Resolving the Legacies of Agent Orange

The United States sprayed Agent Orange and related herbicides on 10,160 square miles of South Vietnam from 1961-1971, exposing millions of Vietnamese citizens and U.S. soldiers to dangerous dioxins and seriously affecting at least 150,000 Vietnamese children born after the war. Since U.S.-Vietnam cooperation on Agent Orange began in 2006, the United States and Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense have completed remediation at Danang airport and begun a second cleanup effort at the Bien Hoa air base, while USAID supports 10 organizations that assist persons with severe disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with the herbicide. Still, more must be done to help address the immense and lingering effects of Agent Orange.

Join USIP’s Vietnam War Legacies and Reconciliation Initiative for the first in a series of seminars designed to offer diverse perspectives on U.S.-Vietnam cooperation concerning war legacies. Drawing from the accomplishments and lessons of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin, American and Vietnamese thought leaders will assess the current state of cooperation on the issue of Agent Orange — with particular attention to health and disability assistance that addresses dioxin contamination from the Vietnam War.

Speakers:

Andrew Wells-Dang, introductory remarks

Senior Expert, Vietnam, U.S. Institute of Peace

Charles Bailey

Former Director, Agent Orange in Vietnam Program, Aspen Institute

Susan Berresford

Former President, Ford Foundation; Convenor of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin

Phan Xuân Dũng

Research Officer, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore

For more information about this event, and to RSVP, visit

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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to build local capacities to manage conflict peacefully. The Institute pursues its mission by linking research, policy, training, analysis and direct action to support those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world. Learn more about USIP