Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations receives First-Class Labour Order

Attending the ceremony were Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Central Mass Organizations, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Fron Bui Minh Hoai; Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son; leaders and former leaders of the Party and State; leaders of central departments, ministries, branches, mass organizations, and socio-political organizations.

Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Bui Thi Minh Hoai speaks at the event. (Photo: An Dang)

The event also saw the participation of leaders from provinces and cities; universities, research institutes, scholars, experts, and domestic enterprises; ambassadors, representatives of embassies, international organizations, and foreign NGOs in Vietnam, international friends and partners; leaders, officials, and employees of VUFO and its member organizations from central to local levels; and central and Hanoi press and media agencies.

VUFO was honored to receive congratulatory flower arrangements from General Secretary To Lam; Politburo Member, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Do Van Chien; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung; Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tran Thi Thanh, and former Member of the Party Central Committee, former Vice President, and former Chairwoman of VUFO Nguyen Thi Binh. Leaders from various departments, ministries, localities, and partner organizations sent flowers and congratulatory messages.

In her directive speech at the ceremony, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Hoai congratulated and praised the generations of leaders, officials, employees, and all those involved in VUFO's people-to-people diplomacy for their proud achievements over the past 75 years. She congratulated VUFO on receiving the First-Class Labour Order from the Party and State for its outstanding contributions to people-to-people diplomacy, rallying international solidarity and resources, and contributing to the country's socio-economic development.

Madame Hoai emphasized that throughout the two struggles for national independence and reunification, with the foundation of "heartfelt diplomacy", "conquering with reason, winning with morality", bilateral and multilateral friendship organizations, the predecessors and members of today's VUFO, along with forces engaged in people-to-people diplomacy nationwide, have "built bridges of solidarity and friendship" between the Vietnamese people and peoples of other countries, combining national strength with the strength of the times, creating favorable international socio-political foundations, bringing the just struggle of the Vietnamese people to peace-loving people worldwide, turning Vietnam into a symbol of conscience of the era, a flag of the national liberation movement, thereby garnering immense support from the world's people for Vietnam's just struggle.

Movements opposing unjust wars by colonialists and imperialists and supporting the just struggle of the Vietnamese people spread across five continents, becoming an unprecedented international people's front in the 20th century.

When peace was restored, people-to-people diplomacy once again demonstrated its effectiveness in mobilizing friends and partners, socialist brother countries, and progressive people worldwide to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, breaking the siege and embargo, overcoming difficulties and challenges, consolidating and promoting Vietnam's relations with countries and international organizations, and contributing to the normalization and establishment of diplomatic relations with many countries as well as effective participation in multilateral international mechanisms.

In the era of renewal and deep international integration, as the core and specialized force in people-to-people diplomacy, VUFO, along with organizations engaged in people-to-people diplomacy nationwide, has continued to closely coordinate with Party diplomacy and State diplomacy to effectively implement the Party's foreign policy of "independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development".

With thousands of partners worldwide, from people's friendship organizations, NGOs, research institutes, universities, enterprises, to government and parliamentary agencies, political parties in various countries, VUFO and its member organizations have actively and proactively carried out numerous activities promoting peace, solidarity, friendship, and people-to-people cooperation, cultural exchanges, traditional education, business cooperation, university connections, and local partnerships, contributing to building a solid international socio-political foundation, helping to deepen Vietnam's friendly relations with countries and international organizations in a practical and effective manner.

VUFO has also excelled in mobilizing foreign non-governmental aid. More than 6 billion USD in foreign non-governmental aid since the late 1980s has been a significant resource, contributing to poverty alleviation, addressing war consequences, solving social issues, improving healthcare and education infrastructure, protecting the environment, and responding to climate change, thereby practically serving the country's socio-economic development.

Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hoài particularly appreciated VUFO's recent efforts in mobilizing foreign NGOs to respond to the calls of the Party, Government, and Vietnam Fatherland Front, supporting hundreds of billions of dong to overcome the consequences of epidemics and natural disasters, building thousands of houses for the poor, and contributing to school construction in border communes.

The history of the formation and development of Vietnam's people-to-people diplomacy is a clear testament to the potential and strength of people-to-people diplomacy in building and promoting peaceful, friendly, and cooperative relations among nations worldwide, as well as mobilizing and forming a global people's front in solidarity with Vietnam.

The achievements of VUFO's people-to-people diplomacy and its member organizations are the result of deeply ingraining Hồ Chí Minh's diplomatic thought, thoroughly implementing the leadership and direction of the Party and State, promoting the peaceful and humane traditions of the Vietnamese nation, and rallying the participation of domestic forces.

The Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front affirmed that in the face of increasingly complex global developments and the urgent requirements of the country in the new era of national development, the entire Party, army, and people are striving, accelerating, and making breakthroughs to implement major breakthrough policies for development, aiming for "two centennial goals".

