Following the ceremony, the two sides held bilateral talks.
The visit by Secretary-General Guterres coincides with the 80th founding anniversary of the UN (October 24, 1945–2025) and Viet Nam’s 80th National Day (September 2, 1945–2025).
Over the past eight decades, the UN has affirmed its irreplaceable role as the most important multilateral mechanism in global governance. The organisation has made tireless efforts to maintain peace, prevent conflicts and wars, and uphold the core principles of international relations enshrined in the UN Charter. Hundreds of multilateral treaties across diverse areas have been signed under the UN’s auspices, forming a common framework for preserving global peace and security and promoting socio-economic development.
Nearly 50 years since becoming an official UN member, the Viet Nam – UN relations have grown increasingly substantive and comprehensive. The UN has accompanied Viet Nam from its post-war reconstruction and recovery period to its gradual integration into the world. Viet Nam has made strong and practical contributions as an active and responsible member across all key pillars of the UN’s work – peacekeeping, security, and development cooperation.
Notably, Viet Nam has twice been elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, for the 2008–2009 and 2020–2021 terms, during which it put forward numerous initiatives and solutions to global issues. It is currently holding several important international positions and continues to seek membership in major multilateral mechanisms and organisations.
The country has also actively participated in UN peacekeeping operations, deploying nearly 1,100 officers and soldiers from 2014 to 2024 to missions in remote regions. Through their dedication and close engagement with local communities, Vietnamese peacekeepers have become true “messengers of peace”, helping enhance the country’s image and standing in the international arena.
The visit takes place amid a rapidly changing and unpredictable global landscape, with intertwined challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, energy and food insecurity, and pandemics, all demanding stronger international coordination and collective action.
The Secretary-General’s visit underscores the UN’s appreciation of Viet Nam’s growing and substantive engagement in the organisation’s activities, while reaffirming the UN’s vital place in Viet Nam’s foreign policy and the country’s consistent support for multilateralism and international cooperation.
