Communist Review - Under the leadership of the Party, inheriting the tradition of patriotism, independence, self-reliance, peace, and humanity, creatively applying Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic thought, Vietnam's diplomacy has obtained outstanding achievements, contributing to the victory of the struggle for national independence, freedom, peace, and reunification in the past, as well as the success of the renovation, construction, defense of the Fatherland, and international integration today. People-to-people diplomacy holds a crucial role in this success.

In the new stage of development of the country, the 13th  Party Congress emphasized: “It is urgent to promote the pioneering role of foreign diplomacy in creating and maintaining a peaceful, stable environment, and mobilizing external resources to develop the country, improve its position and prestige; Build a comprehensive and modern diplomacy with three pillars: party diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy”(1). These undertakings both inherit the foreign policy set by the Party in the previous congresses and constitutes a very important new step, clearly affirming the role, position, and tasks of diplomacy in general and the people-to-people diplomacy in particular in the new situation, the close connection between three pillars of diplomacy and the requirement to promote the role and improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy.

Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic thought and the CPV's view on the role and position of people - to - people diplomacy

People-to-people diplomacy is one of the unique creations of the Vietnamese revolution. Deeply grasping Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic thought and the CPV’s views on people-to-people diplomacy constitutes a decisive factor, the most important lesson learned from the practice of the Vietnamese revolution and people-to-people diplomacy throughout the nation's history.

One of the core philosophies of Ho Chi Minh's thought and the Vietnamese revolution’s policies is that national unity must be associated with international solidarity, true patriotism must be attached to pure internationalism of the working class, and the unity of the people nationwide needs to be associated with the solidarity of the people of the world. Appreciating and promoting the role of international solidarity and people-to-people diplomacy is a consistent and cross-cutting policy of the CPV. President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: “Nothing in the sky is more precious than the people. In the world, nothing is more precious than the united force of the people” (2) and it was he who laid the foundation, led, and directly implemented people-to-people diplomacy.

Since the first days after the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, when Vietnam had not yet established diplomatic relations with other countries, CPV and President Ho Chi Minh directed the establishment of the first people-to-people diplomacy organizations in Vietnam which were the Vietnam-American Friendship Association (October 17, 1945) and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association (in 1946). They formulated and implemented policies on solidarity and alliance with neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia and also cultivated the garden of diplomacy with many countries, and friendship organizations in the following years to gain wider support from the international community.

The importance, roles, and tasks of people-to-people diplomacy have been officially mentioned in the documents of the Party Congress since its early days. The document of the Second Party Congress (February 1951) on foreign policy emphasized the development of people-to-people diplomacy and the participation in major campaigns around the world and the alliance between Vietnamese people's organizations and world people's organizations. After the country's unification, the CPV's stance on people-to-people diplomacy and the synchronous implementation of the three external pillars have continued to be developed and perfected. The document of the 4th Party Congress (1976) defined foreign affairs tasks for each specific target group. The document of the 6th Party Congress (1986) clarified actors in foreign activities and coordination among them, including the Party, State, and Vietnamese people. With new thinking on foreign affairs, the 7th Congress (1991) emphasized the policy of "solidarity with forces fighting for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress", creating breakthroughs and bringing new vitality to people-to-people diplomacy (3).

All documents of the 8th , 9th , 10th  , 11th , and 12th  Party Congresses have required a further expansion of people-to-people diplomacy, identified the contents and tasks of people-to-people diplomacy, and the necessity to “closely coordinate the State diplomacy, the Party diplomacy, and the people-to-people diplomacy... so that the world could better understand the country, its people, its renovation work, and policies of Party and Government” (4).

Directive No. 44-CT/TW, dated September 20, 1994, of the 7th Party Central Committee Secretariat on “extending and reforming people-to-people diplomacy” is the first document of the Party dedicated specifically to people-to-people diplomacy activities. It has clearly defined people-to-people diplomacy as a constitutive part of national diplomacy and set requirements, goals, and solutions to conduct people-to-people diplomacy (5). After summarizing Directive No. 44-CT/TW, the Secretariat of the 11th Party Central Committee issued Directive No. 04-CT/TW, dated 6-7-2011 on “Continuing to renovate and improve the efficiency of people-to-people diplomacy in the new circumstance”, affirming that people-to-people diplomacy is a constituent part of the general diplomacy of CPV and State. Renovating and improving people-to-people diplomacy is the task of the whole political system and people, with the involvement of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, mass organizations, and people's organizations as core forces.

