ASEAN strongly backed efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations, voiced the bloc's view at the UN Security Council's annual open debate on women, peace and security in New York on Wednesday.

This year's debate reviewed the annual report on conflict-related sexual violence made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

At the function, Trung affirmed ASEAN's persistent stance of enhancing close co-operation with the international community and the UN to combat violence against women in all spheres, especially conflict-related sexual violence.

He cited 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 to support his view.

ASEAN member countries had established legal frameworks and implemented 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, particularly sexual violence, Trung added.

This is the first time the ten-nation group has delivered a speech on the topic at the UN Security Council.