In his message, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized that the United Nations exists to serve and benefit all people, encouraged the international community to show heroism and solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and called on the world to increase multilateral cooperation.

The message said, “Today we face a global pandemic. Worldwide, people rightly raise their voices against racism. Confronting problems is a start. But we also have to solve them. We have a timeless guide to tackle our shared challenges and fix the world’s fragilities. That guide is the United Nations Charter.”

This year, the United Nations has demonstrated its role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, transporting 250 million personal protective equipment to more than 130 countries, helping ensure early childhood education and the needs of many families as well as health care workers. The UN's supply chain has also played an important role in circulating medical goods around the globe as the pandemic spread.

On the occasion, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh delivered a message, urging countries to interact on the basis of trust, cooperation, equality, and respect for each other to achieve lasting peace.

The Deputy Prime Minister said, “Though many of us may still be in a time of physical distancing, we must stand together in our commitment to uphold the values and principles of Charter. Vietnam is steadfast in its commitment to the Charter and will work to strengthen multilateral collaboration and frameworks, at both global and regional levels, particularly at the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)."

He added, “For peace to sustain, states must interact on the basis of trust, cooperation, equality and mutual respect. These were the aspirations and the tasks set out by the founders of the United Nations. Now, it is incumbent upon us to fulfill the promise of peace for our future generations.”