Directive 49-CT/TW of the Central Party Secretariat opens a new step in mass mobilization work in Cao Bang

As a mountainous border province, Cao Bang has over 95% of its population being ethnic minorities. Over the years, the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee has always thoroughly grasped President Ho Chi Minh's thought "People are the root". After 10 years of promoting the implementation of Directive No. 49-CT/TW, Cao Bang province has made a fundamental change in awareness and methods of mass mobilization in the entire political system of the province, creating positive changes from the grassroots, contributing to promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc, strengthening the people's trust in the leadership of the Party.
Immediately after Directive No. 49-CT/TW, dated October 20, 2015 of the Central Party Secretariat was issued, Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee organized to thoroughly disseminate and deploy it throughout the Provincial Party Committee with more than 61,000 propaganda sessions, attracting over 22 million participants. Thereby, cadres, party members and people have a deeper understanding of the role of mass mobilization work in local development. To concretize Directive No. 49-CT/TW, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee have issued many important documents to concretize the content of the Directive in conjunction with the implementation of national target programs, especially on new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction and socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. In particular, the Provincial Party Committee issued more than 40 directive documents and Project No. 08-DA/TU (dated January 18, 2022) on improving the quality and effectiveness of administrative mass mobilization work in the 2021 - 2025 period.
Inspection and supervision work was seriously implemented by Party committees and authorities at all levels with over 830 inspections and supervisions of Party committees of communes, wards and towns, thereby promptly removing difficulties and obstacles in the implementation process.
From the change in awareness, mass mobilization work in Cao Bang has changed dramatically in action. The team of prestigious people, mass mobilization teams, and grassroots cadres have promoted the core role in propaganda, mobilization, and building the great national unity bloc. Up to now, in Cao Bang province, there are 1,462 prestigious people (each hamlet and residential group has 01 prestigious person); 100% of communes and wards have established mass mobilization blocs; 100% of hamlets and residential groups have established mass mobilization teams. The emulation movement "Skillful mass mobilization" is spreading more and more widely, in the province, 10,295 effective models have been built and maintained in all areas of life and society. Typical models are: Growing dragon fruit in Vu Minh commune, Nguyen Binh district (formerly); growing star anise and lemongrass for essential oil distillation in Ly Bon commune, Nam Cao commune, Bao Lam district (formerly); Mobilizing people to convert the area to grow cassava and galangal in Quang Vinh commune, Trung Khanh district (formerly); high-quality tobacco growing model in Ngoc Dao commune, Ha Quang district (formerly); a number of models associated with the emulation movements "100-day and night peak campaign to complete the site clearance for the Dong Dang (Lang Son) - Tra Linh (Cao Bang) expressway construction investment project under the form of public-private partnership (PPP) (phase I); security camera model; model "Helping people build roads in border areas", "Lighting up the border area", "Adopted children of Border Guard stations" of the Provincial Border Guard Command; model "Intense militia affection" in supporting people to build "Great solidarity houses" of the Provincial Military Command... The models have contributed to improving the material life, spirit of solidarity, sense of autonomy and responsibility of the people, while strengthening trust and maintaining stability at the grassroots level.

Over the past 10 years ( 2015 - 2025) , the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, People's Committee, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Cao Bang province have always paid special attention to ethnic minorities, especially in remote, isolated and border areas. The Provincial Party Committee organized 150 delegations to visit and wish a happy New Year, presented more than 10,000 gifts to ethnic minorities on the occasion of Lunar New Year; organized 07 delegations with more than 200 outstanding ethnic minority representatives to meet with Party and State leaders and visit and learn from experiences in provinces and cities across the country. This is both a recognition and a great source of encouragement , strengthening the people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State, arousing the spirit of solidarity, pride and aspiration of ethnic minorities.

