A world of peace, independence, and freedom are always the aspiration and ultimate goal of the Vietnamese people, Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man told the opening ceremony of the World Peace Council’s 22nd Assembly on November 22.

Deputies of the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council attend the opening ceremony on November 22. Photo: The Hanoi Times

“Amid major challenges, mankind gives priority to end wars, preserving peace, and developing a fair and sustainable world,” he said.

To achieve the goal, each nation must abide by the UN Charter and international laws, and respect the sovereignty, independence, and self-determination of others, Man added.

Man urged members of the World Peace Council to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, refrain from using force or threatening to use it, and promote justice and fairness to assure sustainable development among all peoples and countries.

"The Party, Government and people of Vietnam will always stand on the side of peace-loving people in the world, and we will take responsible measures to help realize the dream of a peaceful world for all."

The first time Vietnam hosts the World Peace Council assembly marks a milestone for the nation, and shows the global recognition of its efforts to preserve global stability.

According to Corazon Valdez Fabros, who is in charge of the peace and security group of the Eurasian People's Forum, a member of the World Peace Council, the selection of Vietnam as the host country of the 22nd assembly is a right choice, especially on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords 1973 that ended the war and restored peace in Vietnam.

The Vietnam Peace Committee is always an active member of the World Peace Council, focusing on the promotion of peace, justice, fairness, national independence and sovereignty in the world, she said.

The development model adopted by Vietnam has proved effective and facilitated the country to achieve remarkable growth in the past decades, she added.

Deputy Monisha Rios from Puerto Rico said that the Central American country has a lot to learn from Vietnam in regard to national development, and that Vietnam has made great, important contributions to the World Peace Council.

Lessons learnt from the history of Vietnam is that one nation can gain victories if its people unite together and create an immense power to wipe out all challenges and difficulties, Sri Lanka’s deputy Nuwan Kumarasinghe said.

For many years, Vietnam has been one of the most active members in supporting peaceful movements in the world. Nuwan hoped Vietnam will continue its role in global communities and have more assistance to the World Peace Council.

Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man gives medals to outstanding individuals of the World Peace Council. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

According to Socorro Gomes Coelho, President of the World Peace Council, the Council will always be on the side of the State and the people of Vietnam in national development.

The delegates will together build up a direction and major tasks for council members, thus assisting peace-loving people and organizations to defend the historical achievements of mankind against hawkish intentions, she said.

Thanassis Pafilis, Secretary General of the World Peace Council, hailed Vietnam for glorious achievements in national defense and development.

The World Peace Council will work to promote friendship and unity among nations by respecting their inner strengths, and will relentlessly fight against senseless wars to facilitate a truly peaceful world, he said.

At the opening ceremony, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented the Medal of Friendship to a number of collectives and individuals, including the World Peace Council, its President Socorro Gomes Coelho, its Secretary General Thanassis Pafilis, and Permanent Secretary Iraklis Tsavdaridis.

The World Peace Council’s 22nd Assembly will take place until November 26, 2022, gathering 200 participants, including 100 representatives of 49 nations that are members of the World Peace Council. This is the first time Vietnam hosts the event.

The World Peace Council is an international organization that promotes peaceful activities globally, consisting of 135 representatives of communist and left-wing parties from more than 100 countries.

After 70 years of development, the Council has established tight relations with other international organizations and countries to develop a world of peace for mankind.

Vietnam was one of the founding members of the World Peace Council, with 11 representatives joining the council's launching assembly in 1949, including Professor Pham Huy Thong and mathematician Le Van Thiem.