Over the course of its development and international integration, the country has significantly expanded its role in regional and global affairs. This evolution is also reflected in the changing nature of the partnership between Vietnam and the United Nations.

Tamesis made the remarks in an interview with VOV ahead of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s participation in the coming 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, USA.

From receiving support to contributing to multilateral cooperation

According to the UN Resident Coordinator, the participation of the Vietnamese high-level delegation in the UNGA General Debate sends a clear message about the importance Vietnam attaches to the United Nations and multilateralism, at a time when international cooperation is increasingly necessary.

She noted that Vietnam’s development has also brought significant changes to its relationship with the UN and the international community. From a country emerging from war and isolation, Vietnam has become an upper-middle-income country with a deeply integrated economy and an increasingly active role in regional and global affairs.

In her view, the top Vietnamese leader’s working trip is significant not only for Vietnam-UN relations but also provides an opportunity for the country to bring its perspectives, experience and development aspirations into broader international discussions.

The partnership between Vietnam and the UN is therefore becoming increasingly two-way. The UN continues to provide support, knowledge and international partnerships to advance the country’s development goals, while its experience, initiatives and solutions can make growing contributions to regional and global agendas.

In the new stage of development, the UN hopes this partnership will continue to support Vietnam’s goal of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045, while creating greater scope for the country to contribute to peace, sustainable development and international cooperation.

Vietnam increasingly plays a connecting role

From the perspective of multilateral cooperation, the UN Resident Coordinator said Vietnam is expanding and deepening its engagement with the United Nations.

The country brings to multilateral forums extensive experience from its post-war reconstruction, poverty reduction, economic integration and sustainable development, Tamesis noted. Such experience is increasingly being shared through UN peacekeeping operations, participation in the Human Rights Council and the Security Council, as well as across the UN development system.

Against a backdrop of geopolitical differences and fragmentation, she said countries capable of promoting dialogue, building trust and seeking common ground are taking on greater importance.

Vietnam’s own journey, she stressed, demonstrates how peace, international cooperation and development can reinforce one another.

This perspective is reflected in the new cycle of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Vietnam for 2027-2031, which aims to build a more strategic partnership. The UN will continue to provide knowledge, expertise and international partnerships to support the country’s development goals, while Vietnam’s experience and solutions can contribute further to progress in the region and beyond.

Building resilience to emerging challenges

Alongside promoting multilateral cooperation, the Vietnam-UN partnership in the coming period will focus on protecting development gains and strengthening resilience to emerging challenges.

According to Tamesis, as Vietnam pursues its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, protecting the development gains already made is an important priority. This is also a focus of the new sustainable development cooperation framework between the two sides.

One challenge she highlighted is the growing impact of extreme weather and climate shocks, which cause annual economic losses equivalent to around 1–1.5% of Vietnam’s GDP. In response, the UN plans to work with the Government of Vietnam across several closely interconnected areas.

The first priority is strengthening the resilience of infrastructure and agri-food systems, with climate adaptation taken into account from the outset of development planning.

This will be accompanied by efforts to strengthen adaptive capacity and promote the energy transition through improved early-warning systems, greater early action ahead of disasters and the modernisation of meteorological monitoring networks. Digital tools and artificial intelligence are also being considered to support real-time risk forecasting.

The UN is also focusing on investment in people, expanding social protection systems, promoting digital inclusion and financial inclusion, and developing green skills.

The overarching goal of these areas of cooperation is to help Vietnam sustain economic growth, ensure social inclusion and advance its climate objectives at the same time, thereby protecting development gains and laying the foundations for a greener and more prosperous future, Tamesis concluded.