Enhancing MOFA’s role in coordination and strategic advisory on legal affairs and foreign legal relations
WVR - The year 2025 marks significant achievements in foreign relations and the establishment of international integration frameworks, with contributions from the Department of International Law and Treaties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
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| The year 2025 also marks the first time the Department of International Law and Treaties was honoured with the task of coordinating and serving the Prime Minister's delegation at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. In the photo, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính speaks at the Finance and Green Economy Forum of the Conference. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
The Department of International Law and Treaties (DILT) is one of the 22 assisting units of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, functioning as the legal affairs organization of the Ministry; advising on state management of international treaties and agreements; providing legal counsel in foreign relations. The work of the DILT is closely linked with the foreign activities of the Ministry, aligning with the country's development needs at each stage.
The year 2025 is the final year of implementing the 13th National Party Congress Resolution, holding special significance in summarizing practices, perfecting institutions, and preparing conditions for the next development phase. Internationally, the global situation continues to evolve rapidly and complexly; strategic competition among major countries is increasing; numerous global and regional issues pose new demands on Vietnam's foreign affairs and international integration.
In this context, the DILT has profoundly grasped and vigorously implemented the Party's policies and viewpoints, directives from State, Government, and Ministry leaders, proactively and actively deploying comprehensive work, achieving substantial results, directly contributing to institutionalizing and implementing the Party and State's guidelines, policies in foreign affairs and international integration.
Significant highlights
The year 2025 witnessed important foreign activities contributing to Vietnam's achievements in proposing and nurturing initiatives, leaving significant marks in global politics and law. The successful organization of the Signing Ceremony and High-Level Conference of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi, in close coordination with the Ministry of Public Security, marked the first time a Vietnamese location was associated with a significant global legal document of the United Nations. The Signing Ceremony was considered one of the largest UN treaty events in the past decade, laying the foundation for a new cooperation process to address a human challenge, thereby affirming Vietnam's credibility, position, and proactive role in international integration.
Additionally, 2025 was also the first time the DILT was honored with the task of coordinating and serving the Prime Minister's delegation at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. At the Conference, the Prime Minister delivered an important speech representing ASEAN and the nation; also chaired a side event on global deltas. Vietnam actively participated in discussions at the Conference, assuming various roles such as co-chair, keynote speaker, rapporteur, while making numerous voluntary commitments on marine conservation and sustainable use, clearly demonstrating the responsibility of a coastal nation, linking development with environmental protection and compliance with international law.
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| Discussion on the topic "United Nations Convention: Foundation for Sovereignty Protection and Multilateralism Enhancement" held within the framework of the Signing Ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention), October 26. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
As the advisory unit in state management and the coordinating hub for institutionalizing the Party's foreign and international integration policies, the DILT has made numerous contributions to the Ministry's work, including the Ministry's Party Committee proposing the Secretariat to issue Directive No. 56-CT/TW dated December 24, 2025, on strengthening the Party's leadership over the signing and implementation of international commitments. The Directive promptly addressed limitations identified in the assessment of the implementation of the 13th Party Congress Resolution, affirming the Party's comprehensive, consistent leadership role in this important work area, considering it a key condition to ensure international commitments are signed and implemented substantively and effectively, directly serving national development. The Directive also outlines systematic, comprehensive tasks and solutions, from perfecting legal institutions, enhancing advisory quality, research to strengthening guidance, inspection, supervision, and applying science and technology in managing the signing and implementation of international commitments.
Alongside, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the Drafting Agency, led the development and submission to the National Assembly for approval in the same session two important legal documents, including Resolution No. 250/2025/QH15 on specific mechanisms and policies to enhance international integration efficiency and Law No. 137/2025/QH15 amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on International Treaties. Resolution No. 250/2025/QH15 implements Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025, of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation; Law No. 137/2025/QH15 concretizes the policy of strengthening decentralization and delegation associated with the requirement of unified management of foreign activities, thereby creating new momentum and strength for foreign affairs in the next phase.
Simultaneously, in the context of the entire political system promoting decentralization, delegation, and building a two-tier local government, the DILT also advised the Ministry to submit to the Government for issuance Decree No. 134/2025/NĐ-CP regulating decentralization and delegation in foreign affairs and Decree No. 177/2025/NĐ-CP amending decrees in the field of international agreements. These decrees not only promptly resolved arising obstacles in the implementation of the two-tier local government model and streamlined apparatus but also created more proactive, favorable conditions for localities in implementing foreign affairs.
The year 2025 also marked a very significant milestone in state management of international treaties and agreements with the public operation of the National Database on International Treaties. The public and transparent disclosure of information on international treaties of which Vietnam is a member contributes to enhancing state management efficiency, better serving the search, review, and implementation of international commitments, in line with administrative reform and digital transformation requirements in the new situation, while shifting from a management mindset to a service mindset as directed by the General Secretary.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, and Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Le Tan Toi press the button to launch the National Database on International Treaties. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The aforementioned achievements result from the close attention and guidance of the Ministry's leadership and the effective, close cooperation and support of units within and outside the Ministry, as well as Vietnamese representative agencies abroad. Achieving these results also stems from the DILT's important lesson of unity, discipline, and innovation in thinking and creativity in work. Particularly, the flexible organization of workforces and tasks according to missions, mobilizing resources suitable to the nature of each task, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination, and proactively leveraging the intelligence of agencies, units, and experts domestically and internationally have enabled the DILT to complete its assigned tasks amidst personnel changes.
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| The team of the Department of International Law and Treaties at the Hanoi Convention Signing Ceremony. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Continuing efforts to create breakthroughs
Building on the achievements and experiences gained in 2025 and previous years, the DILT is determined to continue focusing on perfecting the institutional and legal framework for foreign affairs and elevating multilateral legal work, considering it a breakthrough to effectively implement the foreign policy of the 14th National Party Congress. The focus is on enhancing the quality of legal affairs, perfecting institutions; promoting multilateral legal work in a proactive, substantive manner; further improving state management efficiency on international treaties and agreements; while emphasizing the development of a legal cadre with strong political will, professionalism, modernity, and deep expertise.
Being recognized as an exemplary collective in the 2022-2025 period is a recognition and high appreciation from the Ministry's leadership and the support of units within the Ministry for the DILT's work in recent times. This is also a great encouragement for each individual in the unit to continue striving, harnessing collective strength and intelligence, further affirming its role as a focal point, coordinating agency, and strategic advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the field of legal construction and international law, contributing to the successful implementation of the independent, self-reliant, peaceful, cooperative, and developmental foreign policy, making practical contributions to the cause of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new phase.
