Vietnam-UN: 40 years of cooperation

Vietnam-UN cooperation has had achieved results in many sectors and benefited Vietnam’s social-economic development in each period. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is on an official visit to the US, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and attended a ceremony marking Vietnam’s 40th year as a UN member. Mr. Phuc said Vietnam acknowledges the international community’s invaluable support for its national reconstruction after the war and for its current development efforts.

Cooperative hallmarks

As a new UN member in 1977, Vietnam called on countries and international organizations to help with its post-war reconstruction. From 1977 to 1986, UN agencies financed social development projects in Vietnam, particularly education projects, health, maternal and child care projects, and population and family planning projects. These projects boosted Vietnam’s science and technology level and built new facilities. While Vietnam was under sanctions, cooperation with the UN helped Vietnam get aid packages from many western countries.

While Vietnam was in its renewal phase, non-refundable UN aid was a significant resource for Vietnam’s development policy making. Vietnam has received UN support for its reforms of policy, economic institutions, state-owned enterprises, public administration, public investment, and banking, and its efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS and other epidemics and to ensure democracy and gender equality. UN-funding for projects in Vietnam has totaled US$2 billion.

A responsible member of the UN

Vietnam has pursued a foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification if international relations, befriending all countries. It has taken advantage of UN forums to strengthen relations with other UN members. Vietnam successfully fulfilled its tasks as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 term, became a full member of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1998, signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996, and joined the Conference on Disarmament in 1996. 

Nguyen Trung Thanh, a former member of the UN Human Rights Council’s working group, said “We were offered an important position on the UN Human Rights Council, which showed the international community’s trust in Vietnam. We have drawn lessons for national development and reform and promoting human rights and cooperation with countries in this field.”

Vietnam has attracted NGOs and embraced their activities, has cooperated with UN agencies to pilot the “One UN” initiative, and is now campaigning for a position on the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

Based on Vietnam’s accomplishments over the past 40 years, the UN will continue to support the Vietnamese government’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, help its poor and vulnerable people, adapt to climate change, and promote prosperity and international partnerships.