Minh presented Vietnam’s stance at a consultation session of the UN Security Council held in New York on May 12.

He noted the Secretary General’s viewpoint that the UN efforts to reform the security sector have played in restoring peace and promoting development in many African nations such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, he also pointed out the continuing challenges of security sector reform, particularly in establishing a common concept and scope of application. Minh shared the UN Secretary General’s views that there is no one-size-fits-all model of SSR and therefore its implementation depends on the basic needs of national political processes and dynamics.

“Reaffirming the fundamental principles of respect for independence, sovereignty and non-interference into internal affairs as enshrined in the Charter, we hold that while the UN and the international community should support and assist the promotion of SSR in member states, they should do that solely on the basis of imperative activities such as the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants,” he said.

The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Peace-building Commission remain appropriate forums for discussing the mainstreaming of peacekeeping and peace-building operations and the inclusion of SSR in the mandates of such operations, said the Vietnamese UN Ambassador.

Minh said as peace and security depend on the solutions for social and economic problems such as hunger and poverty, diseases and inequitable distribution of social welfare, it is necessary to achieve a comprehensive approach to SSR with active co-ordination among UN member countries.