Since Đổi mới was initiated by the Vietnamese government in 1986 the country became a member of various regional and international multilateral organizations.

In 1995 Vietnam became a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in 1998 it joined the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and in 2007 Vietnam became a full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The dimensions of global integration in Vietnam are manifold: local products have to compete in the world market, while trans-border trade of goods and services also changes the domestic market. Global environmental problems and labor migrants do not stop at national borders. Together with urbanization and population growth these trends lead to rapid social and cultural change. In this process, Vietnam currently tries to find the right balance between global integration and keeping its own political, social and cultural identity.

In order to shape a socially just integration, FES aims to be an important and reliable resource for its local partners and to foster regional partnerships.

Together with its partners, FES focuses on implications for Vietnam after joining the World Trade Organization. Recent activities in this area include:

• “Human Rights Implications of Vietnams WTO Accession” - Workshop jointly organized with the Vietnam Institute of Human Rights of the National Political and Administrative Academy Ho Chi Minh
• Impacts on the labor market after WTO accession - Workshops and studies with the Vietnamese General Confederation of Labour and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

All national activities are embedded in regional and global strategies and coordinated with our respective FES projects:

• The "Dialogue on Globalization” is based at FES-offices in New York, Geneva and Berlin. As part of the international work of the Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung, Dialogue on Globalization contributes worldwide to the debate on globalization and global governance. It is based on the premise that – through an inclusive and responsive global policy approach – globalization can be shaped into a direction that promotes peace, democracy and social justice.
• Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asiasince 1995 is coordinated through our FES Singapore office. Its role is to support, in close co-operation with the country offices in the region, the ASEAN co-operation and Integration and the Asia-Europe dialogue.