UN chief urges Vietnam to further elevate its global voice

President Cuong warmly welcomed Secretary-General Guterres, who is in Vietnam to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, also known as the Hanoi Convention, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

He said that the visit coincides with the 80th founding anniversary of the UN (October 24, 1945-2025) and Vietnam’s 80th National Day anniversary (September 2, 1945-2025), underscoring the parallel development journeys of Vietnam and the UN.

The president expressed appreciation for the UN’s valuable support over nearly five decades, as well as for Guterres’ personal goodwill and attention to Vietnam.

Secretary-General Guterres praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements, from its struggle for independence and reunification to its current economic progress and ambition for double-digit growth in the coming years.

He commended Vietnam’s active, responsible contributions across all major pillars of the UN’s work, including hosting the Hanoi Convention, and its increasing participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

He affirmed that the UN will continue to support Vietnam’s development priorities, adding that he expects Vietnam to play an even greater leadership role in shaping a multipolar, cooperative world, where multilateralism and global governance mechanisms function more effectively and the voices of developing and emerging economies are further amplified.

During the meeting, President Luong proposed five key areas to strengthen future Vietnam-UN cooperation.

First of all, Vietnam called for UN reform to enhance operational efficiency and resource optimization, with Vietnam ready to host UN agencies if needed.

Secondly, Vietnam-UN strategic cooperation should focus on science, technology, innovation, high-quality human resources, climate change adaptation, non-traditional security challenges, and a just energy transition.

Thirdly, Vietnam stands ready for expanded participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Fourthly, strengthened collaboration in combating transnational and cybercrime is a must.

Lastly, it is necessary to deepen ASEAN-UN cooperation to ensure regional stability and development.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to upholding multilateralism, with the UN at its core, adherence to international law, and collective efforts to navigate global uncertainties.

The UN leader also voiced strong support for ASEAN’s central role in regional security and development frameworks and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Vietnam Sea, as well as resolving disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).