A high-level meeting to celebrate the UN's 80th anniversary. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

On June 26, 1945, representatives from 50 countries signed the UN Charter. The organization officially came into being on October 24, 1945, after all five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the majority of signatory countries ratified the Charter.

The foundation of international relations

The UN, now having 193 member states and two observer states, was created following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission of maintaining international peace and security by working to prevent conflict, helping parties in conflict make peace, and promoting dialogue among nations based on the core principles of the UN Charter: independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

During the Cold War that lasted over four decades, the UN served as the final anchor of peace, preventing the world from descending into another conflict that could have devastated human civilization.

“Over the years, our Organization has led the way to some of humanity’s greatest triumphs: the eradication of smallpox, healing the ozone layer, and, above all, the prevention of a third world war. The tests of the next 80 years will be both familiar and new. The battle will continue against war and poverty, and also climate chaos, runaway technologies, the militarization of space, and crises we cannot yet imagine,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Beyond its vital contributions to global peace and security, the UN has been a pillar for promoting national development and social progress. Alongside its main bodies, the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN has dozens of specialized agencies that lead global cooperation efforts, design long-term development strategies, and foster international governance networks.

UN agencies such as UNESCO, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNEP have played key roles for decades in advancing culture, health, livelihoods, and sustainable development worldwide. Initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have brought remarkable transformations to many nations, particularly poverty reduction, social welfare improvement, better accession to healthcare and education, and social progress advancement.

One of the great things about the United Nations is that it has this amazing network that has developed across different countries, within countries, and also across different institutions, said Professor Veronika Fikfak, an expert in human rights and international law at the University of London. The UN is able to really trigger that network and use it in crises, use it in pandemics like COVID, she added. 

Vietnam accompanies the UN

Since joining the UN in 1977, Vietnam has made impressive progress, from a country once facing major difficulties and relying on international assistance, to become a development model highly regarded by the UN and its partners.

Vietnam’s achievements in poverty reduction, universal education, and healthcare access have been recognized by the UN as a vivid example of a developing nation placing people at the center of its policies. Over the past decade, Vietnam has actively participated in the UN activities such as sending thousands of soldiers and police officers to UN peacekeeping missions in hotspots such as the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Abyei.

With these efforts, Vietnam has gained increasing recognition within the UN, being re-elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

“Vietnam has come a long way and the journey continues. You once again have the opportunity to be a powerhouse for change, to secure a climate resilient future, to leave no one behind, to transform your economy and help transform the world. The United Nations is proud to be your partner every step of the way,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said during a visit to Vietnam in October 2022 on the 45th anniversary of Vietnam’s UN membership. 

With the principals of pursuing peaceful and friendly foreign policy and attaching great importance to multilateralism, Vietnam reaffirms its commitment to stand with the UN and other countries in addressing global challenges, especially amid rising instability. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong emphasized this message at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly held in late September at UN Headquarters in New York.

“This is a time for us to unite to reaffirm and uphold the irreplaceable role of multilateralism and the international system based on international law, with the UN at its core. With a strong commitment of being a friend, a trusted partner, and a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam will make every effort to work with other nations to take on shared responsibilities, overcoming challenges, and driving transformations toward a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and sustainable world,” said President Cuong.

On Saturday and Sunday, Vietnam will host the signing ceremony of the UN Convention on Countering Cybercrime (the Hanoi Convention), the first global legal framework on cybercrime adopted within the UN framework in over two decades.