Reinforce internal force, promote entire system's strength, expand partner network

In the third year of implementing the 13th Party Congress' Resolution, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations pays special attention to raising awareness of the team specialized in people-to-people foreign affairs throughout the system about the Party's foreign guidelines and directions, as well as the role, position, importance and new requirements placed on people-to-people diplomacy. The thorough grasp is carried out through conferences, seminars, guiding documents as well as regular exchanges and contacts, joint activities of the Standing Agency, and other foreign affairs activities.

In addition, working programs with leaders of provinces and cities, people-to-people foreign affairs conferences, training programs, and information-sharing sessions at central and local levels of the Viet Nam Union of Vietnamese Friendship Organizations actively contribute to changing the perception of people-to-people diplomacy. Therefore, people-to-people diplomacy truly becomes "the task of the entire political system, of each cadre, party member and person" as stated in the Directive No. 12 of the Secretariat and contribute to spreading the essence of people-to-people foreign affairs, realizing the philosophy "every citizen is a soldier on the foreign affairs front".

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son (R) talks with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to Vietnam Vuyiswa Tulelo (L) and Deputy Minister of Sports and Arts and South African Culture Nocawe Mafu on October 2, 2023, in Hanoi. (Photo: Thu Ha)

Deeply aware that the strength of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations comes from its entire system, in 2023, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations continued to focus on strengthening the system's organizational apparatus from central to local levels. At the Standing Agency, build an environment, working culture, and learn discipline, regulations, and solidarity so that each officer working in people-to-people foreign affairs has the highest ethical qualities, bravery, steadfastness, determination, sensitivity, flexibility, creativity, enthusiasm, and professionalism, keeping up with the development trends of the times that are being drastically implemented. Along with that, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations strengthens guidance and coordination through sharing information, organizing conferences, seminars, training courses, and yearly operation orientation.

In 2023, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations also paid special attention to strengthening and expanding relationships with existing partners. The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations continues to maintain relations with traditional friends and partners of the Vietnamese people, those who have united, supported and helped Vietnam during the two resistance wars, when Vietnam was under siege and embargo, as well as during the period of renovation and opening up, through many gratitude and cooperation activities, conveying the message of a faithful, loyal, reliable, and consistently grateful Vietnam, which always remember its friends' solidarity and support.

Besides, changes in the world and regional situation, together with the new trends of movement and force gathering of social movements and people's movements of countries, which are flexible and diverse on topics, contents, and forms, have posed new requirements and tasks for the country, foreign affairs, and people-to-people diplomacy. Given that context, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has proactively reviewed and identified its partner system on all continents, thereby promoting relationships with new partners towards multilateralization and diversification.

Proactive, flexible, creative, effective, contributing to the cause of building and protecting the country

In 2023, as the core force of the people-to-people diplomacy pillar, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations continued to strongly innovate and effectively promote the motto "proactive, flexible, creative, effective": Proactive in consulting with Party and State leaders, proactive in building major orientations of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, proactive in building the system, preparing for the staff, proactive in monitoring, understanding the situation, proactive in organizing foreign affairs activities; Proactive, flexible and creative in changing methods and content of activitié organizations, handling complex and sensitive issues.

Activities to clear mines left after the war by the PeaceTree Vietnam.

With innovation, initiative, flexibility, and creativity, in 2023, the people-to-people diplomacy work of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has achieved meaningful results, contributing to the overall success of Vietnam's foreign affairs. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has actively participated and advised on how to well organize people-to-people diplomacy activities within the framework of Party and State leaders' high-level delegations visiting and working in other countries; contributing to promoting friendly relations and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries.

In the year that Vietnam upgraded relations with major partners such as China, the United States, and Japan, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations chaired and coordinated with departments, ministries, agencies, sectors and people's organizations to organize important foreign affairs activities, notably the "Vietnam-China meeting of friendship activists and young generation," which was participated by the General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the People's Republic of China people Xi Jinping and his spouse and Vietnam's General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his spouse, along with more than 400 intellectuals and young people of the two countries; the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan participated by Standing Comrade of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai and Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko; and the "Program to celebrate the 10 years of the Comprehensive Partnership and prospects of Comprehensive Strategy Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development", attracting more than 3,500 attendees. In addition, more than 800 other bilateral and multilateral people-to-people foreign affairs activities, organized at both the central and local levels in diverse and creative forms such as logo design competitions commemorating diplomatic relations; cultural and culinary festivals; conferences, international seminars; exchanges; art performances; foreign language singing festivals; tree planting ceremonies, drawing competitions for children... help convey to international friends the message of a vibrant, aspirational Vietnam that is emerging with the values of progress, peace, and friendship spread throughout five continents.

