HAUFO ACTIVITIES
In recent years, the Hanoi Party Committee has consistently shown a strong commitment to enhancing its leadership in guiding the people-to-people diplomacy sector of Hanoi capital city toward becoming more effective.
It has diligently implemented Directive No. 12-CT/TW, issued on January 5, 2022, by the Party Central Committee (13th tenure), which focuses on “Strengthening the Party’s leadership over people-to-people diplomacy and raise its effectiveness in the new circumstances.” Furthermore, the Hanoi Party Committee also issued Official Letter No. 05-TT/TU on May 23, 2022, specifically addressing the “Enhancement of Party leadership over people-to-people diplomacy and its effectiveness in the new context of Hanoi.”
As the specialized agency responsible for people-to-people diplomacy of Hanoi, the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (HAUFO) proactively organizes various people-to-people exchange activities, actively contributing to help the world community have a better understanding of Hanoi and Vietnam, strengthening international solidarity and friendship with people of other countries, and enhancing the position of Hanoi and Vietnam on the international stage.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Chairman of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations delivers a speech during the working session
(Photo: Quang Thai)
On the morning of August 17, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, chaired a working session with the HAUFO to discuss the results of the latter’s work since the 6th Congress, 2022-2027 tenure, and future directions.
Since its 6th Congress, the HAUFO and its member associations and organizations have effectively carried out people-to-people diplomacy, maintained partnerships with embassies and international organizations both domestically and internationally. Peaceful, united, friendly, and cooperative activities have been organized with an ever-increasing scale, significance, and effectiveness. The activities of the HAUFO have contributed to the overall development of the city’s foreign affairs work, enhanced mutual understanding between the people of Hanoi and international friends, and introduced the image of Hanoi as a millennium-old civilized city, a heroic capital working towards peace, dynamic development, and international integration.
Ms Nguyen Thi Tuyen affirmed that people-to-people diplomacy plays a very important role in the country’s development and is one of the three pillars of Vietnam’s diplomacy. She praised the achievements of the HAUFO gained over this time period and recognized its adherence to the Party’s guidelines and policies, state policies, and the leadership of the Party Committee over people-to-people diplomacy by translating them into specific action programs with effective implementation.
The HAUFO has prioritized the implementation of foreign affairs activities across three key areas. Firstly, it focuses on showcasing the image of the country and the capital city of Hanoi; secondly, it works diligently to mobilize support and assistance from various partners; and lastly, it actively fights against wrongs views and misconceptions on the country’s policies, laws, and principles. HAUFO has become a truly essential bridge for strengthening friendship, unity, and expanding cooperation between Hanoi and major cities worldwide. Its efforts play a crucial role in promoting and disseminating the profound humanistic values of Thang Long - Hanoi, a city with a thousand years of cultural heritage. Furthermore, HAUFO fosters cultural exchange and cooperation between the people of Hanoi and their counterparts in other capitals and cities globally. This contributes to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation while offering international friends a comprehensive insight into Vietnam, its people, and the capital city of Hanoi. That is why the Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee praised the achievements that HAUFO has gained since its 6th Congress.
Emphasizing the role and significance of people-to-people diplomacy in this era of deepening international integration, the Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee asserted that cooperation for peace and development remains the prevailing trend among nations and peoples worldwide. To strengthen the leadership and guidance of the city authorities and enhance the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy in the new circumstances, to create a favorable environment for its development and contribute to the establishment of a comprehensive and modern diplomatic basis, the Hanoi Party Committee directs Party committees at all levels, departments, and sectors to reinforce their understanding of the role of people-to-people diplomacy. Efforts are also made to improve the efficiency of state management, foster coordination with the city’s Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and political-social organizations, thus creating a conducive platform for the advancement of people-to-people diplomacy. These actions are carried out in accordance with the spirit of the 13th Party Congress, the resolutions of the 17th Party Congress of the Hanoi Party Committee, as well as the related directives issued by the Party Central Committee and the Hanoi Party Committee, including Directive No. 15-NQ/TW dated May 5, 2022, on the direction and tasks for the development of Hanoi until 2030 with a vision towards 2045, Directive No. 12-CT/TW dated January 5, 2022, and Official Letter No. 05-TT/TU dated May 23, 2022.
At the meeting, the HAUFO proposed to include a section on people-to-people diplomacy in the draft amendment to the Capital Law. In response, the Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee instructed the Party Affairs Executive Board of the Hanoi People’s Committee, along with the Department of Justice and relevant agencies, to collaborate in studying and incorporating the content of enhancing people-to-people diplomacy into a specific provision of the revised draft law. This will align with Resolution No. 15-NQ/TW dated May 5, 2022, issued by the Politburo, which has outlined the direction and tasks for the development of Hanoi until 2030, with a vision towards 2045.
As for the HAUFO”S need to ensure human workforce enough to undertake the current workload, it was recommended that the Party Affairs Executive Board of the Hanoi People’s Committee direct the Hanoi Department of Home Affairs to collaborate with the Office of the People’s Committee and the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations. Together, they can work on appropriate measures to address the workload concerns and propose them to the city authorities for consideration.
Concerning the premises for the HAUFO, it was recommended that the Party Affairs Executive Board of the Hanoi People’s Committee direct the Hanoi Department of Finance and the Hanoi Department of Construction to collaborate with the Union of Friendship Organizations in working on a plan for the latter’s suitable location to be reported to the city leadership for consideration as well.
Regarding foreign-orientated information work, the Party Affairs Executive Board has assigned the Hanoi Party Committee’s Communication Department to provide guidance and direction for communication activities of the city’s media agencies. This includes emphasizing the significant tasks of the capital city of Hanoi, as well as the role and importance of people-to-people diplomacy in its construction and development. Furthermore, efforts will be made to support and facilitate the HAUFO in fulfilling its assigned foreign-oriented information tasks.
With the attention and involvement of the Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi, as well as the engagement of the entire political system, the people-to-people diplomacy of the capital city will continue to thrive. This will contribute significantly to the ongoing mission of building and developing Hanoi into “Civilized - Cultured - Modern” capital city.
Hoang Duong