The 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council began in Hanoi on November 22 with members from 49 countries building strategic orientations for a world of peace that has fair and sustainable development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Uong Chu Luu, Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee, thanked the World Peace Council and its member organizations for their support and trust in choosing Vietnam as the country to host the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council.
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| Uong Chu Luu, Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee, delivers his speech at the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council__Photo: VNA |
Luu also said that the international situation was undergoing huge, rapid and complicated changes.
The Assembly was expected to discuss and build strategic orientations and practical action programs to gather more organizations, individuals and peace movements in the common struggle for a world of peaceful, fair and sustainable development, he said.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Tran Thanh Man, warmly welcomed international delegates attending the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council. This is the first time Vietnam has been chosen to host the conference.
"Peace, independence and freedom have always been the burning aspiration of the Vietnamese people," Man said.
"For that goal, many generations of the Vietnamese people have sacrificed themselves, fighting tirelessly for genuine peace, national independence, democracy and social progress," he said.
He also expressed his thanks to international friends who always supported the Vietnamese people in the cause of the national liberation struggle in the past and today's national construction and defense.
"The Vietnamese people will forever remember with deep gratitude the solidarity and precious support of the World Peace Council and international friends from all over the world for Vietnam," he said.
He hoped the Assembly would offer practical solutions to renew and further improve the operational efficiency of the World Peace Council, making active contributions to preventing conflicts and arms races, eliminating weapons of mass destruction and promoting respect for the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The event was attended by 200 participants, including nearly 100 foreign delegates from 49 countries and 100 domestic delegates.
Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Phan Anh Sơn told local media at a press briefing on the sidelines of the Assembly that Vietnam's hosting of the World Peace Council's 22nd Assembly was to demonstrate the country's active contributions to the council's activities and the world peace movement.
It would also help improve the role of Vietnam, including VUFO and the Vietnam Peace Committee, in the world peace movement, as well as show Vietnam as a responsible and active member of the international community, he said.
The Assembly was also an occasion for VUFO and the Vietnam Peace Committee to enhance friendship and cooperation with the World Peace Council and other members, popularize Vietnam and its peace movement, and capitalize on the World Peace Council and its members' support for the issues related to Vietnam, he said.
Vietnam's positive contributions
On the sidelines of the 22nd Assembly, World Peace Council's General Secretary Athanasios Pafilis said to local media that Vietnam had made many positive contributions to the World Peace Council, not only via congresses and seminars but also in many other forums over the past time.
"We always highly appreciate Vietnam's contribution," he said.
He also said that selecting Vietnam to host the Assembly was very important while the world was witnessing many conflicts and terrorism.
"Vietnam is a peaceful and stable country despite many uncertainties in the region,"he said.
Vietnam was always moving forward on the path of peace and stability and strictly abides by international law, he remarked.
Corazon Valdez Fabros, who is in charge of the peace and security group of the Eurasian People's Forum, a member of the World Peace Council, said that the selection of Vietnam to host the Assembly was very appropriate based on the history of fighting for peace, as well as the current development direction of Vietnam.
Assessing the contribution of the Vietnam Peace Committee to the World Peace Council, she said that the Vietnam Peace Committee had always been a very active member of the World Peace Council.
Special relationship
The World Peace Council, founded in 1949, is the leading body of the world peace movement, bringing together representatives of 135 peacekeeping organizations in more than 100 countries.
After more than 70 years of development, the council has become part of the world peace movement, closely cooperating with international movements and countries to promote peace around the globe.
Vietnam is one of the founding members of the World Peace Council, and the council and Vietnam have a special historical relationship.
Over the past seven decades, through 21 congresses, the World Peace Council has always accompanied and supported Vietnam in every historical period.
In 1950, at the second Assembly of the World Peace Council in Poland, the World Peace Council issued its first resolution for Vietnam, calling for support for the resistance war against the French colonialists of the Vietnamese people.
In the 1960s, when the US military intervened directly in Vietnam, the World Peace Council, under the leadership of then-President Romesh Chandra, organized many activities to support the struggle of the Vietnamese people.
In 2010, the World Peace Council issued a resolution to designate August 10 every year as the international day of solidarity with Vietnam's Agent Orange victims.
