Politburo member Bùi Thị Minh Hoài, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front pins the First Class Labour Medal on the traditional flag of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations.— VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

By Nguyễn Hằng

HÀ NỘI — People-to-people diplomacy must align with the nation’s overarching direction and serve the cause of safeguarding, building and developing a prosperous, civilised and happy Việt Nam, Politburo member Bùi Thị Minh Hoài said at a ceremony on Monday in Hà Nội marking the 75th anniversary of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (November 17, 1950 – November 17, 2025).

The event also celebrated VUFO’s First-Class Labour Order and launched its patriotic emulation movement for the 2025–30 period.

Hoài stressed that amid increasingly complex global developments and urgent national demands in a new era of development, the entire Party, military and people were striving to accelerate the implementation of major breakthrough policies aimed at achieving the country’s two centenary goals.

In this context, she said organisations engaged in people-to-people diplomacy within the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, and VUFO in particular, must undertake substantive reforms to uphold the tradition of earlier generations and maintain their crucial role as one of the three pillars of Việt Nam’s comprehensive and modern diplomacy.

She emphasised the need for people-to-people diplomacy to harness its distinctive strengths by closely aligning “the Party’s will with the people’s hearts” and linking “great national unity with lofty international solidarity.”

“People-to-people diplomacy must work alongside Party diplomacy and State diplomacy to continue mobilising multilayered national and international strengths towards building a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Việt Nam that contributes significantly to the global revolutionary cause, consistent with recent directives of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm,” Hoài said.

She added that VUFO must continue to thoroughly grasp the Party’s strategic vision for Việt Nam’s new development phase, in which the country aims to become a high-income, developed nation advancing towards socialism.

VUFO should advise the Party, the State and the Việt Nam Fatherland Front on fostering a deeper understanding of people-to-people diplomacy and ensure clarity among diplomatic personnel at all levels regarding the distinct yet complementary roles of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.

Hoài called on VUFO to strengthen its coordination with the other two pillars of diplomacy in formulating and implementing foreign policy strategies, and to consolidate its role as the principal body uniting nationwide actors engaged in people-to-people diplomacy.

She urged further innovation in the content, methods and effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy, stressing that it must reflect the voices of the people and be carried out at grassroots level with meaningful participation from diverse sectors, particularly the younger generation, including youth, students and pupils.

Its activities should be diverse in terms of actors, partners, forms of cooperation and modes of implementation, unbound by rigid formality, and must be proactive, adaptive, innovative, practical and effective.

Hoài outlined three key breakthroughs for VUFO, including stronger leadership, direction and implementation mechanisms for people-to-people diplomacy with clearly assigned responsibilities and accountability; accelerated digital transformation and application of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI); and development of a highly capable, politically steadfast and ethically grounded workforce equipped with the skills required for increasingly demanding tasks.

On behalf of the Party and State leadership, Hoài presented VUFO with the First-Class Labour Order to recognise its exceptional achievements in people-to-people diplomacy, including mobilising international solidarity and resources in support of Việt Nam’s socio-economic development.

Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations' President Phan Anh Sơn delivers his speech at the event on Monday.— VNS Photo Nguyễn Hằng

Role of people-to-people diplomacy

Speaking at the event, VUFO President Phan Anh Sơn recalled the enduring contributions of people-to-people diplomacy throughout Việt Nam’s modern history.

During the years of devastating war, it helped build a broad global front of solidarity, engaging ordinary workers, politicians, lawmakers, intellectuals, journalists and artists.

Millions of letters, poems, photographs, marches and anti-war movements around the world became vivid testaments to humanity transcending hatred, affirming that Việt Nam was never alone and had become a symbol of justice, courage and the yearning for peace.

After 1975, when Việt Nam was heavily war-ravaged, isolated and under embargo, people-to-people diplomacy joined Party and State diplomacy in paving the way, helping dismantle isolation, rebuild trust and mobilise international support for recovery, reconstruction and socio-economic development, he said.

In the era of Đổi mới (Renewal) and deep international integration, VUFO and its member organisations had not only helped Việt Nam reach out to the world but also brought global partners to localities and communities across the country.

With thousands of partners worldwide and thousands of activities organised annually, VUFO had asserted an active role in regional and international forums.

It had served as a key focal point for mobilising aid in support of poverty reduction, social welfare, healthcare, education, environmental protection, post-war recovery and responses to natural disasters and epidemics.

Research, communications and outreach to overseas Vietnamese had also been strengthened, helping promote Việt Nam’s image and deepen mutual understanding and trust among nations.

Vietnam News Agency's Deputy General Director Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung (second, left) at the event on Monday.— VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

Profound gratitude

Sơn expressed profound gratitude to President Hồ Chí Minh, to generations of Party and State leaders, and to international friends and partners who have supported Việt Nam.

He paid tribute to generations of people-to-people diplomacy activists, those who lived through war, embargo and turbulent periods yet never lost faith in humanity and international solidarity.

He also extended thanks to peace movements, veterans who returned to Việt Nam to heal the wounds of war, and foreign NGOs that stood by Việt Nam during its most difficult moments.

“We cannot list everything you have done for Việt Nam, but please believe that we forget no one. Our gratitude goes to all those who have kept alive the flame of friendship between the people of Việt Nam and the peoples of the world, a flame kindled by trust, humanity and a shared aspiration for peace,” Sơn said.

Sơn added that in the coming period, VUFO would continue to uphold its traditions, renew its thinking and methods, strengthen its organisational structure and develop a capable, ethical and politically grounded workforce.

It would also expand its network of friends, partners and fields of cooperation to meet new requirements in people-to-people diplomacy.

Also at the event, Pauline Tamesis, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam, said Việt Nam's journey from conflict to peace, from poverty to progress, and from isolation to international leadership was a testament to the resilience, wisdom and vision of its people.

She also highly appreciated the role of VUFO in promoting mutual understanding, strengthening solidarity and deepening international friendship that allow nations to work together for shared progress. — VNS