New York (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s participation in the High-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) and bilateral activities in the US from September 20 is expected to highlight Vietnam’s commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation, as well as contributions to addressing global challenges.
Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in New York on September 17 ahead of the trip, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said that UNGA 81 is taking place amid profound changes and growing challenges, including prolonged conflicts, climate change, natural disasters, pandemics and emerging issues arising from rapid scientific and technological development, particularly artificial intelligence (AI).
He noted that progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals remains slow while development resources have declined significantly. At the same time, differences in interests, unilateral actions and developments undermining international law have worsened mistrust and weakened strategic confidence, making dialogue and cooperation more difficult.
Against this backdrop, the ambassador stressed, the need for international cooperation and the role of the UN have become increasingly evident. No country, regardless of its size or strength, could address global challenges alone. Meanwhile, the UN remains the largest forum for countries to maintain dialogue, seek common ground, build frameworks for cooperation, and taken joint action to resolve global challenges.
He said the theme of UNGA 81, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”, is therefore appropriate and timely, calling for restored confidence in the UN and multilateralism, as well as stronger commitments to dialogue, cooperation, respect for the fundamental principles of international law, mutual respect, and joint efforts to address common issues.
Regarding the top leader’s participation in the high-level general debate, Viet said it reaffirms the importance that the Vietnamse Party and State attache to multilateralism and the central role of the UN, and reflects the country’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and multilateralisation and diversification of external relations.
The visit takes place as Vietnam is implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, which identifies foreign affairs and international integration as a key and regular task.
At the UNGA, General Secretary and President Lam is expected to deliver an important address highlighting the need to strengthen trust and work together so that major global transformations can create greater opportunities for peace, cooperation and development, towards a fairer and more humane international order.
To achieve its strategic development goals for 2030 and 2045, Vietnam is seeking to harness new growth drivers, including science – technology, innovation, digital transformation and high-quality human resources, while placing greater emphasis on investment in people, culture, social equity and environmental sustainability.
These priorities are closely aligned with the UN’s major agendas, creating ample room for the country to deepen cooperation, share experience and access additional knowledge, technology and resources for development, the diplomat stated.
At the same time, Vietnam wishes to make increasingly substantive contributions to the UN’s work and share its experience and make responsible contributions to ensuring that all people and nations can enjoy the benefits of peace, cooperation and development. This, Viet said, reflects the image of Vietnam that the country wishes to continue presenting at the UN: an independent, self-reliant and peace-loving nation which is confidently entering a new phase of development, open to the world and ready to work with and contribute to the international community’s common efforts.
The ambassador also highlighted the progress in Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy, citing its election to international bodies and responsibilities, including its presidency of the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the election of the first Vietnamese judge to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the 2026–2035 term.
He further noted that the UN General Assembly’s recent adoption of a resolution declaring 2027–2036 the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development, with 103 countries co-sponsoring the initiative, reflects Vietnam’s efforts to turn its national priorities into contributions to the global development agenda.
Viet said a common feature of Vietnam’s recent multilateral initiatives is their alignment with both the country’s interests and strengths and the shared concerns of the international community. Through listening, dialogue and efforts to find common ground, Vietnam aims to further enhance its contributions to global affairs while creating additional opportunities for international cooperation in service of national development./.
VNA
