In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 1 September 1952
- Birthplace
- Thanh Hóa, Vietnam
- Country
- Vietnam
- Nationality
- Vietnamese
- Known for
- Leading ASEAN from 2013 to 2017 through the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community
- ASEAN office
- 13th Secretary-General
- Term
- 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2017
- UN role
- Vietnam’s Permanent Representative, 2004–2011
- Foreign ministry career
- Began in 1975
Why this life matters
Lê Lương Minh led the Secretariat across the transition from Community blueprints to the formal ASEAN Community and its 2025 agenda.
Timeline
Key moments
Joined Vietnam’s foreign ministry
Began a career centred on multilateral diplomacy.
Permanent representative in Geneva
Represented Vietnam at the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva.
Permanent representative to the UN
Represented Vietnam at United Nations headquarters in New York.
Secretary-general of ASEAN
Led the Secretariat during the 2015 establishment of the ASEAN Community and adoption of ASEAN 2025.
ASEAN marked its 50th anniversary
Completed his term in the organisation’s anniversary year.
A career in multilateral diplomacy
Lê Lương Minh entered Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975 after studying diplomacy and English. He specialised in international organisations, serving in Geneva and New York and directing departments responsible for multilateral cooperation.
He later became Vietnam’s permanent representative to the United Nations, assistant foreign minister and deputy foreign minister. Those posts gave him long experience with negotiation among states before he moved to ASEAN’s regional secretariat.
From blueprints to the ASEAN Community
Lê began his five-year term on 1 January 2013. On 31 December 2015, ASEAN formally established its Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural Community pillars after years of national and regional implementation work.
His term also covered adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its three new blueprints. The secretary-general’s role was to facilitate and monitor work agreed by member states, report progress and lead the Secretariat’s administrative support.
A Vietnamese first at the Secretariat
Lê was the first Vietnamese national to serve as secretary-general of ASEAN. His appointment reflected the organisation’s post-Cold War enlargement and the growing place of newer member states in its central institutions.
He completed his term at the end of 2017, after ASEAN’s 50th anniversary. His career places Vietnam’s multilateral diplomacy within the wider story of ASEAN’s institutional development.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Lê Lương Minh
- Who is Lê Lương Minh?
- Lê Lương Minh is a 13th Secretary-General of ASEAN. Lê Lương Minh led the Secretariat across the transition from Community blueprints to the formal ASEAN Community and its 2025 agenda.
- What is Lê Lương Minh best known for?
- Lê Lương Minh is best known for leading ASEAN from 2013 to 2017 through the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community.
- When and where was Lê Lương Minh born?
- Lê Lương Minh was born on 1 September 1952 in Thanh Hóa, Vietnam.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
