The visit is taking place in the special context of the UN's 75th anniversary (1945-2022) and 45 years of Vietnam’s membership (1977-2022). On this occasion, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will co-chair a ceremony to mark the 45 years of Vietnam-UN cooperation.
Reflecting the common aspiration for a world of peace, cooperation and development, the UN was established on October 24, 1945, with the lofty goal of maintaining world peace and security and creating a stable and sustainable environment for cooperation and development throughout the world.
With significant achievements over its 77-year history, the UN has affirmed its crucial role in international political life and become the indispensable foundation for a world of peace, prosperity, equality and development.
After nearly 76 years of history, the UN has become a comprehensive global organisation operating in a wide range of fields and paying a central role in promoting international law, protecting peace, preventing conflict, and responding to global challenges.
The role of the UN in global governance has been increasingly upheld in the new context in which the world has been changing rapidly and unpredictably due to the multi-dimensional impacts of many factors, including the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic which has posed serious impact on the international life, strategic competition, continuous conflict and tension in many regions, and sharply emerging non-traditional security challenges.
In that context, the UN has upheld multilateralism, consolidated peace and security, and promoted international cooperation in the implementation of commitments and agreements, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Vietnam expressed its desire to join the UN soon after gaining national independence in 1945. The country had overcome numerous formidable challenges and strived towards the sacred aspiration of peace and the right to self-determination and equality for all nations, which is also the common goal of the UN.
On September 20, 1977, Vietnam became an official member of the UN, marking the international community’s recognition of a peaceful, unified, independent, free and democratic Vietnam.
Over the past 45 years, Vietnam has always considered cooperation with the UN as a priority in the country’s foreign policy as well as an effective method to demonstrate that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community.
By upholding the role of the UN and multilateralism, promoting the respect for international law, equal relationship, friendship and cooperation between nations for global peace and development, Vietnam has actively and responsibly participated in and made substantive contributions to the UN’s key operations.
Vietnam’s practical and effective contributions to the UN have been acknowledged and trusted by the international community, and the country has been elected to hold many important positions in UN agencies.
The Vietnam-UN cooperation over the past 45 years has contributed to protecting and promoting Vietnam's national interests, especially in maintaining and consolidating a peaceful, secure and favourable environment to facilitate socio-economic development, foster international integration, and deepen Vietnam's relations with other countries, key partners and friends, while mobilising external resources for the national development.
The official visit to Vietnam of the UN Secretary-General is made on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam's UN membership, following Vietnam’s excellent performance in its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and its election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure.
Welcoming the UN Secretary-General’s official visit, Vietnam continues to affirm its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification of external relations, and active and proactive international integration in an extensive, comprehensive and effective manner.
The implementation of the foreign policy aims to realise the 13th National Party Congress’s foreign policy and the Secretariat’s Directive 25 on enhancing multilateral external relations, promoting Vietnam’s role in multilateral mechanisms, especially at the UN.
May Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ official visit to Vietnam be a great success, contributing to asserting and promoting the fruitful bilateral cooperation achievements and promoting the Vietnam-UN partnership in a deeper and more practical manner, thus contributing to peace, security, cooperation and development in the world.
