1. Secretary General and President To Lam participated for the first time in the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, conveying a strong message that each nation plays a vital role in the “grand orchestration of our era.” At international and regional forums, Vietnam highlighted its vision and commitment to contributing to global peace and development.
2. UN member states adopted the Pact for the Future, outlining actions to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthen multilateral institutions, and promote international cooperation to create a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and sustainable future for all people. The pact aims for effective, comprehensive, and highly interactive multilateralism.
3. BRICS expanded its partner list, and the African Union (AU) participated in the G20 Summit as a formal member for the first time, reflecting the increasing role of Global South nations in global governance and the formation of a new multipolar international order. The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was launched to promote the completion of poverty eradication goals by 2030.
4. In the largest election year in human history, nearly half of the world’s population went to the polls across more than 50 countries and territories. Many leaders were re-elected, ensuring policy stability, while other countries chose new leadership. In the US, Donald Trump won the presidency for the second time; the Republican Party gained control of both houses of Congress and the White House.
5. A 60-day ceasefire agreement took effect to end nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, raising hopes for a similar agreement regarding the bloody conflict in Gaza between Israeli forces and the Hamas movement in Palestine. The conflicts between Israel with Hezbollah and Hamas over the past year have resulted in more than 45,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and nearly 3,800 deaths in Lebanon.
6. Right-wing parties rose strongly in Europe, claiming important victories in the European Parliament elections and many regional elections, shaking up European politics. The rise of right-wing parties has not only created important changes in national politics but also threatens to undermine the unity of the European Union, amid increasing voter concerns about immigration, security and national sovereignty.
7. The rapidly changing situation in Syria led to the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s government after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of the country. Syria entered a difficult transition phase under the administration of an interim government. The international community called for a peaceful and comprehensive political transition process towards elections and a new constitution, while ensuring Syria’s territorial integrity.
8. The UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution on promoting safe, secure, and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) systems towards sustainable development for all. The European Union (EU) officially activated its AI regulation act, following the Council of Europe’s adoption of the Framework Convention on AI, marking the birth of the first legally binding global treaty on AI governance regulations.
9. The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, achieved important progress with a financial agreement, whereby developed countries committed to spending at least 300 billion USD annually until 2035 to help developing countries promote transition investments and enhance climate change adaptation capabilities. Along with important decisions related to the global carbon market mechanism, the institutionalisation of the UN-backed Loss and Damage Fund marks a new era in global climate cooperation and finance.
10. 2024 was recorded as the hottest year in history, with many places worldwide setting new high-temperature records. Many countries suffered serious losses due to natural disasters. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the Noto Peninsula of Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture claimed more than 240 lives. Super Typhoon Yagi hit many Asian countries causing heavy rain and flooding, killing hundreds. Hurricane Helene killed more than 200 people in the US. Heavy rains caused devastating floods in Spain, leading to the worst natural tragedy in Europe in decades, killing more than 200 people.