In foreign non-governmental work, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has actively and effectively implemented activities, linking aid mobilization with political and foreign affairs advocacy. The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and member organizations at central and local levels have proactively and actively responded and deployed emulation activities launched by the Party, State, Government, and Fatherland Front of Vietnam; coordinated and connected with partners and donors to implement many projects and activities to support localities in social protection, public health care, and provision of medical equipment, construction of commune clinics, rural roads, clean water, and sanitation, development of traditional professions, microfinance; integrated rural development; building educational infrastructure, cultural houses, clinics, and schools; activities to overcome the consequences of war, clear bombs and mines, contribute to helping reduce economic difficulties, contribute to ensuring social security, reducing natural disasters, protecting the environment, and improving health, education, culture... in rural areas. Responding to the call of the Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front's Central Committee on the campaign "Unite to protect the environment for a happy life" and "Charity for the poor people of Dien Bien,” which were held toward the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has registered to support 20 houses with a total value of VND 1.4 billion and has mobilized resources to build 31 houses (11 more than the registered number).

The research and advisory work of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations in 2023 is gradually getting more substantive, demonstrated through positive contributions in building major and important orientations and policies related to foreign affairs, advising and serving high-level foreign affairs activities of Party and State leaders and participating in solving difficulties and obstacles in cooperative relations between Vietnam and other countries and complicated and sensitive issues...

External information and propaganda is also one of the priorities of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations in 2023. The team specializing in external information of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has taken the initiative and creatively applied digital transformation, new communication technologies such as infographics, e-magazines, technology to reach readers and initially achieved positive results, attracting a large number of international readers, thereby introducing and promoting to people at home and abroad the image of the country, people, policies of Vietnam and localities across the country, on sovereignty, islands, protection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam, thus enhancing understanding and enlisting the sympathy and support of international friends for Vietnam.

Overcome challenges, take advantage of opportunities, get ready for new tasks

In 2024, many factors in the global and national situation will affect foreign affairs, particularly people-to-people diplomacy. The world continues to witness rapid, complex, irregular, and unpredictable changes. One of the factors that strongly impacts the activities of people's organizations in other countries and Vietnam's people's foreign affairs is the new development trends of social movements and people's movements around the world, which is flexible in gathering force, easy connection, and influenced and affected by big countries. This poses many challenges to foreign affairs and people-to-people diplomacy. On the other hand, we are also facing great opportunities as the country's position, prestige, and role are increasingly enhanced. Nowadays, Vietnam has comprehensive strategic partnerships and strategic partnerships with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. We have also participated and been elected to many important mechanisms of the United Nations. Domestically, the Party and State leaders are paying more attention and giving close guidance to people-to-people diplomacy and the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations.

Having identified challenges as well as opportunities; thoroughly grasped the Party's major policies and realized the role of people-to-people diplomacy in building comprehensive and modern diplomacy, in 2024, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations will focus on some major orientations, including continuing to well perform Party building work, deeply grasping the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress and the central government's directives and resolutions; strengthening the organizational system from central to local levels; strengthening orientation, coordination, and information sharing throughout the system; improving the quality of staff specialized people's foreign affairs; continuing to strongly innovate in thinking, approaches, methods of organization and content of people's foreign affairs activities; promoting improvement in the quality of research and consulting work; and expanding external information channels.

In particular, in 2024, the first year of implementing the Strategy to Develop the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations until 2030, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations will focus on successfully organizing three major activities, including the National Conference on People-to-people Foreign Affairs, the 5th International Conference on Cooperation between Vietnam and Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations and notably the 7th National Congress of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations.

Given the new situation, to meet Party and State leaders' requirements and expectations, and the trust of international partners and friends, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations is determined to innovate, be creative, and overcome difficulties to successfully complete its tasks in 2024, towards the 7th National Congress of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations.