Closing speech by General Secretary To Lam at the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee

General Secretary To Lam delivers the closing speech at the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee. (Photo: DANG KHOA)

Dear Politburo members , Secretariat members, and Central Committee members ,

Dear delegates attending the Conference,

The 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee has completed all the contents and programs set out with high consensus and good quality. On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I would like to thank the Party Central Committee members for their dedicated, enthusiastic, frank and honest work with the spirit of revolutionary offensive, with the high responsibility of a Party Central Committee member.

After two working days, the Party Central Committee decided on many important contents, including: Agreeing on the number of personnel for the 14th Politburo and Secretariat; agreeing on personnel to be introduced to join the 14th Politburo and Secretariat , a number of contents related to high-ranking personnel of the Party and State; agreeing on the contents of issues to prepare for the organization of the 14th National Congress of the Party.

Before closing the Conference, I would like to summarize the main results and the work to be done from now until the 15th Central Conference and the 14th National Congress of the Party.

Firstly, the Party Central Committee has democratically and thoroughly discussed with high consensus the personnel to be introduced to join the Politburo and Secretariat of the 14th tenure. The Party Central Committee assigned the Politburo and the Personnel Subcommittee of the 14th Party Congress to continue to consider, supplement and perfect the personnel plans in accordance with the personnel work direction of the 14th Party Central Committee and the personnel work process set out to report to the Party Central Committee for consideration and decision at the upcoming 15th Central Conference.

The Party Central Committee highly agreed with the contents of the Congress's agenda, working regulations, election regulations at the Congress and the report on the preparation for the 14th Party Congress. The Party Central Committee assigned the Politburo to absorb the Central Committee's opinions and continue to complete the draft documents to submit to the 14th Party Congress for consideration and decision.

Second, the Party Central Committee reviewed and commented on the report reviewing the leadership and direction of the 13th Party Central Committee; the report on the implementation of the Working Regulations of the 13th Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat; the summary report on the implementation of the Working Regulations of the 13th Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission; and the report on important tasks that the Politburo has handled from the 13th Central Committee Conference to the 14th Central Committee Conference. The Party Central Committee assigned the Politburo to study and absorb the Central Committee's opinions, continue to complete the summary reports, and hand them over to the 14th Party Central Committee and the 14th Party Central Committee for consideration and decision on amendments and supplements to the Working Regulations of the next session.

Tuesday, The Party Central Committee assigned the Politburo to direct the Document Subcommittee and relevant agencies to collect comments from political organizations and the people to further complete the draft documents. Urgently and seriously synthesize, collect, and explain comments to complete the draft documents to be submitted to the 15th Central Conference for consideration and completion to be submitted to the 14th National Party Congress.

Fourth, the 14th Central Conference highly agreed with the review of the leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat of the 13th tenure, and unanimously assessed that in the context of many difficulties and challenges, the domestic and international situation was evolving rapidly and complicatedly, many issues were beyond forecast; natural disasters and epidemics occurred in many places... but the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and key leaders were truly a collective of solidarity, unity, exemplary, bravery, intelligence, steadfastness in the Party's viewpoints and guidelines, promptly making correct and appropriate decisions, solving many important issues on economy, society, national defense, security, foreign affairs, Party building and the political system. Has comprehensively and synchronously promoted the cause of innovation, promoted the strength of the great national unity bloc, organized the basic implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress with many very important, comprehensive, and breakthrough achievements, achieved many outstanding marks, creating a premise for development for the following terms.

The Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have led and directed the drastic implementation of the Central Committee's resolutions, especially Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW on streamlining the political system's apparatus, completed 5 years ahead of schedule, creating a "push" and "turning point" in implementing and organizing the implementation of the Party's resolutions in the new situation; continuing to remove difficulties and obstacles in institutions, perfecting policies and legal corridors and effectively resolving difficulties, obstacles, limitations and weaknesses that have lasted for many years; maintaining macroeconomic stability, inflation being controlled and maintained at a low level; attracting foreign direct investment increasing; the investment and business environment and trade balance being improved; the growth model shifting in a positive direction; continuing to effectively implement 3 strategic breakthroughs; people's lives being significantly improved; maintain the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the Fatherland, national and ethnic interests; create a peaceful and stable environment for national development, actively and responsibly contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world. The prestige and position of the Party and the country are increasingly enhanced in the international arena, trusted and highly appreciated by cadres, party members and people.

