Vietnamese leader To Lam is expected to call for greater international trust and cooperation while outlining Vietnam's ambitions as it enters a new phase of development.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam and a high-level delegation have arrived in New York to attend the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and take part in bilateral activities in the United States.
Speaking to the press, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Vietnam's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said To Lam's participation in the UN General Assembly's high-level week demonstrates the importance Vietnam's Party and State attach to multilateralism and the UN's central role.
General Secretary and President To Lam addresses the high-level general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024. Photo: VNA
It also reflects Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as diversification and multilateralization of its international relations.
At the UN General Assembly, To Lam is expected to deliver a major address emphasizing the need to strengthen trust and work together to ensure that profound global transformations create more opportunities for peace, cooperation and development, moving toward a fairer and more humane international order, according to the ambassador.
The message comes from a nation that endured decades of war, division, isolation and embargoes and therefore deeply understands the value of peace, independence and self-reliance. It is also the message of a Vietnam undergoing significant transformation and confidently entering what its leadership describes as a new era of national development.
As it works toward its strategic goals for 2030 and 2045, Vietnam is seeking to harness new growth drivers including science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and a highly skilled workforce, while placing greater emphasis and investment on people, culture, social equity and harmony with the environment.
According to Do Hung Viet, these priorities align with major items on the UN agenda, creating significant room for Vietnam to strengthen cooperation, share experience and gain greater access to knowledge, technology and resources for its development.
At the same time, with its growing capabilities and international standing, Vietnam wants to make increasingly proactive and substantive contributions to the work of the United Nations.
General Secretary and President To Lam meets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in October 2025. Photo: Pham Hai
The ambassador said Vietnam is not only seeking to benefit from opportunities created by international cooperation, but is also ready to share responsibility and contribute so that people and nations can benefit from peace, cooperation and development.
That is the image Vietnam wants to continue presenting at the United Nations: an independent, self-reliant and peace-loving country, confidently entering a new stage of development, open to the world and ready to contribute to the international community's collective efforts.
The UN General Assembly's 81st high-level week takes place against a backdrop of profound global change.
Yet it is precisely in this environment that the need for international cooperation and the role of the United Nations become even more apparent.
The UN remains the world's broadest forum for countries to maintain dialogue, find common ground, establish frameworks for cooperation and act together to address global challenges.
Vietnam's record in multilateral institutions
Vietnamese military engineers serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission inaugurate key transport infrastructure in Abyei, Africa. Photo: Vietnam Engineering Unit
Under the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All," the 81st session emphasizes rebuilding trust in multilateralism and in countries' ability to maintain dialogue and cooperation, uphold the fundamental principles of international law, respect one another and work together to address common challenges.
This takes on added significance as the United Nations itself enters an important period of transformation. The UN80 Initiative continues to move forward, seeking to build a more streamlined, coherent and effective UN system.
At the same time, the process of selecting the UN's 10th Secretary-General is entering a decisive stage, preparing the organization for a transition in leadership and direction.
Vietnam is becoming increasingly engaged in international affairs and making more substantive contributions to the work of the global community. It is now being entrusted with greater responsibilities while proactively proposing initiatives and contributing to the development of shared frameworks and norms.
Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, in blue, joins the Vietnamese delegation at the election of judges to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in June 2026. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Vietnam hosted the opening for signature of the Hanoi Convention on cybercrime and was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council. For the first time, a Vietnamese expert, Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, was elected as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), receiving the highest number of votes among candidates from the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2026, Vietnam also assumed the presidency of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference for the first time.
Most recently, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 2027-2036 as the International Decade for Culture for Sustainable Development, with 103 countries co-sponsoring the initiative.
The initiative was proposed by Vietnam, which worked with a core group of countries for nearly a year to advance and build support for it across multilateral forums.
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