President Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the event. (Photo: VNA)

President Phuc was speaking at Thursday's virtual high-level open debate on cooperation between the UN and the African Union. He said many African countries still suffer consequences of colonialism and slavery, as well as violent conflicts, terrorism, transnational crime, climate change, and food and water insecurity.

To bolster recovery and development in the post-pandemic period, he advised them to become more self-reliant in dealing with internal affairs, promote trust building and dialogue, and enhance the empowerment of women and young people. The African nations, he said, should continue fostering friendships, expanding cooperation and integration, consolidating multilateralism, and upholding international law and the UN Charter.

President Phuc proposed that the UN and the AU lead implementation of the Initiative on Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2030, the UN Agenda 2030, and Africa’s Agenda 2063 on Sustainable Development, and step up the strategic partnership between the UNSC and the AU’s Peace and Security Council.

His other suggestions included expanding cooperation among regional organizations to improve their capacity to prevent or quell conflicts and cope with regional and global challenges; comprehensively supporting exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and the AU; and strengthening food security to increase socio-economic stability.