The Politburo has issued 7 strategic resolutions, namely Resolutions No. 57, 59, 66, 68, 70, 71, 72. These are the premise, political and legal basis that are especially important for us to realize the country's development goals in the new period, in realizing the goal of double-digit economic growth in the coming years and successfully implementing the 2 100-year goals.

However, the leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat during the XIII Congress still have some limitations: The institutionalization and concretization of a number of Party resolutions are still slow; leadership and direction of state management of socio-economic affairs, ensuring political security, social order and safety, and protecting natural resources and the environment still have some limitations and shortcomings. The implementation of a number of key projects and the disbursement of public investment capital have not met requirements; the lives of a part of the people are still difficult; at times and in some places, the development of organizations to implement guidelines, policies, laws, and public service performance have not been completed; discipline and order are not strict at times and in some places.

The above shortcomings and shortcomings have objective and subjective causes, but mainly due to subjective factors. The leadership methods and measures of some Party committees and Central Committee members in some areas are still limited; not focused, not decisive, not timely; not strongly promoting the role, responsibility, dynamism, creativity, daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility in the leadership, direction and management of the head.

Fifth, the brightest and most breakthrough point in implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW is organizing the implementation of the two-level local government model and reorganizing administrative boundaries at the provincial and communal levels, creating space, potential and development opportunities for the country in the new era.

The 3-level government model has been in operation for 4 months, with initial positive results, increasing creativity, increasing effectiveness and efficiency in serving the people and developing the socio-economy; the masses support and trust, people and businesses have initially seen more substantial opportunities, rights and obligations of citizens; social life is more bustling and joyful.

To promote those positive factors, I suggest that local Party committees and authorities at all levels, especially the Party Central Committee members, pay more special attention to the task of supporting and creating conditions for the 3-level government model, with special attention to the 2 levels of local government, to operate effectively and efficiently, reaching the goals set by the Party, of which the 3 key goals are to maintain a peaceful and stable environment; develop rapidly and sustainably; and constantly improve the material and spiritual life of the people.

In the coming time, I request that comrades, in addition to the contents I mentioned in my opening speech at the Conference, you need to focus on handling the following key points:

(1) The entire political system continues to care for and create a two-level local government model that operates effectively and efficiently.

(2) Define interconnected authority between 3 levels for each field, eliminate overlap, and do not leave vacancies in tasks.

(3) Decentralization goes hand in hand with control; strongly shift to post-audit; organize internal audits at the provincial/commune level.

(4) Public finance is allocated based on results and local characteristics.

(5) Early determination of job positions, product assignment; mandatory training in expertise, profession, and data management.

(6) Organize a one-stop digital system; eliminate the "request-grant" mechanism and increase the responsibility of leaders.

(7) Building shared data, connecting residents-land-social security-enterprises; real-time updates from the grassroots to the central level.

The consistent principles are "locality decides, locality does, locality takes responsibility" and "clear people-clear work-clear deadline-clear resources-clear responsibility", "Central government sets example, locality responds", "Serve the people", "Results and work products are the highest measure of the level and quality of cadres".

Sixth, it is almost the end of 2025, there is not much time left from now until the 14th National Party Congress, while we have a lot of work to do, many work targets to complete in the last month of the year, while storms, floods, and natural disasters occur in almost every locality.

Therefore, I request that Party Central Committee members further promote their sense of responsibility to the country and people, focus on leading and directing the implementation of the work of their units and localities, ensure the completion of the targets set out in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, resolutions of Party committees at all levels; promptly organize the implementation of the conclusions of the 14th Central Conference to contribute to the success of the 14th National Party Congress.

Thưa các đồng chí,

The situation of natural disasters, storms, floods, inundation and landslides in recent times has been very complicated, seriously affecting people's lives and socio-economic development goals. Storm No. 13 is likely to make landfall in the Central Highlands region today, so the 14th Central Conference ended earlier than expected so that comrades could return to their localities to focus on directing storm and flood prevention work in the spirit of "Protecting people's lives and property is above all, first and foremost, all for the people"; deploying plan 4 on the spot to join people in responding to and overcoming the consequences of the storm; the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, etc. proactively support localities and areas affected by natural disasters.

I hereby declare the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee closed.

Once again, I wish all comrades good health, happiness and success.

Thank you very much, comrades.