Statement by

H.E. Mr Anouparb Vongnorkeo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Lao PDR to the United Nations

at the Virtual Launch of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations

(6 July 2021, New York)

Excellencies, Dear Friends

At the outset, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to you, Ambassador Samuel Moncada and Permanent Mission of Venezuela, for hosting this important virtual launch of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations.

Excellencies,

Over the past 75 years of its existence, the United Nations has evolved into an indispensable organization for preserving international peace and security, which constitutes a prerequisite for the promotion of international cooperation and socio-economic development. Since its inception, the UN Charter has become a critical tool and identified appropriate mechanisms and principles for enhancing our collective efforts to achieve our common objectives. Today, we are witnessing that under the UN auspices, guided by its Charter, the international community has made significant progress and achievements in various areas. Conflict resolution mechanism through peaceful means has turned into the essential principle and prevailing trend. Multilateral cooperation, international laws and treaties have been gradually strengthened and become necessary tools for preventing conflicts and resolving various global issues ranging from disarmament, poverty reduction, climate change, promotion and protection of human rights, gender equality, racial discrimination, just to name a few.

Nevertheless, in recent years, the international community has continued to encounter increased and unpredictable challenges. These include, among others, persistent armed conflicts, terrorism and extremism, political unrests, natural disasters and climate change, widening inequality, extreme poverty and the ongoing unprecedented global health crisis of COVID-19 pandemic, which have caused severe economic and social impacts globally. All this has posed major threats to international peace, security and sustainable development across different parts of the world.

Against this back drop, we are of the view that it is more crucial than ever for all countries to reaffirm our strong political will and renew our commitment to strengthening multilateralism by upholding and defending the UN Charter and international law, in particular, the principles of sovereign equality of state, independence, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs and peaceful settlement of disputes in addressing the current and future challenges as well as in promoting friendly international relations.

Excellencies,

Let me conclude by reiterating the Lao PDR’s full commitment and support to upholding and defending the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It is our belief that the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations remain up to date and indispensable for safeguarding and promoting international peace and security, the rule of law, economic development and social progress, as well as human rights for all.

We stand ready to fulfill our obligations and actively contribute to this vital endeavor.

Thank you.