Speech by General Secretary To Lam at the opening of the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee

General Secretary To Lam delivers the opening 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,

Today, the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee opens in the context that the entire Party, people and army are striving to fulfill the goals and targets for 2025, the goals for the 2020-2025 term and the preparations for the 14th National Congress of the Party. On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I warmly welcome the comrades of the Party Central Committee and delegates to the conference. I would like to send you my best wishes for health, happiness and success.

Dear comrades,

This conference focuses on two major contents, namely: (1) Group of issues on the work of the 14th National Party Congress and (2) Group of issues on Party building and the political system. Each group of issues will have many specific contents, especially in the group of issues on the work of preparing for the 14th National Party Congress. You have received the conference documents from the conference organizing committee. I believe that you have studied them carefully and are ready to contribute your opinions during the conference.

Time is urgent, work is much, requirements are high, but the more decisive the moment, the more we must make efforts, seize time, work with the spirit of overcoming challenges, surpassing ourselves with strategic thinking and decisive action for the national interest, for the leadership and ruling role of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

To contribute to the success of the conference, I have some suggestions for you as follows:

First: Regarding the work of preparing, selecting, and introducing personnel to participate in the 14th Politburo and Secretariat of the Party.

At the 13th Central Conference, based on the Politburo's proposal, the 13th Party Central Committee unanimously and with high concentration voted to introduce personnel for the 14th Party Central Committee (not including Politburo members and Secretariat members who are eligible for re-election and special cases) to basically ensure the structure, quantity, standards, conditions, areas and fields of work according to the direction of personnel work for the 14th Party Congress, the Party's election regulations and the working plan of the 14th Party Congress Personnel Subcommittee. This is an extremely important basis and experience for us to continue to inherit and promote in the work of preparing, selecting and introducing personnel to participate in the Politburo, Secretariat and key leadership personnel of the Party and State for the 14th term, 2026-2031 term.

At this conference, the Party Central Committee will give its opinion on the number of Politburo members and Secretariat members for the 14th Party Congress term and select personnel to be introduced to join the Politburo and Secretariat of the 14th tenure. This is a particularly important task, the core of the core because everything is decided by people. Selecting and introducing personnel for the Party's highest leadership to lead the implementation of the very high and drastic goals of national development in the new period must be even more thorough, certain, cautious and accurate. I think that in addition to the selection criteria as prescribed for the comrades of the Party Central Committee that we set out at the 12th and 13th Central Conferences, the selection and introduction of personnel to join the Politburo and Secretariat of the 14th tenure needs to emphasize a number of important requirements suitable to the new revolutionary stage of our Party and our country.

Dear comrades,

In the context of fast-moving international situation, fierce strategic competition, and ever-changing global supply chains, the country requires simultaneous digital transformation, green transformation, and growth model transformation... to maintain sustainable double-digit growth for many years to achieve the two 100-year goals that our Party has set and the people expect, the Party's leadership role here is especially important.

Therefore, the responsibility of “ choosing the right person for the right job ” , especially senior personnel, the country’s leaders, is a prerequisite to turn vision and aspirations into results. We must select and introduce the most worthy people among those who are worthy to join the Politburo and the Secretariat. Those comrades must possess political courage, integrity and ethics, set an example, put the interests of the nation and the people above all; must have a sharp strategic vision and organizational capacity to unlock bottlenecks, unblock resources, and gather strength.

More importantly, there must be organizational capacity for implementation: Designing clear and specific goals, establishing personal responsibilities, measuring with data, making decisions "to the end" with high public discipline. In the digital age, indispensable criteria are digital capacity and data thinking, deep understanding of digital economy, green economy, circular economy, risk management and the ability to coordinate across sectors, regions and levels. Leaders need the ability to mobilize social resources, design public-private partnerships, create market trust; the ability to integrate internationally, foreign languages and a culture of dialogue to expand development space.

Particularly appreciate and value the quality, efficiency, and dedication of cadres, prioritize cadres with works, plans, and projects that have a clear impact; have the ability to handle situations in crisis (natural disasters, epidemics, finance, non-traditional security) ; be decisive but know how to listen to criticism, rely on the people, and work for the people. The selected person is the one who is most suitable for the development goals in the new period, has high reliability, endurance under pressure, the will to reform, convert resources into driving force, turn potential into double-digit economic growth rate so that the country can reach the 2 100-year goals.

In short, in addition to the general standards that you have been thoroughly informed of, as stated in the Party's regulations, in selecting and introducing personnel to join the Politburo and Secretariat of the 14th term, you are especially interested in 5 "plus points", which are (1) Having a national strategic vision, having the ability to maintain the country's autonomy. (2) Having the capacity to lead and command on a national scale. (3) Having political prestige and integrity at a symbolic level for everyone to follow and learn from. (4) Having the ability to implement resolutions into measurable results and achievements. (5) Having enough endurance, both mentally and physically, to withstand the pressure and intensity of work during the 14th term of the Party and possibly the following terms.

Second: On the report reviewing the leadership and direction of the 13th Party Central Committee presented to the 14th Party Congress.

Immediately after the 13th Congress, the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat promptly led and directed the research, dissemination, and implementation of the Congress Resolution with many new, systematic, scientific, and effective approaches. Timely considered and issued policies to handle many difficult, complicated, pending, and long-standing issues, and to free up resources for national development, especially socio-economic development. Led and directed the work of national defense, security, and foreign affairs; the work of building and rectifying the Party and the political system. Strictly implemented the Party's principles, constantly innovated leadership methods, working styles, and ways of working...

