Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-moon and his wife have arrived in Hanoi for a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang – Ban’s second visit to Vietnam since he took office as UN Secretary-General in 2007.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon and his wife in VN.

During his two-day trip, the UN Chief is due to meet with President Truong Tan Sang, pay courtesy visits to Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and attend a ceremony  marking the first anniversary of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center in Hanoi.

He will meet with UN agency representatives in Vietnam and talk Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) staff and students.

Established in October 24, 1945, right after the end of the Second World War, the UN is a multi-lateral organisation with the participation of nearly all countries around the world, serving, in part, to prevent another world war, as is clearly stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations. With 193 member countries and a comprehensive system of six principal organs, and various entities and organisations - including specialised agencies, research and training institutions, programmes and funds - the UN has expanded its role and operations in all fields and exerted efforts to realise its envisaged goals, contributing actively to international relations and to each country. Significant achievements in promoting international peace and security, economic development, human rights and international law enforcement, have led the UN to be recognised by the international community as a global organisation of the utmost importance in international politics, and an indispensable foundation for a more peaceful, prosperous and equal world.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made constant efforts and contributions to the UN’s three pillars: peacekeeping and security, human rights and economic development. He has deployed many initiatives aiming to handle regional conflicts, reshuffle peacekeeping operations, promote disarmament, mobilise international efforts in combating terrorism, climate change, hunger and poverty, diseases and natural calamities, and boost realisation of the UN Millennium Development Goals and post-2015 Development Agenda. Ban has also made significant contributions to UN-Vietnam relations.

Bilateral ties have been growing both extensively and intensively since Vietnam joined the UN on September 20, 1977. Both sides’ leaders have organised regular meetings to discuss ways to strengthen co-operation. Vietnam has been working actively with the UN to implement the UN Common Plan in the 2011-2015 period, and the country’s Socio-economic Development Strategy for 2011-2020. Vietnam has made active and practical contributions to the UN’s operations in many fields. Most notably, Vietnam successfully served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term and has been performing well as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term and actively participating in the UN’s peacekeeping operations. The Green One UN House in Vietnam, which is the first UN model in the world, shows Vietnam’s specific and outstanding contributions to the reform process of the world’s largest multilateral organisation.

Ban’s visit to Vietnam takes place as the world is witnessing many changes. The world economy continues facing difficulties despite positive signs; the international political and security situation has been unstable and unpredictable; strategic competition among major powers seems to be increasing; many hot spots remain in the Middle East and Africa, triggering the risk of widespread conflict; the prolonged Ukrainian crisis has been pushing tensions between Russia and the West; and the Asian-Pacific region continues to develop but faces potential risks of tensions, especially at sea. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Vietnam comes as the UN marks numerous important milestones and activities including the 70th anniversary of the UN (1945-2015), the completion of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and efforts to reach a new international agreement on responding to climate change later this year.

The official Vietnam visit by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon aims to further multifaceted co-operation between Vietnam and the UN, while promoting bilateral exchanges on issues of mutual concern including peace, security and global development. This will be an ideal occasion for Vietnam to affirm its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation, treasuring ties with the UN and being an active, positive and responsible participant in the UN’s activities, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and around the world.