5 Key Tasks of People's Diplomacy in 2025

On January 6 in Hanoi, the Central Commission for External Relations held a conference to review people-to-people diplomacy in 2024 and outline tasks for 2025.

Rosie Nguyen

ngtrang12.ftu@gmail.com January 11, 2025 | 12:08

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According to the report presented by the commission, the 2025 people-to-people diplomacy agenda will focus on five key priorities.

First, it will continue to uphold the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization of international relations, maximizing favorable diplomatic conditions, actively implementing established frameworks, agreements, and common understandings between senior leaders. Efforts will be directed toward deepening friendships and cooperation with neighboring countries, major powers, Southeast Asian nations, important partners, and traditional friends, while enhancing multilateral diplomacy.

5 Key Tasks of People's Diplomacy in 2025

Le Hoai Trung, member of the Party Central Committee and head of the Central Commission for External Relations. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Second, it will effectively participate in and enhance international integration, leveraging resources and favorable conditions to contribute to socio-economic development, prepare for a new era of national progress, and elevate Vietnam's international standing.

Third, it will actively engage in advocacy and efforts to safeguard independence, sovereignty, and national interests.

Fourth, it will improve the quality and effectiveness of external communication and information dissemination, while continuing to contribute to the work related to overseas Vietnamese communities.

Fifth, it will strengthen the guidance, management, and implementation of people-to-people diplomacy activities.

Le Hoai Trung presents the Emulation Flag to the leading collectives in people's diplomacy in 2024. Photo: Dinh Hoa

Speaking at the conference, Le Hoai Trung, member of the Party Central Committee and head of the Central Commission for External Relations, emphasized that in the coming period, diplomacy, including people-to-people diplomacy, must continue to play a pioneering role in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development, enhancing Vietnam’s position on the international stage, and implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and diversification of external relations.

People’s organizations are expected to uphold the principles of "proactivity, flexibility, creativity, and efficiency," intensify research, analysis, and evaluation of partners, trends, and emerging issues in people-to-people diplomacy. These efforts aim to maximize advantages, minimize challenges, and adopt the approach of "cooperating and struggling" by identifying key priorities for engagement with specific partners and areas. It is crucial to innovate the content and methods of diplomacy, ensuring deeper, more practical activities that align with the Party’s viewpoints and the State’s policies.

Le Hoai Trung called on ministries, agencies, and sectors to maintain unified and comprehensive leadership of the Party, as well as centralized and effective management of the State, over people-to-people diplomacy. This includes implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW issued on October 25, 2017, by the Party Central Committee on organizational reform and streamlining. The human resources involved in people-to-people diplomacy need to be strengthened to operate efficiently, contributing to national development goals in the new era of Vietnam's progress.

At the conference, the Central Commission for External Relations presented five Emulation Flags and 36 Certificates of Merit to organizations and individuals for their outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in 2024. Additionally, 31 individuals received the Commemorative Medal "For the Cause of People-to-People Diplomacy." The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) was honored with the Emulation Flag for leading people-to-people diplomacy in 2024. Furthermore, 24 individuals from the VUFO Standing Office and its member organizations were awarded the Commemorative Medal, and eight organizations along with five individuals were presented with Certificates of Merit.

The commission’s report and conference discussions highlighted the complex and rapidly changing global and regional environment in 2024, which posed both challenges and opportunities. Coordination among the three pillars of diplomacy—Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy—remained close and effective, especially in implementing high-level directives, resolutions, and diplomatic activities. These efforts have helped maintain a peaceful and stable environment, attract critical resources for socio-economic development, and elevate Vietnam’s role and reputation internationally.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front, mass organizations, and people’s organizations continued to innovate and carry out diverse activities, strengthening solidarity, friendship, and cooperation with the people of other nations, international friends, and partners. This contributed significantly to building a positive social foundation for Vietnam's bilateral relations, and enhancing the presence of Vietnamese people’s organizations in regional, and international multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

These organizations have engaged in international cooperation to harness external resources for development, particularly in poverty alleviation, disaster recovery, post-war reconstruction, and addressing social issues, as well as human resource development.

Through their diplomatic activities, people’s organizations have played a role in protecting national interests, providing objective and timely information to the international community about Vietnam’s achievements in human rights protection and promotion, and showcasing the country’s image and people globally. They also contribute to supporting overseas Vietnamese communities.

The Central Commission for External Relations continues to advise the Politburo and the Secretariat on directing and guiding people-to-people diplomacy to ensure timeliness, precision, and alignment with the political mission.

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