Over the course of the past 43 years the nation has developed from being known only for wars and poverty to taking an active lead in UN activities, becoming an increasingly important voice at global forums.

The Vietnamese flag-raising ceremony at the UN headquarters
on September 20, 1977 marked the fact that Vietnam officially
became a member of the largest organization. (Photo: VNA)

Co-operation ties and development between the country and the UN first occurred at 9 a.m. on September 20, 1977, when a Vietnamese flag-raising ceremony officially took place at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. 

Since its accession in 1977 the nation has always been the UN's strongest partner, with the Vietnamese military being involved in UN peacekeeping operations and taking a leading role in achieving millennium development goals as a solid foundation to carry out the 2030 Sustainable Development Program.

The vision and aspirations of sustainable development goals will become even more important as the world recovers from the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the country has been making important contributions to the support of a sustainable peace.

This is the view of UN Secretary-General Atonio Guteres on Vietnam's 75th anniversary of its National Day, in addition to the 43rd anniversary of the country’s participation in the largest international organisation globally. 

Across over four decades of UN membership, the nation has always been proactive in participating in multiple fields in an effective manner, whilst also making practical contributions to the organisation's activities. The nation has since been elected with high votes to many UN agencies, such as the UN Security Council, the UN Economic and Social Council, the UN Human Rights Council, in addition to the Executive Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and International Law Commission.

On the evening of June 7, 2019 (Vietnam time), the President of the UN
General Assembly announced that Vietnam officially became a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term (Photo: VNA)

Last year saw the country elected for the second time to the UN Security Council for the term 2020 to 2021 with an unprecedented high number of votes in terms of UN history.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the nation has actively participated in crisis prevention, peacekeeping efforts, whilst making important recommendations for protecting women and children. This is alongside other causes such as promoting human rights, building a peace after conflicts, and improving the Security Council's working method. Initiatives to ensure peace in conflict areas as proposed by the country have also received critical acclaim internationally.

With regard to Vietnamese participation in UN organisations, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid emphasised that the nation has been elected to the position of a non-permanent member of the Security Council with an extremely high number of votes. In practicality, this results in both prestige and great responsibility for the country, with the Vietnamese side receiving great support from the international community. “We are always waiting for the contributions of Vietnam in the near future in matters of global concern,” President Kaljulaid noted.

Back in 1977, Vietnam was only known as a small country that had recently overcome wars, was generally isolated, whilst it remained poor with no voice. In contrast, now it is being mentioned as a country that has been leading in carrying out UN development goals with practical and effective contributions made to joint global activities.

According to Ambassador Ngo Quang Xuan, the first Vietnamese representative to the UN, the nation’s achievements and responsible contributions to global affairs have created a "Vietnamese brand" in multilateral diplomacy activities, including those at the UN.

Ambassador Ngo Quang Xuan, the first Vietnamese representative to the UN,
in an interview with a VOV reporter

Although bilateral co-operation has experienced plenty of ups and downs and difficulties, it can be said that co-operation between the two sides has made great strides, obtaining positive, objective, and transparent outcomes.

“In implementing the UN's eight millennium goals, the organisation also rated Vietnam as one of the best performers. Currently, when realising major policies of the UN, Vietnam is one of the eight most typical countries. This is the very high political commitment of Vietnam, as shown by determination of both the people and leaders,” Ambassador Xuan analysed.

The nation has also made commitments regarding the successful implementation of the UN’s 2030 agenda and sustainable development goals. This co-operation process continues to be further accelerated through long-term joint strategic plans between the country and the UN in order to ensure that everyone will be able to enjoy an equal opportunity to benefit from national economic development.

Responsible participation and contribution to the UN is also a method in which the country can help itself, have its own voice, and enlist the support of the international community for the cause of national defence construction and development, therefore ensuring that no one is left behind.