Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Vietnam to become Non-
Permanent Member of UN
Security Council in 2020
Carlyle A. Thayer
September 15, 2018
Vietnam is campaigning to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council for the period 2020-2021. Therefore, the visit of Vietnamese leaders
to the United Nations at the end of this September is very important part of
their campaign to become a non-permanent member. Vietnam now enjoys a 41 year
history as a formal member of the UN.
We request your assessment of Vietnam’s bid.
ANSWER: For purposes of electing non-permanent members to the United Nations
Security Council, candidates are selected by one of five geographic groups. Vietnam
belongs to the fifty-four nation Asia-Pacific Group.
In October 2007, Vietnam was elected for the first time a non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council by a positive vote of 183 out of 190 votes for the 2008-09
term. It was the unanimous nominee of the Asia-Pacific Group in the General
Assembly.
In May this year Vietnam also received the unanimous endorsement of the Asia-
Pacific Group as its nominee for non-permanent membership on the Security Council
for the 2020-21 term. The UN General Assembly will vote on non-
permanent membership in June 2019 and Vietnam's election is virtually assured.
Vietnam's quest for non-permanent membership is a part of its policy of "active and
proactive international integration." If elected Vietnam gets a seat at the high table
of international politics and a vote on matters of importance. Vietnam will be
consulted by a range of countries including the major powers, particularly when it
becomes a rotating chair of the Security Council. Vietnam and its diplomatic corps
will be appraised of key international economic and security issues and gain valuable
experience.
During its first tenure in 2008-09, Vietnam was praised by the United States for its
positive contribution and the close voting alignment on key issues such as nuclear
non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. The most noticeable point of disagreement
came over criticism of or support for the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. Vietnam
parted company with the U.S. to support Mugabe.
Vietnamese diplomats recount Vietnam's role in shielding ASEAN-member Myanmar
from sanctions in 2008-09. As a result, Myanmar opened up to Vietnam.
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Vietnam's then Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, paid an official visit to Yangon and
witnessed cooperation agreements in fourteen sectors. A major Vietnamese
commercial group invested in Myanmar and the two countries established direct air
connections.
As a result of its non-permanent membership on the Security Council, Vietnam
followed up on its pledge to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations to the United
Nations Mission in South Sudan. Initially Vietnam deployed a small number of
observers. This year it will deploy a Level II Field Hospital to the South Sudan.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Vietnam to become Non-Permanent Member

of UN Security Council in 2020,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, September
15, 2018. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.