ASEAN strongly backs efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United
Nations, voiced the bloc’s view at the UN Security Council’s annual open
debate on women, peace and security in New York on April 17.

This year’s debate reviewed the annual report on conflict-related sexual violence made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

At the function, Trung affirmed ASEAN’s persistent stance of enhancing
close cooperation with international community and the UN to combat
violence against women in all spheres, especially conflict-related
sexual violence.

He cited the Declaration on the
Advancement of Women in ASEAN in 1988, the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women in ASEAN in 2004, and ASEAN Human
Rights Declaration in 2012 to support his view.

ASEAN
member countries have established legal frameworks and implemented
policies in accordance with related resolutions of the UN Security
Council to further promote social status and social welfare for women
and girls, and root out all forms of violence against women,
particularly sexual violence, Trung added.

This is the first time the ten-nation group has delivered a speech on the topic at the UN Security Council.

Earlier, in October 2009, the UN Security Council approved the
Resolution 1889 compiled by Vietnam when it played the council’s
rotating Chair.

The resolution has helped raise a
sense of responsibility of the council and UN member states in
protecting women and girls during armed conflicts.-VNA