The 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam convened the 7th session in Hanoi from May 3 to May 11, 2013, as part of the whole term work agenda. The following are excerpts of the Statement on the 7th session of 11th Central Committee of Communist Party of Vietnam

As part of its whole term work agenda, the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam convened the 7th session in Hanoi from May 3 to May 11, 2013 to discuss a number of issues: Continuing to reform and perfect the political system from Central to grassroots levels; Strengthening and renewing the Party’s leadership over mass mobilization work in the new situation; Draft revision of the 1992 Constitution; Reviewing the one-year implementation of the Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution on “Urgent issues on current Party building”; Planning the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and key posts for the 2016 – 2021 term and the subsequent terms; Proactively responding to climate change, boosting resource management and environmental protection; and several other important issues.

The Party Central Committee conducted a Q&A session as stipulated by regulations. Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng chaired the session and delivered speeches at the opening and closing ceremonies.

1- The Party Central Committee discussed the Project on “Continuing to reform and perfect the political system from Central to grassroots levels”, assessing the implementation of the 10th Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution on reforming and reinforcing the apparatus organization of Party agencies, guiding the reforms and organization of state apparatus, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations as well as the 9th Party Central Committee’s 5th plenum Resolution on reforming and improving the quality of the political system at grassroots levels, namely the communes, wards and townships.

The Party Central Committee affirmed: The continued reform and perfection of the political system should adhere to, concretize and institutionalize the viewpoints of the Party platform and statutes, and documents of the 11th National Party Congress, which should be relevant to the revisions of the 1992 Constitution, maintaining socio-political stability and meeting the demand for national development in the new period; strengthening the leadership role of the Party and the validity and efficiency of State management, upholding the mastership rights of the people. This work needs to go hand in hand with reforming economic institutions, being uniform within organizations inside the system (Party, State, Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations), between organizing the apparatus and improving the functions and duties, enhancing the quality of state employees as well as refining the legal system in combination with continued reforms of the content and methods of Party leadership.

The apparatus organization at the local level needs to involve more part-timers in the organizations of the political system. It is necessary to vigorously reform the organization and mode of the operation of public service providers. The reform and perfection of the political system should be implemented comprehensively with strong political determination; what is required by clear necessity, and should be implemented resolutely; what is less clear needs to be studied, piloted and reviewed so that appropriate steps can be taken without impatience or complacency.

The Party Central Committee held that: Reforming and perfecting the political system should focus on the construction of a uniform, streamlined, stable and functional apparatus; building a rational number of cadres and state employees with political and professional qualifications and sufficient salary and income. To realize these targets, the Party Central Committee defined several detailed tasks and measures on Party organizations; the State; the management of the workforce on the payroll and the streamlining of that workforce; also, the improved quality of cadres and state employees.

The Party Central Committee approved the Conclusion “Several issues on continued reforms and perfection of political system from Central to grassroots level”.

2- The Party Central Committee examined the Project on “Strengthening and renewing the Party’s leadership over mass mobilization work in the new situation”. During its revolutionary leadership, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always defined mass mobilization and mass mobilization work a strategic task for Vietnam’s entire revolutionary cause; an important condition to guarantee the Party’s leadership and to cement close bonds between the Party and the people.

The Party Central Committee affirmed that revolution is the cause of the people, by the people, for the people; the people are the masters and exercise their mastership. All guidelines and policies of the Party and State should stem from the legitimate interests and aspirations of the people. Mass mobilization work is the work of the whole Party and the political system.

The Party Central Committee defined several tasks and solutions to strengthening and renewing the Party’s leadership over mass mobilization work in the new situation: Continuing to organize the effective implementation of the 11th Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution on “Urgent issues on current Party building”; addressing the people’s concerns; consolidating trust, boosting the close bond between the people, Party and State. It is necessary to change the awareness of the cadres, party members and the people about the position and role of mass mobilization work, about the Party’s guideline on reinforcing and reforming the mass mobilization work in the new situation. Efforts should be made to accelerate the patriotic emulation movement, and the cause of industrialization, modernization and international integration; safeguard independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and ensure political security and social order and safety. It is important to promote and reform the activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations, and mass associations, while effectively overcoming administrative and bureaucratic shortcomings. We need to build and consolidate the apparatus, the contingent of mass mobilizers, the Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations at all levels; train and improve related awareness and qualification for the cadres of the Party, State and administrations at all levels. It is necessary to lead and instruct organizations within the political system to closely collaborate for more regular and effective mass mobilization work.

The Party Central Committee approved the Resolution on “Strengthening and renewing the Party’s leadership over mass mobilization work in the new situation”.

3- The Party Central Committee looked into the explanations, the handling of feedback and correction of the Draft revisions to the 1992 Constitution based on the opinions contributed by people from various strata. This has been a momentous work for the whole Party, people, army and Overseas Vietnamese in 2013. More than 28,000 conferences, workshops and panel discussions have been organized, while more than 26 million opinions have contributed to the Constitutional draft revisions. In general, the majority of people have agreed with the basic content of the Draft revisions to the 1992 Constitution, as announced by the 1992 Constitutional Drafting Board. At the same time, the people gave heartfelt, wise and responsible feedback to the detailed content of the Draft.

