Since its admission to the United Nations in 1977, Vietnam has actively participated in all UN-initiated activities, increased and expanded relations with UN agencies. Through these activities, the country’s position has been elevated in the international arena.

Thirty years ago today (September 20), President of the United Nations General Assembly, Deputy Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia Lazar Mojsov officially declared at its 32nd session that Vietnam had been admitted to the United Nations as its 149th member.

Since its admission, Vietnam has actively participated in all activities of the UN and its organisations, making significant contributions to missions common to the international community. In pursuing the external policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, Vietnam has become a reliable partner of international friends towards the UN goal of protecting international peace and security, developing friendly relations with other countries, and implementing socio-economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation programmes. In the meantime, the country has made use of effective assistance from the UN in various areas, particularly in socio-economic and cultural development.

Vietnam’s development efforts have been acknowledged by the international community. The country has fulfilled millennium development goals (MDG) on poverty reduction and gender equality successfully. Notably, it has reduced the poverty rate from 58 percent in 1993 to 24 percent in 2004, or 11 years ahead of the schedule it had committed to the UN.

Vietnam has also narrowed the gender gap in such areas of education, labour and employment. More and more Vietnamese women have been involved in leadership in people-elected agencies. Currently, Vietnam ranks first in Asia and 18th in the world regarding the number of women elected to the National Assembly.

During a visit to Vietnam in 2006, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he was impressed by discussions with Vietnamese leaders, including female leaders. He said he supported two bills on gender equality and prevention of violence against women.

Thanks to these achievements, Vietnam’s position has been constantly elevated in the international community. During a visit to Vietnam last year, Kemal Dervis, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme said that Vietnam deserves to be a role model for other developing countries to follow in implementing MDGs on economic and human development and other areas. As a result, Vietnam has been selected to be one of the first eight countries in the world to implement a national-level pilot programme on UN reform (called One UN Initiative). The country has also been selected as the role model in implementing this programme.

Vietnam has also implemented tripartite cooperation programmes effective with African countries, including an agricultural cooperation programme between Vietnam, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and African countries.

Currently, cooperation between Vietnam and UN agencies is focused on implementing economic development policies for sustainable growth and providing better social welfare services to realise the goals and values of the UN Millennium Declaration. A UN Strategy has been formulated to support Vietnam in implementing the 2001-2010 socio-economic development strategy and the 2006-2010 socio-economic development plan.

Relations between Vietnam and the UN have been developing well over the past three decades on the basis of mutual trust and respect, and are expected to bear more fruit in the future. (CPV/VOV)