Looking back at the 13th Party Congress, we have maintained our strategic orientation; persistently built and rectified the Party; promoted institutional improvement; steadfastly maintained macroeconomic stability; promoted digital transformation and green transformation; consolidated national defense and security; expanded foreign relations and deeply integrated. Many major policies have been institutionalized, many bottlenecks have been removed, and many breakthrough decisions have been implemented. We have accomplished things that can be considered miracles.

However, with the spirit of self-reflection and self-correction, comrades also need to contribute ideas to help the 14th Central Committee overcome limitations and shortcomings such as: (i) some policies are slow to come into life, there are still outstanding guiding documents, and the implementation is not uniform; (ii) decentralization and delegation of power are not really smooth, vertical and horizontal connectivity is not smooth, accountability is not clear in some places; (iii) the organizational apparatus is streamlined in some places but not coupled with improving effectiveness and efficiency; (iv) "bottlenecks" in land, capital market, skilled labor... have not been completely resolved; (v) prevention and fight against corruption, waste, and negativity have achieved many results, but early and remote prevention work needs to be more drastic; (vi) policy communication has not met the "correct-sufficient-timely" requirements, and public trust is sometimes and in some places challenged.

Third: On summarizing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system to be streamlined, effective and efficient".

After 8 years of implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, especially from 2024 to present, we have achieved many important results. The apparatus in the entire political system, from the central to local levels, has been streamlined, with clear functions and responsibilities, reducing intermediate levels; streamlining the payroll associated with improving the quality of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees; the activities of Party, State, Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations are increasingly effective and efficient. Here, I emphasize the results of reorganizing the development space with a 2-level local government model so that comrades can contribute their comments and continue to perfect this model.

Seriously implementing lessons learned from the summary of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW is of key importance in transforming the political system from “cumbersome-dispersed” to “streamlined-connected-effective-efficient”, especially when we organize a 2-level local government model and open up new development space after rearranging administrative boundaries at the provincial and communal levels. This is a fundamental condition to maintain stability, development, ensure modern national governance, promote rapid and sustainable growth, improve people's quality of life, and aim for the goal of “rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization”, a powerful, prosperous, and everlasting nation.

In terms of meaning, the summary shows that it is necessary to shift from the mindset of "administrative management" to "functional-result management"; reduce intermediate levels, clarify authority and responsibility, "one task - one presiding agency - one responsible person", strongly linking decentralization with a transparent power control mechanism.

In terms of importance, the two-tier local government model helps the provincial level focus on building strategies, planning, inter-regional coordination and high-level public services, while the commune stays close to the people and quickly resolves daily needs; when administrative boundaries are rearranged, we have the opportunity to restructure the urban-rural network, form growth poles, economic corridors, exploit larger market sizes and reduce transaction costs for businesses and people.

In terms of practical value, the proven lessons include: Standardizing processes and data, connecting national databases, operating "one-stop-one-standard-one-declaration", measured by the satisfaction of people and businesses.

By doing so, the two-tier local government model and new development space will become institutional levers, transforming resources into driving forces, turning potential into high and sustainable growth, contributing to realizing the 100-year goals in a volatile regional and world order.

In order for the 2-level local government model to be most effective, it is necessary to ensure the connectivity and complementarity of the 3-level government (Central-Province/City-Commune/Ward) along three axes: Institutions-Resources-Data. In that interconnected structure, the Central government plays the role of managing, creating and ensuring unity throughout the system.

When the three levels of government operate as a whole, with the Central Government creating standards and coordinating inter-regionally; the provincial level organizing strategies, allocating resources, and monitoring results; and the grassroots level serving directly, quickly resolving, and responding to real data, the goal of maintaining peace and stability, promoting rapid but sustainable growth, and improving welfare will have a solid foundation. In conclusion, implementing the lessons learned from Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW according to the model of a two-level, three-level interconnected local government, with the Central Government as the "institutional architect" will be the decisive lever for a streamlined, transparent, and effective political system, thereby bringing the country forward quickly and steadily to strength, prosperity, and a happy and prosperous people.

Dear comrades,

We expect that the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee will create a very high consensus on: Development vision and strategic orientations to be presented to the 14th National Congress of the Party; a list of personnel recommended to join the Politburo and Secretariat that is truly exemplary, ensuring inheritance and breakthrough; an institutional framework for a streamlined, effective, efficient apparatus, modern governance based on data, decentralization, delegation of power coupled with power control; an implementation mechanism with clear people, clear work, clear deadlines, clear resources, clear accountability.

Dear comrades,

Our country is facing a historic opportunity to make a breakthrough, while also facing many unprecedented challenges. To maintain peace, stability, rapid and sustainable development, so that the people can truly be prosperous and happy, and so that the country can become increasingly strong and prosperous, we must make the right decisions and carry out to the end the important tasks set forth by the Party Central Committee. Each opinion expressed today not only contributes to this conference but also lays the foundation for a new term, creating momentum for an entire period of development.

In that spirit, I ask you to uphold your responsibility before the Party and the people, promote collective intelligence, be frank, constructive, and decisive in choosing the optimal solution for the national interest as well as in contributing opinions to the contents of the conference agenda.

On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I declare open the 14th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee.

I wish our Conference great success.