Strong Innovation to Enhance the Substantive Effectiveness of People-to-People Diplomacy in 2026

	People-to-people Diplomacy is A Pillar of Vietnam’s Diplomacy
	Renewing Viet Nam-Finland Friendship through Youth and Creativity

The conference was attended by members of the Presidium of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, along with representatives from the Central Inspection Commission, the Central Organization Commission, the Central Commission for Internal Affairs, the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and central mass organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs...

The 14th Conference of the Presidium of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, 6th term. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Proactive and substantive people-to-people diplomacy adapting to the new context

The report summarizing activities in 2025, presented by Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, showed that, closely adhering to the orientations and eight key priorities set out at the 13th Conference of the Presidium, 6th term, the entire VUFO system accomplished a large volume of work despite numerous challenges and changes in the international and domestic situation that significantly affected people-to-people diplomacy.

People-to-people diplomatic activities were implemented proactively, in close alignment with the Party’s and the State’s guidelines, policies, and directives on foreign affairs. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations focused on promoting external activities with substantive effectiveness. Programs were organized in a thorough and professional manner, diverse in scale, and attracted the participation of a wide range of domestic and international stakeholders. These activities made positive contributions to consolidating the social foundation and fostering favorable international public opinion for Viet Nam’s development. Research and policy advisory work on people-to-people diplomacy recorded clear progress, with a notable highlight being a national-level research project that elevated both theoretical and practical dimensions. This also serves as an important basis for planning and guiding the system’s activities in the coming period. Organizational work and capacity building were implemented in a synchronized and serious manner, strengthening the institutional foundation and enhancing the quality of operations and adaptability of member organizations in the new context. External communications were promoted across multiple platforms, disseminating accurate and timely information, thereby contributing to safeguarding Viet Nam’s image and national interests in the international arena.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, presents the report summarizing activities in 2025. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Supplementing the report, Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, highlighted five outstanding points in the organization’s work in 2025. Accordingly, 2025 marked an important transition in terms of organizational structure, position, and role within the political system. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations proactively, swiftly, and actively adapted and assumed its assigned tasks, while simultaneously completing a synchronized system of regulations and rules and restructuring the organizational apparatus on schedule, ensuring stable operations from the central to the local levels. In 2025, the approach to and implementation of people-to-people diplomacy were strongly renewed toward reducing activities of a ceremonial and formalistic nature, while increasing activities with substantive effectiveness and greater depth, closely linked to the goal of mobilizing resources for economic development, science and technology, culture, and education. Many large-scale events were organized, generating broad social impact; the partner network was renewed and expanded; a shared database for the entire system was basically established; efforts to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of foreign non-governmental organization mobilization were sustained; and core resolutions of the Central Party leadership were implemented in an active and creative manner.

Phan Anh Son also pointed out several limitations that need to be addressed, including uneven levels of proactiveness among member organizations; limited results in mobilizing economic resources through people-to-people diplomatic activities; significant disparities in capacity and resources among member organizations; and unresolved bottlenecks in financial mechanisms that have yet to meet practical requirements.

Nguyen Thi Thanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly, and President of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association, speaks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Five key task groups for 2026

In concluding the conference, on behalf of the Presidium, Phan Anh Son stated that the requirements for people-to-people diplomacy in 2026 must be higher in terms of effectiveness and substance, linking social outreach with concrete, measurable results.

Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, delivers the concluding remarks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

In this spirit, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations will focus on implementing five key task groups in 2026:

First, strengthen activity orientation by working with individual organizations or groups of organizations, in association with clustering local-level unions. Orientation must be closely linked to specific programs and tasks.

For central-level friendship associations, the Standing Committee will coordinate in developing work plans with clear priorities and concrete content, and in agreeing on activities that require joint organization. At the same time, the associations should proactively make early preparations for participation in overseas visits and high-level external affairs programs of Party and State leaders when mobilized.

Second, with regard to partners, Phan Anh Son emphasized prioritizing the development of partner networks and the utilization of a shared database (on partners). This database will be used uniformly across the entire system, directly serving strategic planning as well as regular activities.

Third, strengthen training and capacity building for officials engaged in people-to-people diplomacy, and enhance the participation of central-level associations, thereby reinforcing coordination and linkages among the standing body, central associations, and local unions.

Fourth, strongly renew information, communication, and international outreach efforts in a synchronized, unified manner with strategic orientation, bringing into play the collective strength of the entire system.

Fifth, complete training and capacity-building programs for people-to-people diplomacy personnel within the Viet Nam Fatherland Front system, and develop plans to implement people-to-people diplomacy work immediately following the 14th National Party Congress.

At the conference, 100 percent of Presidium members voted to approve the report summarizing activities in 2025 and the orientations and key tasks for 2026; to approve the dismissal and supplementary election of members of the Presidium of the 6th term; and to approve the report on emulation and commendation activities in 2025.

On this occasion, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations awarded Emulation Flags to seven collectives, Certificates of Merit to 13 collectives, and to 54 individuals with outstanding achievements in the emulation movement and people-to-people diplomatic activities in 2025.

The conference collects opinions on personnel of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations nominated as candidates for the 16th National Assembly. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

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