Vietnam-UN: 40 years of cooperation
11/7/17
Vietnam joined the UN on September 20th, 1977. This was a milestone in
the international community’s recognition of Vietnam’s independence, freedom,
and unification and paved the way for its global integration.
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 USD2 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./
All comments [ 10 ]
The Vietnam-United Nations collaboration is an exemplary model in the development cooperation between the UN and a member nation.
It also demonstrates the role of the UN in promoting international cooperation to address economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian issues.
Since Vietnam officially joined the UN on September 20, 1977, the bilateral relations have been thriving.
The cooperation with the UN helped Vietnam promote the application of modern science and technology to build production facilities and gain access to aid from many foreign countries.
The UN also made significant contributions to the improvement of manufacturing techniques, science-technology human resources development, and the settlement of social issues in Vietnam.
Pursuing the external policy of multi-lateralisation and diversification of international relations, Vietnam has taken the UN forum as a basis to enhance relations with UN organisations and expand bilateral and multi-lateral relations with other countries and international organisations.
Vietnam’s position in the UN was marked with its election as Vice President of the UN General Assembly in 1997 and to various UN agencies.
Besides receiving aid from the UN, Vietnam took the initiative in building and participating in cooperation models for the UN.
Vietnam has actively coordinated with UN agencies to implement the “One UN” initiative, which received high evaluation from the donor community.
The cooperation programme between Vietnam and the UN in 2017-2021 has been submitted to the Vietnamese government for approval. It focuses on helping Vietnam carry out the socio-economic development plan in 2016-2020 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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