Vietnam President Addresses UN General Assembly on Global Cooperation and AI Governance

Vietnamese President and General Secretary To Lam attended the opening of the high-level general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22. The high-level debate, themed "Restoring Trust, Rekindling Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals," saw the participation of over 120 heads of state, government leaders, and representatives from member states. At the opening ceremony held at UN Headquarters, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the 81st UN General Assembly Khalilur Rahman highlighted the world's deepening divisions, citing protracted conflicts, rising inequality, the climate crisis, and the lack of governance mechanisms for Artificial Intelligence (AI). They called for member states to unite in resolving global challenges based on respect for the UN Charter and international law, and stressed the need for robust reform of the UN to enhance its governance effectiveness and prevent conflicts in a volatile world. Secretary-General Guterres specifically urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, guaranteed humanitarian access, protection of civilians, promotion of disarmament, and accountability. Regarding sustainable development, he called for the promotion of reforms to the international financial architecture, fair treatment of debt issues, expansion of affordable long-term financing, and gender equality. Concerning AI, Guterres urged AI-leading nations to establish dialogue channels for information sharing on safety risks, aiming for a multilateral framework for AI risk governance linked to an independent oversight mechanism. Following the opening session, President To Lam met with President of the 81st UN General Assembly Khalilur Rahman, as well as the President of Fiji, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Minister of Australia, President of Timor-Leste, President of Switzerland, Prime Minister of Vatican City, and President of Finland. During his stay in the US, President To Lam also met with the leadership of the Communist Party of the USA and American friends. He affirmed that the Communist Party of Vietnam values its traditional friendship with the Communist Party of the USA and expressed a desire to continue strengthening exchanges and experience sharing to foster friendship and understanding between the peoples of the two countries. Representatives of the leadership of the Communist Party of the USA expressed their wish to continue promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, as well as enhancing understanding and friendly relations between the two peoples. The high-level general debate within the framework of the 81st UN General Assembly session will take place from September 22 to 28, serving as a crucial forum for leaders to share visions and seek solutions to urgent global issues. Source: VnExpress