(VOVworld) – Approximately 200 delegates have gathered for an international conference on multilateral foreign policy in Hanoi on August 12. The delegates will discuss ways to improve Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy and increase Vietnam’s contributions to global issues.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivers a key speech at the conference

Distinguished guests scheduled to attend the event include former WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, former UN Under-Secretary-General Jayantha Dhanapala, and former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will deliver the keynote speech. The conference will be Vietnam’s first on multilateral foreign affairs during its international integration process.

Experience in multilateral diplomacy

Over the past few years Vietnam has changed its stance from simply attending international events to actively raising initiatives and making practical contributions to global security and development issues.

Vietnam has been a responsible ASEAN member in building an ASEAN community and enhancing ASEAN’s unity and central role in regional issues.

Vietnam joined the UN peacekeeping force and was elected a member of the UN Human Rights Council, President of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee of the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

In March Vietnam hosted an international conference on Economic Reforms for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth. Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Program and Chair of the UN Development Group, told VOV: “UNDP Human Development Report last year “The rise of the South: Human progress in a diverse world” recognized Vietnam as one of the countries with high achieving dynamic economy, where progress o human development has been particularly strong. So there have been considerable economic and social successes. But important challenges remained. Facing economic slow down at home, the government is very much looking to shape the 2^nd generation of economic reform, so it can lift the growth rate and enable the continuation of the truly remarkable socio-economic progresses in the last couple of decades.”

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, said Vietnam’s achievements in fulfilling the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and contributions to UN reform have given Vietnam a more important position in global issues. “The UN is running three activities reviewing MDG implementation until 2015, identifying new sustainable development targets, and building a post-2015 development program. Vietnam has strengths in all three areas. The UN appreciates Vietnam’s experience.”

Building a long-term vision for multilateral diplomacy

While actively participating in multilateral cooperative mechanisms, Vietnam has built a long-term plan, including hosting the APEC summit in 2017 and becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 term. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told a conference of the diplomatic sector: “We need to raise our current status and take advantage of international forums for national security and development targets. We’ll actively participate and contribute ideas to build regional and global frameworks in which Vietnam has interests.”

Hosting the international conference on multilateral diplomacy will provide Vietnam useful lessons for planning its external policies and increasing its contributions to regional and global issues in the next decade.