In this context, organizations engaged in people-to-people diplomacy under the Vietnam Fatherland Front in general, and VUFO and its member organizations in particular, need to truly transform, make breakthroughs, and innovate more strongly to live up to the traditions of their predecessors, to maintain their core role in people-to-people diplomacy, one of the three pillars of Vietnam's comprehensive modern diplomacy as affirmed and expected by our Party.

Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hoài urged the VUFO system to focus on implementing key contents:

Firstly, VUFO needs to continue to deeply grasp the Party's policies, guidelines, vision, and strategic thinking on the goals and tasks in the new era of national development, becoming a developed country with high income, steadily advancing towards socialism.

People-to-people diplomacy must place itself in the country's common flow, serving the cause of protecting, building, and developing a prosperous, civilized, and happy nation.

Secondly, VUFO needs to advise the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front in creating profound changes in awareness of people-to-people diplomacy. It is necessary to clearly unify the understanding of diplomatic officials and all levels and sectors about the role, position, and relationship between Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. People-to-people diplomacy must leverage its strengths, closely linking "the Party's will with the people's heart", connecting "the great national unity bloc with the noble international solidarity".

People-to-people diplomacy must play an important role along with Party diplomacy and State diplomacy in continuing to "combine the multi-layered strength of the nation with the strength of the times" to "build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam, making a worthy contribution to the world revolutionary cause" as directed by General Secretary Tô Lâm recently.

Thirdly, VUFO needs to continue to closely and harmoniously coordinate with Party diplomacy and State diplomacy in advising the Party and State on building and effectively implementing foreign policies, strategies, and plans for foreign affairs and people-to-people diplomacy; it needs to further promote its core and specialized role in advising the Vietnam Fatherland Front in rallying forces engaged in people-to-people diplomacy nationwide, forming a broad and truly effective people-to-people diplomatic front. People-to-people diplomacy should not be left solely to friendship associations but must be seen as the task of the entire political system, Party committees at all levels, and all social strata.

Fourthly, it is necessary to further innovate the content and methods, improve the quality and effectiveness of people-to-people diplomatic activities. People-to-people diplomacy must necessarily reflect the voice of all social strata. Therefore, it is important to focus on bringing people-to-people diplomatic activities to the grassroots level; value the participation of sectors, circles, especially the younger generation, youth, students, and pupils...

People-to-people diplomatic activities must have diversity in implementing entities, partners, cooperation fields, content, and methods, not constrained by formalities and rituals. People-to-people diplomacy needs to be "proactively adaptive, breakthrough, creative, practical, and effective".

Fifthly, the VUFO system must have breakthroughs: Breakthroughs in leadership, direction, orientation, and organization of people-to-people diplomatic activities to ensure efficiency - effectiveness - efficacy; clearly assign people, tasks, products, authority, and responsibility; Breakthroughs in promoting digital transformation, applying information technology, artificial intelligence in work; Breakthroughs in building a team engaged in people-to-people diplomacy with strong political courage, revolutionary ethics, competence, and all necessary skills to meet the increasingly high demands of the work.

Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hoài also requested central and local departments, ministries, and branches to continue to pay appropriate attention, closely coordinate, direct, and guide the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in organizing and implementing people-to-people diplomacy, providing maximum conditions within their scope to ensure that people-to-people diplomatic activities are organized practically and effectively.

Madame Bui Thi Minh Hoai, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, presents the First-Class Labour Order to VUFO. (Photo: An Dang)

In his commemorative speech, VUFO Chairman Phan Anh Son affirmed that with sharp political vision, a desire for peace, humanistic diplomatic thought, and a special understanding of the power of international solidarity and the value of understanding and cooperation among nations, about the link between the Vietnamese people's aspiration for independence and freedom and the conscience and justice of humanity, from the early days of the nation, President Ho Chi Minh directed the establishment of the first people-to-people diplomatic organizations: the Vietnam–America Friendship Association, the Vietnam–China Friendship Association, the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Association, and the Vietnam Committee for World Peace Protection, opening a special diplomatic method, flexible yet persistent, silent yet profound: people-to-people diplomacy.

Mr. Phan Anh Son emphasized, "Generations of VUFO officials, leaders, civil servants, and employees are extremely proud that in 2008, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee agreed to designate November 17, 1950, the day President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the founding Congress of the Vietnam Committee for World Peace Protection, as the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations".

"Looking back on the past 75 years, we deeply appreciate the strength of faith, international solidarity, and the unity to overcome difficulties.

In the fierce war, people-to-people diplomacy achieved glorious victories, contributing to forming a broad solidarity front across five continents, from ordinary workers to political activists, parliamentarians, intellectuals, journalists, and artists.

