March 11, 2022
HANOI — A Vietnamese diplomat has underlined the importance of ensuring equality and justice in climate change response, with climate finance commitments being fully implemented based on common but differentiated responsibility.
Lê Thị Minh Thoa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, made the comments while attending a meeting held by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday to discuss climate finance for sustaining peace and security.
She shared other countries’ concerns over climate change challenges that have rendered tens of millions of people homeless and worsened transboundary security challenges, especially in conflict-hit regions.
The diplomat pointed out the need to fully consider the demand and priorities of developing countries, particularly those affected by conflicts, appealing for stronger partnership and coordination in the UN system to solve climate change issues.
Thoa also voiced Việt Nam’s support for the UNSC to continue discussing climate security and the role of climate finance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and post-conflict reconstruction.
As one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, Việt Nam has been exerting efforts to minimise adverse impacts of this global phenomenon and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the diplomat stressed, adding that it pledged to continue joining international efforts and promote partnership and climate finance for climate change response.
At the meeting, participants looked into the challenge of implementing climate finance commitments to help with conflict prevention, stability maintenance, and peacebuilding. They said that the climate finance mobilisation had fallen short of targets while the international community’s aid for peacebuilding and climate risk management remained modest.
Most participants said they supported the UNSC to comprehensively approach and solve these issues, with climate finance taken into account.
Some urged the UNSC to soon reach a consensus to resolve security challenges caused by climate change. — VNS