Hanoi (VNA) – In2021, Vietnam has continued acting as an active and responsible member of theinternational comm✤unity as seen in its performance in many multilateral cooperationmechanisms.

During the year, aside frommaking active and responsible contributions within many frameworks, the countryhas successfully fulfilled its second term, 2020 -2021, as a non-permanentmember of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC); been re-elected to the UNInternational Law Commission for 2023 - 2027; and become a member of the UNESCOExecutive Board for 2021 - 2025. Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Dang Hoang Giang said Directive No. 25 issued by the Party CentralCommittee’s Secretariat in 2018 and the guidelines for diplomacy issued at the13th National Party Congress institutionalised a critically importantpolicy of promoting and elevating multilateral diplomacy to the next level. He noted Vietnam hasconsistently implemented the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance forpeace, friendship, cooperation, and development; multilateralising and diversifyingexternal relations; being a friend, a trustworthy partner, and an active andresponsible member in the international community; and ensuring the nationalinterests at the highest possible level on the basis of the fundamentalprinciples of the UN Charter and international law. This year, the most outstandinghighlight of multilateral diplomacy is the country’s non-permanent UNSC membership.Amid the fast-changing, complex, and unpredictable political - security andsocio-economic situation in the world over the last two years, Vietnam hasexcellently fulfilled this role, according to Giang. Do Hung Viet, Assistant tothe Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Departmentof International Organisations, said during its term at the UNSC, Vietnam hasalways shown its principled stance of upholding international law and the UNCharter while paying attention to the legitimate interests and opinions of theparties concerned. Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao,who was recently re-elected to the International Law Commission for 2023 -2027, held that Vietnam’s largest contribution to the UNSC is to promote thebuilding of the UN peacekeeping force. It has also represented the voice ofdeveloping countries in the settlement of conflicts in “hot spots”. He attributed this success toVietnam’s persistence in the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, andbeing an active and responsible member of the international community, whichhas helped maintain a peaceful and stable environment for developing thecountry; firmly safeguarding independence, sovereignty, and territorialintegrity; and raising Vietnam’s stature and prestige. Deputy Minister Giang addedthe important factors in the success of this time’s non-permanent UNSC membershipare the entire political system’s engagement under the leadership and directparticipation of senior Party and State leaders, the persistence in principlesand flexibility in strategies, the close and harmonious coordination amongrelevant ministries and sectors, the people’s support and consensus, along withinternational friends’ trust and assistance./.