What did To Lam of Viet Nam say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?
To Lam, General Secretary of Viet Nam’s Communist Party and President, said change is inevitable but conflict is not, and set out four directions for the UN: restore trust, fair development, shared rules for technology and AI, and stronger multilateralism.
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He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the tenth speaker of the afternoon session.
The speech in brief
- Lessons of war. Viet Nam knows from its own history the price of war and the value of reconciliation.
- Four directions. Rebuild trust on the UN Charter and international law; fair, inclusive development; shape the rules for AI so progress serves people; strengthen the UN’s central role.
- Big powers. They should lead by respecting international law and showing restraint.
- ASEAN. Nearly six decades of Southeast Asian partnership show suspicion can become trust.
- Viet Nam’s goals. Upper-middle income by 2030 and high income by 2045. It hosts APEC in 2027.
In his own words
He spoke in Vietnamese. The quotes are from the official English translation by the Vietnam News Agency.
Change is inevitable, as it is an objective movement of history. But conflict and confrontation are not inevitable.
“The mission of our generation is to jointly shape and manage change so that competition does not turn into confrontation, differences do not lead to conflict, and scientific and technological progress does not create new divisions.”
“Restoring trust does not require countries to eliminate their differences, but to responsibly manage those differences together.”
“Major powers need to take the lead in respecting international law, exercising restraint, and responsibly addressing common challenges.”
“Vietnam chooses peace, cooperation and development.”
Watch and read the full speech
The UN’s own video of the whole Day 1 session:
Watch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on the UN’s YouTube channel
UN Web TVWatch Day 1 of the general debate on UN Web TV
The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.
Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.
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