On the afternoon of July 19, in the framework of the 2023 National Conference on People-to-people Diplomacy, the second discussion session on renewing and improving the operational efficiency of the system of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations took place.

Delegates attend the second discussion session of the 2023 National Conference on People-to-people Diplomacy (Photo: Thu Ha).

Vice President - General Secretary of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son presented the work plan for 2024 and orientation for the VUFO system's development to 2030.

Accordingly, the focus of work in 2024 will be on the following areas: peace, solidarity, and friendship; foreign non-governmental work; consulting, research; information and communication; human resources and system development.

VUFO will continue to carry out foreign affairs activities as planned, focusing on celebrating Vietnam's diplomatic relations with other countries; actively participating in multilateral mechanisms; developing and expanding the network of partners around the world. Regarding INGO activities, VUFO will organize the 5th international conference on INGOs; administrative reform; diversity of aid sources; and innovation of mobilizing aid sources method.

Regarding orientations to 2030, VUFO identifies nine strategic goals including:

Improve the quality of consultation on formulating and implementing policies on people-to-people diplomacy; Improve the efficiency of connecting domestic and foreign partner organizations in development cooperation activities, effectively mobilize resources for Vietnam's socio-economic development;

Enhance the understanding of international friends and overseas Vietnamese about the guidelines, policies, country, people, history, and culture of Vietnam, thereby calling for consensus, support, and cooperation for the cause of national construction and defense;

Develop a wide network of partners around the world, especially in the countries with which Vietnam has comprehensive strategic partnerships, strategic partnerships, and comprehensive partnerships, countries that are neighbors and traditional friends of Vietnam, participate in all important multilateral mechanisms, and other peace and development organizations/ networks;

Raise the awareness and trust of domestic and foreign organizations and individuals in VUFO;

Complete the organizational system from the central to local levels, have Union of Friendship Organizations or Friendship Associations in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide, unify the model of mechanisms, terms, and policies for the local Unions of Friendship Organizations.

Promote the application of digital technology in operating, managing, and organizing work throughout the system; Diversify financial sources for the Union's activities; build strategic capabilities to realize the vision.

Vice President - General Secretary of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son presented a report at the Conference (Photo: Thu Ha).

"With such a vision, VUFO will become a strong organization with a high reputation nationally and internationally, capable of leading and uniting forces participating in people-to-people diplomacy activities and advising on strategies and policies on people's foreign affairs for the Party and State," said Phan Anh Son.

At the discussion session, representatives of member organizations at the central level and the local Unions of Friendship Organizations exchanged experiences and proposed measures to innovate and improve the operational efficiency of the VUFO's system.

According to Nguyen Duc Hung, Vice President - General Secretary of the Vietnam - Singapore Friendship Association, to conduct foreign affairs activities in the new situation, it is necessary to have new and effective thinking that needs to be measured by criteria and standards in line with new priorities such as: promoting the implementation of the country's socio-economic-political development programs; actively and proactively participating in building and promoting "soft power" to contribute to defending the country early and from afar; continuing to pioneer in the task of increasing understanding, building and strengthening international friends' friendly sentiment for Vietnam. Other than that, contributing to improving the efficiency of deep and practical international integration, contributing to creating motivation in international cooperation as well as performing tasks in diplomacy; actively and wisely handling information sources to work together with the media of the Party and State to provide an honest picture of the social changes, and to respond to the public's request for fast and timely information.

Nguyen Duc Hung, Vice President - General Secretary of the Vietnam - Singapore Friendship Association (Photo: Thu Ha)

Emphasizing the initiative, dynamism, flexibility, and autonomy in the activities of the Friendship Associations, Tran Anh Tuan, President of the Vietnam - Nepal Friendship Association, said that it is necessary to thoroughly understand that though each Friendship Association is a member organization of VUFO, it is an organization with its own seal, account, legal status, charter, operating on the principles of "voluntariness, self-management, self-financed operating funds", operates in a democratic, equal, transparent manner, and complies with the Constitution, laws and the Association's charter.