Millions of letters, poems, photos, marches, and anti-war movements in many countries have become vivid testimonies of humanity transcending hatred, affirming that Vietnam was never alone. Vietnam became a symbol of righteousness, courage, and the aspiration for peace," Mr. Phan Anh Son stated.

After 1975, in the context of a country heavily devastated by war, besieged and embargoed, people-to-people diplomacy, along with Party diplomacy and State diplomacy, "went ahead to pave the way", contributing to breaking isolation, clearing bridges cut by war, building trust, mobilizing international friends' support to overcome war consequences, rebuild the country, stabilize and develop the socio-economy.

Entering the era of renewal and deep integration, VUFO and its member organizations not only contributed to bringing Vietnam "to the world" but also brought the world to each locality and community.

With a network of thousands of partners across continents built over time, thousands of peace, solidarity, and friendship activities are organized annually with wide-reaching impact.

VUFO has affirmed its positive role in many regional and international forums; effectively served as a focal point in relations and mobilizing aid, actively supporting poverty reduction, ensuring social security, healthcare, education, environmental protection, overcoming war consequences, and responding to natural disasters and epidemics.

Research, external information, and overseas Vietnamese work have also been strongly promoted, contributing to promoting the image of the country and people of Vietnam and enhancing understanding and trust among nations.

Mr. Phan Anh Son affirmed that the positive results achieved by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in recent years are thanks to the strategic and correct direction of President Hồ Chí Minh and generations of Party and State leaders, the support and effective coordination of departments, ministries, localities, and especially, the persistent and silent dedication of many generations of officials.

From those who have gone through war and still keep their faith in peace, to today's young officials working in a volatile world, but still steadfast in revolutionary ideals, love for the country, and friendship among nations.

On behalf of the VUFO system, he expressed deep gratitude to beloved President Ho Chi Minh, to the Party and State leaders; to international friends and partners – those who have, are, and will continue to support, share, and accompany Vietnam on the journey of the development of Vietnam's people-to-people diplomacy; gratitude to generations of officials engaged in people-to-people diplomacy – those who have gone through war, through embargo years, through the ups and downs of the times, but have never lost faith in humanity and international solidarity.

The VUFO Chairman also thanked the people's movements, friends, and peace-loving people worldwide, those who took to the streets for Vietnam, spoke up for justice, gave Vietnam not only support but also their hearts and trust; those who stood by the Vietnamese people during the most brutal years of bombing when freedom was still a burning desire and peace was still distant; the people's organizations, veterans who returned to this land to heal war wounds, close the past, and open the way for reconciliation; partners, friends, and foreign NGOs who have persistently stood by Vietnam in the most challenging times.

He stated that in the coming time, VUFO will continue to promote tradition, innovate thinking, content, and methods of operation; build and consolidate the apparatus towards unity and efficiency, train a team of officials with political courage, ethics, and competence to meet the new requirements of the work; consolidate and expand the network of friends, partners, and areas of cooperation.

Delegates attending the event take a commemorative photo. (Photo: An Dang)

At the 75th Traditional Day Anniversary, receiving the First-Class Labour Order and the Patriotic Emulation Congress for the 2025–2030 period, the Head of the Diplomatic Corps in Vietnam, the UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, representatives of foreign NGOs, partner organizations, central and local member organizations, and generations of VUFO delivered speeches, praising Vietnam's development, a country that has transitioned from war to peace, from poverty to development, from isolation to international leadership, as a testament to the resilience, intelligence, and vision of the Vietnamese people.

This is also a prime example of how cooperation and solidarity can transform a nation and contribute to global common interests. The delegates also highly appreciated VUFO's role in connecting Vietnam with partners, organizations, and the international community, building understanding between hearts, transcending politics and ideology, connecting cultures and continents, nurturing values of trust, empathy, and respect – the fundamental pillars of lasting peace.

VUFO and its member organizations, along with forces engaged in Vietnam's people-to-people diplomacy, have demonstrated that friendship transcends all borders, cultures, and ideologies and that solidarity can heal, rebuild, and inspire.

To acknowledge VUFO's outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy, rallying international support, solidarity, and resources, contributing to the country's socio-economic development, Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hoài, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, presented the First-Class Labor Order to VUFO.

The VUFO Presidium awarded Certificates of Merit to 13 collectives and 19 individuals as "Outstanding Examples in VUFO's Patriotic Emulation Movement for the 2021–2025 period".

On this occasion, VUFO Chairman Phan Anh Son launched the patriotic emulation movement for the 2025–2030 period across the VUFO system with the theme: "Solidarity, proactive adaptation, innovation, creativity, emulating to excellently complete political tasks, building a strong, professional, and modern VUFO system".

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