Along with that, the people of the whole province supported the "New Rural Construction" Fund with over 30 billion VND, donated over 900,000 m² of land, and contributed 800,000 working days to build rural infrastructure. The "For the Poor" Fund at all levels received over 250 billion VND, supported the construction and repair of nearly 4,000 Great Solidarity houses, gave hundreds of thousands of Tet gifts, supported poor households in developing production, studying and medical examination and treatment... Each project, each road, each new house is a mark of consensus, a vivid expression of "the Party's will meets the people's heart". Through mass mobilization work, people's strength has become the driving force for development, contributing to creating new changes for the highland border region of Cao Bang today.
The new shift in mass mobilization in Cao Bang is also clearly shown in the government's mass mobilization. Governments at all levels have shifted from "administrative management" to "serving the people", taking people's satisfaction as a measure of operational efficiency. In 2024, the province's administrative reform index (PAR-Index) reached 82.95% - a figure that affirms that the province's staff is increasingly improving in terms of qualifications and practical experience. Along with that, many major policies on social security, land, infrastructure, poverty reduction... have been issued, contributing to taking care of the material and spiritual life of the people. Implementing the Program to support the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses in Cao Bang province in the period of 2021 - 2025, the whole province has supported nearly 20,000 poor and near-poor households with stable housing, gradually eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses, helping people stabilize their housing, feel secure in working and production, and escape poverty. That result affirms the special attention of the Party, State and province to people's lives, especially those in remote, isolated and border areas.
Through mass mobilization work, many ethnic policies have been effectively implemented, creating social consensus, bringing the Party's policies into life. Up to now: Average income per capita reached 50.73 million VND/year, 1.4 times higher than in 2020; 98.7% of the population in the province participates in health insurance; 95% of rural residents have access to clean water; 94.4% of communes meet national health standards; 91% of urban residents have access to clean water...
In particular, in the remote border areas of Cao Bang province, mass mobilization work has always been effectively implemented in conjunction with the tasks of national defense and security. Armed forces at all levels have well implemented the motto of "3 sticking, 4 together", being close to the people, understanding the people, helping the people develop production; closely coordinating with the grassroots authorities, grasping the situation, propagating and mobilizing the people to participate in protecting security and order, protecting the Party's ideological foundation, and consolidating the solid people's position.
A notable mark in the mass mobilization work is that in mid-2023, Cao Bang completely eliminated the activities of the illegal organization Duong Van Minh after 34 years of existence, completing 7 months ahead of the plan of the Ministry of Public Security. This is an important turning point, affirming the correct direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the strength of the people's hearts and the effectiveness of skillful mass mobilization work in convince ethnic minority people to have religion, bring them back to a stable and peaceful life.
Along with that, the team of ethnic minority cadres is increasingly interested, trained and matured in both quantity and quality: Currently, more than 75% of the Provincial Party Executive Committee members are ethnic minorities; in the period 2015 - 2024; nearly 96% of cadres and civil servants are ethnic minorities. This is the correct policy of the Provincial Party Committee in the strategy of training and using cadres, linking mass mobilization work with cadre work, considering people as the center and goal of all development.
After 10 years of implementing Directive No. 49-CT/TW, it can be seen that: Mass mobilization work in Cao Bang has had a comprehensive change, from awareness to action, from words to belief. Mass mobilization work has become the foundation in all activities of the political system, a strong bond between "the Party's will and the people's heart". The success of 10 years of implementing Directive 49-CT/TW is also a profound lesson in leadership work " If mass mobilization is skillful, everything will be successful" ^[1] . This is the key to opening up changes from the grassroots, a long-term strategic task to strengthen trust, mobilize people's strength for the cause of sustainable development.
Entering a new phase, Cao Bang continues to innovate the content and methods of mass mobilization in the direction of "respecting the people, being close to the people, understanding the people, learning from the people and being responsible to the people"; building a team of mass mobilization cadres with heart, vision and prestige in the locality; at the same time, strongly promoting the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels in monitoring, social criticism and participating in Party and government building. The focus is on:
One is, Strengthening propaganda and political and ideological education, raising awareness of cadres, party members and people about the role of mass mobilization work; at the same time, improving the effectiveness of government mass mobilization associated with administrative reform, building a government that serves the people.
Second, Caring for the lives of ethnic minorities, continuing to effectively implement social security policies, eliminating temporary housing, supporting livelihoods, developing production associated with preserving and promoting national cultural identity; promoting the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" movement associated with implementing national target programs, building new rural areas, and sustainable poverty reduction.
Third, promote the role of prestigious people, the Fatherland Front and armed forces, link mass mobilization work with national defense and security tasks, maintain political stability, social order and safety, and build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developed border.
Fourth, strengthen the application of information technology, promote digital transformation in mass mobilization work; diversify forms of interaction, receive people's opinions through the digital environment, contributing to improving management efficiency and people's participation in political and social life.
Directive No. 49-CT/TW not only lit up the path of mass mobilization in Cao Bang but also brought about positive changes from the grassroots , aroused the people's strength, and strengthened the people's trust in the Party and the State. Under the wise leadership of the Party, the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people of Cao Bang province vow to unite with one heart, determined to successfully implement the Resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress, term 2025 - 2030, making Cao Bang develop more and more prosperously, civilized and firmly in the new era.

Ha Thi Hue
Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department

^[1] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House - Truth, Hanoi, 2011, volume 6, p.234.

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