Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-United Nationscollaboration is an exemplary model in the development cooperation between theUN and a member nation.
It also demonstrates the role of the UN inpromoting international cooperation to address economic, social, cultural, andhumanitarian issues.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled tohold an important meeting with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres andattend a New York ceremony to mark 40 years of Vietnam’s participation in theUN (1977-2017), during his official visit to the US from May 29-31.
Since Vietnam officially joined the UN onSeptember 20, 1977, the bilateral relations have been thriving.
After the southern liberation and nationalreunification in 1975, Vietnam had to address post-war consequences,restructure the poor economy, and gradually restore production.
In that context, major UN donor agencies, particularlythe UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, the UN Food andAgriculture Organisation, the UN Children’s Fund and the World HealthOrganisation provided remarkable support for the Vietnamese government todevelop socio-economic infrastructure, especially in the fields of education,health care, population, and family planning.
The cooperation with the UN helped Vietnam promotethe application of modern science and technology to build production facilitiesand gain access to aid from many foreign countries.
Since 1986, Vietnam embarked on the cause of “doimoi” (renewal). The UN’s cooperation projects helped the Vietnamese Governmentbuild development policies and enhance management capacity for agencies andofficials.
The UN also made significant contributions to theimprovement of manufacturing techniques, science-technology human resourcesdevelopment, and the settlement of social issues in Vietnam.
In the 1997-2000 period, the UN’s support forVietnam focused on poverty reduction efforts, implementation of socialpolicies, management of the environment and natural resources, aidcoordination, State management, and resources mobilization.
In 2001-2005, the UN shifted its technicalassistance for Vietnam to the reform of economic institutions and policies,State-run businesses, public administration, law, public investment planningand the banking system while expanding its help to other fields such as HIV/AIDprevention and fatal diseases, promoting grassroots democracy and genderequality.
Pursuing the external policy of multi-lateralisationand diversification of international relations, Vietnam has taken the UN forumas a basis to enhance relations with UN organisations and expand bilateral andmulti-lateral relations with other countries and international organisations.
Notably, Vietnam fulfilled its role as anon-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 tenure. This wasthe first time Vietnam has participated in the most important organ of the UNon international peace and security.
Vietnam became an official member of the UNChemical Weapons Convention in 1998, and was one of the first countries to signthe Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996.
The country also joined the Conference onDisarmament in 1996, and engaged in the preparation process for major conferences,such as conferences on the revision of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation ofNuclear Weapons in 2000, 2005, and 2010, and on illegal trade of small weaponsin 2001 and 2003.
In June 2014, Vietnam for the first time joinedthe UN peacekeeping activities and the country is running for a non-permanentseat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.
Besides receiving aid from the UN, Vietnam tookthe initiative in building and participating in cooperation models for the UN. Thetri-partite cooperation between Vietnam, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and Senegal on rice cultivation has beenexpanded and widely applied as a model for the South-South collaboration.
Furthermore, Vietnam has actively coordinatedwith UN agencies to implement the “One UN” initiative, which received highevaluation from the donor community.
The building of the Green One UN House in Hanoiwas a highlight of the initiative in the bilateral cooperation period in2012-2016.
The cooperation programme between Vietnam andthe UN in 2017-2021 has been submitted to the Vietnamese government forapproval. It focuses on helping Vietnam carry out the socio-economicdevelopment plan in 2016-2020 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.-VNA