Vietnam supports peace, reconstruction efforts in Gaza: diplomat

Vietnam has called on all parties to uphold the ceasefire, exercise maximum restraint, comply with international humanitarian law, protect civilians, humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure, and ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered safely, promptly and without obstruction in Gaza.

Speaking at a November 12 discussion of the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee) of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on the activities of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hai Luu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, expressed deep concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly as recent heavy rains and flooding have worsened living conditions for residents.

The Vietnamese representative affirmed UNRWA’s essential and irreplaceable role in supporting millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

He called for respect for the UN Charter, the privileges and immunities of the UN, and the obligations identified by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its advisory opinion of October 2025.

Vietnam welcomed the extension of UNRWA’s mandate until June 2029 and efforts to strengthen the agency’s neutrality, transparency and accountability, while calling for adequate, stable and sustainable funding.

Regarding peace and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Vietnam said UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025) and the implementation of the Gaza peace plan offered an opportunity to consolidate the ceasefire and advance reconstruction.

As a founding member of the Board of Peace, Vietnam stands ready to work with international partners to contribute to lasting peace and Gaza’s recovery, on the basis of the UN Charter and international law, while ensuring the UN’s humanitarian role and the meaningful participation of the Palestinian people, Luu stated.

Vietnam reaffirmed that humanitarian assistance could not replace a just and lasting political solution. It called for an end to actions that alter the status and demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and for the legitimate rights of Palestinian refugees to be addressed, including issues relating to property and compensation.

Vietnam consistently supports the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living peacefully alongside Israel, the Minister Counsellor said.

During the discussion, many countries reaffirmed UNRWA’s irreplaceable role and called for the protection of its mandate and increased financial support. Meanwhile, Israel continued to oppose the agency’s operations.

The Fourth Committee is expected to consider and adopt the relevant draft resolutions on November 18, 2026./.