Do Quoc Huong, Chairman of Ha Giang's Union of Friendship Organizations, suggested continuing to raise awareness, responsibility, and innovation and improve the quality of propaganda at all levels and units on people-to-people diplomacy. At the same time, he recommended promoting people-to-people external activities under the motto "proactive, flexible, creative and effective"; strengthening coordination at Party committees, authorities, and mass organizations in people-to-people diplomacy to create linkages, unity, synchronization, and mutual support in activity implementation. Along with that, it is needed to implement the MOUs and cooperation agreements signed by the locality, continuing to expand cooperation with new partners; strengthening exchanges and twinning activities between the locality with traditional and new partners, and prioritizing the province's international integration process.

Also according to Huong, local Unions need to do well in summarizing and replicating models of twinning, friendship exchange, and effective external relations models; researching the participation of appropriate multilateral mechanisms; strengthening the role of the localities in consolidating friendship and solidarity with the people of neighboring countries, building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. In particular, they need to continue to consolidate and improve the quality of the personnel in charge of people-to-people diplomacy in the localities; strengthen training and retraining activities to improve quality, capacity, and prestige, to meet the requirements of improving the quality of people-to-people foreign affairs in the new situation.

Emphasizing the role of awareness in people-to-people diplomacy, Nguyen Thanh Tri, Chairman of Dong Nai's Union of Friendship Organizations, suggested that the Party's Central Commission for External Relations regularly give orientations to local party committees on improving the quality of people-to-people foreign affairs, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations regularly opens training courses for staff engaged in people-to-people diplomacy in various forms (in-person, online, both); maintains providing documents of global and regional situation. Along with that, he proposed VUFO support to equip reading rooms and bookcases on diplomacy for provincial Unions of Friendship Organizations and organize many cultural exchange and friendship programs at regional, national, and international levels.

Nguyen The Ky, Chairman of the Vietnam Committee for Solidarity and Cooperation with Asia-Africa-Latin America (Photo: Thu Ha).

Nguyen The Ky, former member of the Party Central Committee, former General Director of the Voice of Vietnam Radio, Chairman of the Central Committee for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts, Chairman of the Vietnam Committee for Solidarity and Cooperation with Asia-Africa-Latin America, said that Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy are equally important, together performing the common task of national diplomacy, for the sake of global peace and friendship.

During the previous term and first half term of implementing the 13th Party Congress's Resolution in the 2021-2023 period, people-to-people diplomacy played a great role in enhancing the image, position, and prestige of Vietnam in the international arena. However, the operating conditions of organizations and people in people-to-people diplomacy still face many difficulties. According to Nguyen The Ky, people-to-people diplomacy needs to be invested with sufficient funds to operate at home and abroad.

Concluding the event, the President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, Nguyen Phuong Nga, said that the conference had completed the program set out with positive and substantive results. Through reports, discussions, and opinions exchange, VUFO has gained more good experiences, good models, and many solutions to improve operational efficiency in various fields; contribute to building the Union's orientation to 2030. This is also the basis for developing the document of VUFO's 7th National Congress of Deputies for the 2024-2029 term.

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Nguyen Phuong Nga gave a closing speech at the Conference (Photo: Thu Ha).

The standing body of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations will collect and learn from the opinions and conclusions at the Conference, complete VUFO's development orientation and continue to prepare the contents for the 7th National Congress. In the immediate future, it will well organize the implementation of the work plan for the last six months of 2023 and develop a feasible work program in 2024.

"I believe the Conference will mark a new milestone in the activities of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, strengthen the close cohesion, and create a new impetus for the entire VUFO's system," said President Nguyen Phuong Nga.

On this occasion, President Nguyen Phuong Nga called on the entire VUFO system and each member organization to be united in awareness, high determination in action, stick to the motto "Active, flexible, creative and effective", quickly concretize the results of the Conference, actively implement people-to-people diplomacy in the spirit of Directive No. 12 of the Party Central Committee dated January 5, 2022; well perform the 2023 tasks and the 6th VUFO Congress's Resolution, practically serving the country's socio-economic and cultural development goals, contributing to the successful implementation of the 13th Party Congress's Resolution.

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