Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, said ASEAN strongly supports the elimination of discrimination and violence against women. Trung made the statement at the UN Security Council’s annual debate on women, peace and security held in New York on Wednesday. The debate reviewed the annual report made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on conflict-related sexual violence. Speaking at the event, Trung said ASEAN always strengthens its cooperation with the UN and the international community and to fight violence against women in every aspect. The fight is based on the Declaration on the Advancement of Women in ASEAN in 1988, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in ASEAN in 2004, and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in 2012, he said. ASEAN member countries have carried out policies in accordance with related resolutions of the UN Security Council to promote social status and social welfare for women and girls, and root out all forms of violence against women, Trung said. Trung’s speech marked the first time that the ten-nation bloc has expressed its viewpoint on the theme at the UN Security Council.