2026 IJRSE – Volume 15 Issue 6
Available Online: 9 March 2026
Author/s:
Thao, Cao Thanh Anh
Ho Chi Minh city University of Economics and Finance, Vietnam (thaocta@uef.edu.vn)
Abstract:
This study examines the extent to which Vietnam’s participation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping reflects the mechanism of norm localization within a broader context of norm cascade. Drawing on the norm life cycle framework and Acharya’s theory of localization, the article argues that while Vietnam entered peacekeeping during a phase of widespread institutionalization and peer pressure, the substance of its engagement has been shaped by selective reinterpretation rather than wholesale adoption. Through stages of contestation, domestic reframing grounded in Ho Chi Minh Thought, and adaptation via grafting and pruning, peacekeeping norms were embedded within Vietnam’s sovereignty-centered defense doctrine and the “Four Nos” policy. Since 2019, peacekeeping has increasingly functioned as a platform for projecting Vietnam’s preventive and non-aligned security principles within multilateral frameworks. The study further shows that this localization dynamic enables Vietnam to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 16, particularly in violence reduction and civilian protection, while preserving core normative commitments. The Vietnamese case highlights how norm cascade and localization interact to produce context-sensitive yet internationally relevant security engagement.
Keywords: norm localization, United Nations peacekeeping, SDG 16, Vietnam
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26812
Cite this article:
Thao, C. T. A. (2026). From global standards to national practice: Vietnam’s localization of United Nations peacekeeping norms and the pursuit of SDG 16. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 15(6), 117-124. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26812