Regarding organizations specialized in people-to-people diplomacy which are the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (the Union of Friendship Organizations), the Secretariat issued respectively Directive No. 27-CT/TW, dated July 27, 1993, on “The tasks and organization of the Vietnam Union of Peace, Solidarity, and Friendship Organizations”, Directive No. 28-CT/TW, dated December 2, 2008, on “Continuing to renovate and improve the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations", and most recently Directive No. 38-CT/TW, dated September 19, 2019, on "Continuing to renovate, promote the role and enhance the quality of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in the new situation".

Performances and contributions of people-to-people diplomacy

Reality shows that, under the clear-sighted leadership of the Party, by creatively applying Ho Chi Minh's thought on combining national strength with the strength of the times, building trust by morality, and transforming the situation by human love to increase the power of justice, people-to-people diplomacy has produced good results, making significant contributions in all revolutionary stages of the country. People-to-people diplomacy has established and developed relations with other countries, helping the world understand more about the resilient, indomitable, loyal, and peace-loving Vietnamese people in the struggle for national independence, freedom, about our just struggle, creating wider support from the international community, making an important contribution to the victory of our people's struggle for national liberation and unification.

After national reunification in 1975, people-to-people diplomacy, party diplomacy, and state diplomacy have paved the way, broken embargoes, expanded relations, strengthened friendship, promoted the normalization of relations between Vietnam and major partners, mobilizing the world to support the work of overcoming the consequences of war and rebuilding the country. A wide range of activities to support Vietnam such as oral surgery, demining, assisting Agent Orange victims, walking for peace, veterans' visits, and so forth has contributed to healing the wounds of war, and enhancing mutual understanding.

Under the motto “proactive, flexible, creative, and effective”, in the past years, people-to-people diplomacy has made positive advances(6). It has effectively coordinated with party and state diplomacy to make a valuable contribution to the successful implementation of the Party and Government's foreign policies. It enabled a deeper understanding of the world community about Vietnam and its foreign policy and guidelines, thus strengthening international solidarity and friendship, raising Vietnam's position in the international arena, creating an environment conducive to the development of foreign relations, mobilizing international support and resources, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests.

Vietnamese people's organizations have established bonds with thousands of organizations and individuals in countries and territories around the world; External relations have been expanded in various forms and produced positive results in all sectors. Organizations dedicated to people-to-people diplomacy at both central and local levels have actively and creatively coordinated with Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad and partners to deploy activities to promote peace, solidarity, friendship, and cooperation(7), and have successfully concretized innovative ideas to deepen the relationship with neighboring countries, important strategic partners, traditional friends, left-wing organizations(8). Some Vietnamese people's organizations have actively participated in multilateral people's mechanisms and forums(9) and raised their voices to gain broader support of the world towards Vietnam, contributing to promoting peace, cooperation, and development, and solving common regional and global problems.

People-to-people diplomacy has vastly promoted international cooperation to mobilize resources for socio-economic growth by connecting domestic and foreign businesses, promoting investment, and trade, protecting the legitimate interests of Vietnamese enterprises, cooperating with foreign non-governmental organizations in eradicating hunger, reducing poverty, dealing with the after-effects of war and natural disasters, solving social problems, developing human resource for Vietnam’s international integration(10).

The Friendship Union and people's mass organizations have actively carried out external information work to promote the image of the country, people, and culture of Vietnam, and the guidelines and policies of the Party and the State of Vietnam as well as the performances of the Doi Moi. Besides, they have been involved in protecting national interests, especially border sovereignty, territory, democracy, human rights (11), and mobilizing Vietnamese people abroad. Some mass organizations dedicated to people-to-people diplomacy at the central and local levels have given due consideration to activities of research, consultation, and recommendations to leaders at all levels so as to develop national and local foreign affairs as well as professional activities of ministries and branches.

