience, the Vietnamese diplomat underscored that sustainable development, with support from international partners, including UN agencies, has been key to the country’s economic recovery, social cohesion, and remarkable progress over the past decades.

He also highlighted Vietnam’s active contributions to promoting development priorities within the UN’s peace and security agenda, notably the country’s initiative to introduce Resolution 2573 on the protection of essential civilian infrastructure in armed conflict, during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2021–2022.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister Vu put forward several specific recommendations aimed at strengthening coordination between the Security Council and the UN development system, particularly the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Peacebuilding Commission, and other relevant bodies so as to build a more holistic and coherent approach to sustaining peace, post-conflict recovery, and sustainable development.

Echoing the UNDP’s proposals, he called on the international community to scale up support for new initiatives addressing poverty and underdevelopment in high-risk areas. He reaffirmed that “Vietnam stands ready to work with partners toward a more inclusive, effective and sustainable peace and security agenda of the United Nations.”

Vietnam’s voice at UN ocean conference carries great significance

The participation of a high-level Vietnamese delegation, led by PM Pham Minh Chinh, at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference underscores Vietnam’s strong commitment to tackling global challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity conservation, said French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet.