Representatives of the HCM City's relevant departments and agencies attend the 2026 Conference on people-to-people diplomacy on October 6. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

 HCM CITY — HCM City is accelerating efforts to strengthen people-to-people diplomacy, focusing on expanding its foreign non-governmental network and leveraging overseas Vietnamese resources to drive socio-economic development.

Speaking at the 2026 people-to-people diplomacy conference on October 6 in HCM City, Hà Thanh, president of the city Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO), said amid complex global and regional shifts, people-to-people diplomacy continues to prove its vital role as one of the three core pillars of Việt Nam’s overall diplomacy, alongside Party and State diplomacy.

The event was attended by leaders and representatives from the municipal people’s committte and departments, foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the overseas Vietnamese community.

Over the past 37 years, HUFO and its member associations have served as a vital bridge connecting people, knowledge, and development resources.

Between July 2025 and June 2026, the city coordinated 163 people-to-people diplomatic events, ranging from national day celebrations and bilateral relationship anniversaries to international cultural festivals, delegation exchanges, and humanitarian aid efforts.

A central focus of the conference was expanding foreign non-governmental assistance.

Lê Thị Diệu Linh, Vice President of HUFO, said in 2026 the city recorded 117 registered foreign NGOs, an increase of five compared to 2025, operating across healthcare, education, social protection, community development, and environmental sustainability.

By September, the city People’s Committee approved 30 aid packages with a total committed value of over VNĐ302.4 billion (US$12.1 million).

This includes 20 project aid packages worth VNĐ137 billion ($5.5 million) and 10 non-project aid packages worth VNĐ165 billion ($6.6 million), providing critical support for vulnerable groups and alleviating pressure on the local social welfare budget.

The city also continues to tap into the strength of its 5.3 million overseas Vietnamese, over half of whom maintain strong ties with HCM City.

In 2025, remittances to the city surpassed $10.3 billion (out of nearly $18 billion nationwide), bolstering foreign exchange stability and local investment. In the first half of 2026 alone, remittance inflows reached over $4 billion.

To maximise future resources, HUFO called for tighter inter-agency cooperation with local police, financial authorities, and municipal departments.

Integrating people-to-people diplomacy into broader sector-wide international cooperation projects while strictly adhering to Decree No. 313/2025/NĐ-CP on aid management will ensure transparency, compliance, and sustainable growth.— VNS