Promoting the role and efficiency of people-to-people diplomacy in the new situation

In his study entitled “Some theoretical and practical issues about socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam”, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated: "Besides defining a good policy and direction, ensuring the leadership role of the Party, we should strongly promote the creativity, the support and the active involvement of the people... People's strength is the origin of success and growth”(12). The 13th Party Congress clearly defined the task of foreign affairs. More than ever, the role of people-to-people diplomacy should be enhanced in order to build a social foundation and deepen, and stabilize relations between countries as building a peaceful environment and trust aims to prevent the risk of conflict and war early and from far. People-to-people diplomacy has made a great contribution to the nation's revolutionary cause. It is both a unique and creative feature and a valuable legacy and experience of Vietnam's foreign policy. Amid complicated and changing global context with intertwined partners and enemies who cooperate and combat for their interests, people-to-people diplomacy with its advantages of flexibility and wider accessibility to the different public can effectively support the party and state diplomacy.

The current situation creates many advantages for people-to-people diplomacy. In the world, peace, cooperation and development remain the major trends. Along with technological advances, especially information technology, and global trends of democratization of international relations, the role, voice, and participation of people's organizations are increasingly considered at the national, regional, and global levels. The great achievements of historical significance over the past 35 years of renovation have created a new position and force, strengthening the country's synergy. International friends continue to extend a helping hand to Vietnam. Our Party gives due consideration to the pioneering role of foreign affairs, as well as the important position of people-to-people diplomacy.

Besides the above performances, the rapidly changing global and regional situation, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, has created challenges to people-to-people diplomacy such as great power competition, unilateralism, far-right extremism, egoistic nationalism, territorial disputes, maritime sovereignty, and non-traditional security challenges. Some hostile forces have used the people's cooperation channel to interfere in internal affairs and promote anti-Vietnamese ideas.

To enhance its "pivotal" role and improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy, it is essential to implement the following solutions:

Firstly, ensure the comprehensive and absolute leadership of the Party and the centralized management of the State over people's foreign affairs. Deeply grasp the foreign policy of the 13th Party Congress, create profound transformations and unity in the entire political system in terms of the role, position, and importance of people-to-people diplomacy, and consider people-to-people diplomacy as the common task of the entire political system.

Secondly, renew the thinking, content, and methods of people-to-people diplomacy activities by diversifying, expanding the scope of activities, actors, and human resources, creating intertwined interests and building trust, deepening relationships with neighboring countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), strategic, comprehensive partners, and traditional friends to ensure security, development and enhance national position, accomplish well the intermediary role to promote cooperation in economy, trade, tourism, investment, culture, education, environmental protection, climate change response, overcoming the consequences of war... in line with the strengths and needs of each partner and each locality. Promote responsibility, encourage the active involvement of Vietnamese people's organizations in regional and international multilateral forums, give a helping hand to the international community in dealing with common issues related to peace, security, and development, and demonstrate the role and position of Vietnam. Provide support to Vietnamese compatriots abroad, and promote their role in people-to-people diplomacy and national construction and defense.

Thirdly, actively integrate into the world, and mobilize external resources to realize sustainable development goals for 2025, 2030, and 2045. Improve the efficiency of foreign non-governmental organizations, expand and reinforce bonds with potential partners, especially in the fields of human resource training, innovation, digital transformation, green and sustainable development, response to non-traditional security challenges...

Fourthly, provide effective support to Party and State diplomacy in protecting and promoting national interests, especially in terms of democracy, human rights, and maritime sovereignty; join hands to solve arising problems for a sustainable friendship and partnership with other countries.

Fifthly, improve research and forecasting, and promote the role of foreign affairs experts in research, advice, and foreign policy making and implementation. Renovate contents and methods of external communication, use technological advances in information and communication to disseminate positive information about the country, people, and performance of Vietnam as well as the guidelines and policies of the Party and State, and fight against malicious distortions about Vietnam.

