Vietnam has been a member of the United Nations for 40 years. This was a highly celebrated event in Vietnam, as it represented the country’s progress towards economic and societal stability. Partnership with the UN also came with many benefits for the developing nation. In the 70s-80s support from the UN made up 60% of all foreign aid offered to Vietnam. Additionally, joining the UN allowed Vietnam to enter the global market in full force. By implementing a number of ambitious foreign trade policies, the country was able to propel itself forward at a rapid pace. The UN continues to support Vietnam to this very day, though the exact nature of this assistance has taken different forms throughout the years. By eagerly showing it’s gratitude to the UN for the assistance it provided, Vietnam has made a good reputation for itself among other member nations. This has manifested in the fact that Vietnam has been a member of the UN Security, Economic and Social, and Human Rights Councils at different times, as well as the UNESCO Executive Council and the International Law Commission.The country has consistently been a staunch proponent of anti-nuclear sentiment, and has been among the first to participate in anti-nuclear conferences and agreements, such as the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Finally, beginning in 2014, Vietnam sends soldiers to join the UN peacekeeping force. https://vietnam.vnanet.vn/english/vietnams-40-year-un-membership/333093.html#targetText=Vietnam’s%2040%20Year%20UN%20Membership%20%2D%20Vietnam%20Pictorial&targetText=40%20years%20ago%2C%20on%20September,independent%2C%20free%20and%20democratic%20Vietnam.
Vietnam is also a member of the IMF and the WTO since 1956 and 2007, respectively. By opening itself to trade with foreign nations, it was able to create an enormous economic boom. This brought Vietnam from the brink of economic collapse in the 1980s to a modern, nearly developed nation in 2019. Vietnam’s relationship with these organizations, as well as the decision to accept multilateral trade, allowed the nation to come back from years of warfare that took place during the Cold War era. Like South Korea, it was able to take advantage of its labor force, which made it a very attractive option to industries looking for a place to build. https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/VNM/vietnam-raising-millions-out-of-poverty
Vietnam’s GDP ranks 47th out of 196 countries. This is a respectable ranking, considering how quickly the shift from a war-torn, poverty-stricken country has occurred. Most of the countries on the top of this list have been major forces in this world for decades, even centuries. Vietnam may rank lower than every major country I paired it against in terms of GDP based on PPP, but it does display an enormous growth rate. In fact, at 6.018% it places 8th out of all countries in terms of growth percentage. www.worldbank.org
The GINI coefficient of Vietnam was recorded to be 35.3 in 2015. This value indicates the relative distribution of income of a country. Essentially, a GINI coefficient of ‘0’ would represent complete income equality and a GINI coefficient of ‘100’ would represent complete income inequality. A value of 34.8 means that Vietnam boasts relatively low income inequality compared to major world superpowers. For example, the United States, China, and Russian Federation have GINI coefficients of 41.5, 38.6, and 37.7, respectively. Vietnam does still have a ways to go, however. Several smaller developed nations, such as Sweden (29.2) and South Korea (31.6) have lower Gini coefficients than Vietnam. The East Asian nation continues to grow into the modern era, its economic status is continuously on the rise. https://tradingeconomics.com/vietnam/gini-index-wb-data.html
Globalization: Asia 