CaliToday (25/10/2025): In a meeting charged with diplomatic significance, Vietnam's General Secretary of the Communist Party, Tô Lâm, held high-level talks today with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
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| General Secretary To Lam (R) hosts a reception for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Ha Noi, October 25, 2025 - Photo: VGP |
The UN chief is in Hanoi for an official state visit that coincides with a major milestone for Vietnam's role in global governance: his attendance at the Opening Ceremony for the Signature of the United Nations Convention on Countering Cybercrime, which will now be known as the "Hanoi Convention."
The reception by General Secretary Tô Lâm, Vietnam's top leader, underscores the immense importance the country places on both its partnership with the United Nations and its new, prominent role as the birthplace of this pivotal international treaty.
A New Chapter in Global Governance: The "Hanoi Convention"
The primary purpose of Secretary-General Guterres's visit is to preside over the launch of the new convention. The naming of the treaty after Vietnam's capital is a significant diplomatic achievement for Hanoi, cementing its status as a proactive and constructive member of the international community.
This convention is the first-ever global treaty specifically designed to tackle the complex challenges of cybercrime, providing a unified legal framework for nations to cooperate on digital investigations, data sharing, and the prosecution of cross-border hackers, online fraud rings, and other digital threats.
By hosting the signing ceremony, Vietnam is positioning itself as a central hub for global dialogue on digital security and 21st-century governance.
Reaffirming the UN-Vietnam Partnership
The meeting between General Secretary Tô Lâm and Secretary-General Guterres also served to reaffirm the strong and growing partnership between Vietnam and the UN.
Discussions reportedly focused on Vietnam's increasing contributions to the UN's mission, including its highly-praised participation in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and its commitment to ambitious climate goals.
For Vietnam, this high-level visit is a powerful validation of its "multilateral" foreign policy. For the UN, it is an acknowledgment of Vietnam's rising influence and its critical role as a partner in addressing complex global issues, from regional security in Southeast Asia to the new frontier of cybercrime. The visit by the UN's top official, coinciding with the launch of a treaty bearing Hanoi's name, marks a new high point in Vietnam's diplomatic history.