Sixthly, improve the legal framework, leadership, and coordination in people-to-people diplomacy, and establish close coordination among the pillars of foreign affairs, between the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Party Central Committee, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in formulating and implementing policies related to external activities. Strengthen coordination between people's organizations at the central level and between central and local governments, and focus on promoting the role of local people–to–people diplomacy organizations.

Seventhly, provide financial resources and invest in human capital in people–to–people diplomacy. Restructure the organization to have a compact, professional and efficient staff with young people, attract, nurture and foster talents to build a competent and stable contingent of officials at both the central and local levels who have political bravery, revolutionary ethics, enthusiasm, professional competence, and foreign languages ​​to meet the requirements of the task.

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(1) Documents of the 13th National Congress,  National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, vol. 1, p. 162

(2) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, National Political Publishing House,  Hanoi, 2011, vol. 10, p. 453

(3) At the beginning of 1992, the Union of Peace, Solidarity, and Friendship Organizations of Vietnam was separated from the Central Commission for External Relations to become an independent socio-political organization specialized in conducting people-to-people diplomacy and in 1993, it was renamed the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations

(4) Documents of the 9th  National Congress,  National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001, pp. 122 – 123

(5) Directive No. 44-CT/TW, dated September 20, 1994, of the Secretariat on “Expanding and reforming people-to-peole diplomacy”, https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban /Van-hoa-Xa-hoi/Chi-thi-44-CT-TW-mo-rong-va-doi-moi-hoat-dong-doi-noi-nhan-dan-128074.aspx

(6) Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations has 116 member organizations (64 Friendship Associations at the central level and 52 Friendship Unions at the local level); the number of people's organizations and people participating in foreign activities is increasing

(7) The Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, and friendship organizations at the central and local levels have strengthened relations and concluded agreements with equivalent people's organizations of China, Laos, and Cambodia. They also co-organized a wide range of activities in new forms and at a large scale that had political significance and created spillover effects, such as the people's festival, youth festival; Vietnam - China People's Forum; the festival of border people; the celebration of the years of solidarity and friendship, traditional educational programs "Following the footsteps of President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihan", "Incubator of friendship", taking care of Lao students, Cambodia; medical examination, free medication, building friendship houses...

(8) People's organizations of Vietnam have actively organized several cultural and artistic exchanges, celebrated major events to honor President Ho Chi Minh, etc. with ASEAN countries and strategic partners Russia, India, France, Japan, Korea... and traditional friends in Asia, Europe, America, Africa; solidarity activities with Cuba and Venezuela; cooperation with American veterans to promote reconciliation, strengthen friendship and mutual understanding. They have proactively, and quickly handled COVID-19 by giving a helping hand to inhabitants and frontline workers as well as friend countries and foreigners living in Vietnam and affected by the epidemic, mobilizing the support of medical equipment and vaccines from the international community. This has shown the tradition of humanity and mutual assistance of the Vietnamese nation that has been appreciated by international friends.

(9) Vietnam people's organizations have actively participated in traditional progressive and democratic movements, such as the World Peace Council, World Federation of Democratic Youth; World Federation of Democratic Women, World Association of Democratic Lawyers, World Union of Trade Unions; regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN People's Forum, the Eurasian People's Forum, the ASEAN Federation of Engineers, the activities of young women and ASEAN students; international mechanisms of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the International Labor Organization...

(10) To date, Vietnam has established relations with more than 1,200 foreign non-governmental organizations, of which over 500 organizations have regular activities in Vietnam. The value of foreign non-governmental aid disbursed in the period 2003 - 2020 reached over 5 billion USD (non-refundable aid), deployed in 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

(11) The Lawyers' Association and the Friendship Union cooperated with partners to organize many seminars and talks on the East Sea; The Friendship Union worked with other people's organizations to share information and fight against hostile forces at multilateral mechanisms and forums, coordinated with the state diplomatic channel to make the periodical assessment and organized dialogues on democracy and human rights; Press agencies, the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations and many people's organizations regularly provide information on Vietnam's achievements in the field of human rights, maritime sovereignty, consequences of Agent Orange, fight against distortions about Vietnam

(12) Nguyen Phu Trong: “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam”, Communist Review, No. 976, May 2021, p. 14

This article was published in the Communist Review No. 983 (February 2022)