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In his remarks, made on the threshold of the 40th anniversary of Vietnam’s UN membership (September 20, 1977), Minh noted on January 14, 1946, shortly after the country gained its independence, then President Ho Chi Minh sent a message to the President of the UN General Assembly to show Vietnam’s respect for the global organisation.

For various reasons, it was not until more than 30 years later that Vietnam became the 149th member of the UN.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh

The Deputy PM said Vietnam’s struggle for independence contributed to the UN’s adoption of the General Assembly’s Resolution 1514, on December 14, 1960, on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples. Following national liberation movements around the world, this resolution led to the rapid increase of UN members in the 1960s.

Becoming a UN member, Vietnam began to be assisted by the UN through specialised agencies and organisations such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). They have come to support the country’s re-building efforts through influential projects such as the expanded immunisation programme and the family planning programme.

Over the last four decades, the UN has assisted Vietnam with more than US$2 billion, substantially helping development, Minh noted.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has contributed to the improvement of the UN’s role by participating in building norms and standards of international law on issues from disarmament to socio-economic affairs, or plotting the UN’s orientations like the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Notably, the country’s standing in cooperation with the UN has also changed, the official said, elaborating that it has changed from simply taking part in meetings to joining UN mechanisms in an active manner.

Minh added it has also run for seats at UN agencies and mechanisms such as the Commission for Social Development, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the UN Security Council.