Based on the Platform for national construction during the transitional period to socialism (as supplemented and developed in 2011), Party documents as well as resolutions and conclusions of the Party Central Committee and the Politburo concerning targets, demands, fundamental viewpoints and major orientations of the revisions to the 1992 Constitution, by collecting and summarizing the opinions of the people in a complete, timely, objective and honest manner, the 1992 Constitutional Drafting Board studied and edited the Constitutional draft revisions seriously and effectively under the overall spirit of sincerely listening to the people’s opinions and maximizing the reception of rational feedback. Another guiding spirit is to consistently pursue principal issues related to the nature of our political regime and State, continue to affirm that our State is a socialist state governed by law, of the people, by the people and for the people, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam; all state powers belong to the people with the core forces being the alliance of the working class, farmers and intellectuals; state powers are unified, with the assignment, collaboration and control between agencies in exercising legislative, executive and judicial rights; and developing a socialist-oriented market economy.

4- The Party Central Committee commented on the Report of the Politburo on reviewing the one-year implementation of the 11th Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution on “Urgent issues on current Party building”.

The Party Central Committee said: Party executive committees, organizations, collective leaders of agencies and individual leaders, managers themselves from the central to grassroots levels need to be serious and self-conscious, while mapping out plans and measures to overcome weaknesses and shortcomings, those which have been pointed out during the self-criticism and criticism process. It is necessary to lead, instruct, inspect and supervise what has been done immediately after any reviews, particularly the effective, strict and clear settlement of major problems. The work styles and methods within the Party should be continued to be reformed in the spirit of the Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution. Efforts should be made to build and perfect mechanisms and policies on socio-economic development, while successfully carrying out Party building in the spirit of the Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution. We need to vigorously fight corruption and waste, and practice thrift in the spirit of the 10th Party Central Committee’s 3rd plenum Resolution and the 11th Party Central Committee’s 5th plenum Conclusion. Self-criticism and criticism in the spirit of the Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution should be linked to the annual reviews and votes of confidence. Remaining projects on implementing the Party Central Committee’s 4th plenum Resolution should be completed promptly, and with visible results. The campaign of studying and following Hồ Chí Minh’s moral example should continue to be accelerated. The teaching of politics, ideology, communications and ideological work both within the Party and the wider society should continue to be promoted.

5- The Party Central Committee discussed the Project on “Proactively responding to climate change, boosting resource-management and environmental protection”. This is a strategic issue which will shape Vietnam’s sustainable development. Amidst complicated global climate developments, due to its topographic characteristics, geographical position, and level of development, Vietnam is vulnerable to the impact of climate change; its resources and environment are under heavy pressure from developing socio-economic requirements. In the recent past, this work has progressed and gained important results. However, response to climate change remain passive; natural disaster often wreaks great havoc to lives and properties; resources have not yet been exploited and used properly and effectively, there is even excessive exploitation which leads to rising degradation, depletion, and pollution with severe cases reported; biological diversity declines and the risk of ecological unbalance expands.

The Party Central Committee discussed orientations to proactively respond to climate change and to intensify resource management and environmental protection. The overall goals are: By 2020, Vietnam will be proactive in climate change adaptation, natural disaster prevention, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions; major steps should be taken to exploit and use resources in a rational, effective and sustainable manner; it is necessary to curb environmental pollution and the decline of biological diversity in order to ensure the quality of people’s living-environment, and maintain ecological balance for the sake of a green and environmentally-friendly economy. By 2050, Vietnam is set to become a developed country and must be adaptable to climate change by exploiting and using resources properly, effectively and sustainably; the quality of the living-environment, biological diversity and environment indexes will then be on a par with the other industrialized countries in the region. Simultaneously, the Party Central Committee defined concrete targets on climate change response; resources management and environmental protection by 2020.

To achieve the above-mentioned goals, it is necessary to fulfil both the general and concrete tasks on climate change response; resource management and environmental protection with the main solutions: Strengthening and reforming communications and education, raising awareness about the need for a proactive response to climate change, the economical use of natural resources, environmental protection; boosting research and the application of scientific and technological advances for climate-change response, resource management and environmental protection; strengthening state management of environmental protection, resource management and proactive response to climate change; renewing and concretizing the mechanisms and financial management, increasing and diversifying resources for climate change response, resource management and environmental protection; respecting international cooperation and integration related to climate-change response, resource management and environmental protection.

The Party Central Committee approved the Resolution on “Proactively responding to climate change, boosting resource management and environmental protection”.

6- The Party Central Committee commented on the Report of the Government's Party Civil Affairs Committee on the implementation of Conclusion No23-KL/TW, on May 29, 2012, by the 11th Party Central Committee’s 5th plenum on “Several issues related to salaries, social insurance, and allowance for those who have rendered great service to the nation and reform orientations by 2020”.

After almost one year of issuance, Conclusion No23-KL/TW, on May 29, 2012, by the 11th Party Central Committee’s 5th plenum has been actively carried out by the Government and initial results have been achieved: Issuing a number of resolutions and decrees, submitting to the National Assembly for adjusting and issuing the Ordinance on Preferences for those who have rendered great service to the revolution, increasing the minimum wage for cadres, state employees and the armed forces as of July 1, 2013.

The Party Central Committee discussed and agreed on: The fulfillment of this task from now until 2014 needs to closely follow the points of view, orientations, targets of salary reforms, social insurance and allowance for those who have rendered great service to the nation, as stated in the Party documents at the conclusions of 8th plenum of the 9th Party Central Committee, the 6th plenum of the 10th Party Central Committee and the 5th plenum of the 11th Party Central Committee.

The Party Central Committee approved the Conclusion on “Several issues related to salaries, social insurance, allowance for those who have rendered great service to the nation and reform orientations by 2020”.

7- At this plenum, the Party Central Committee elected Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly; Nguyen Thien Nhan, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister, to the Politburo; and Tran Quoc Vuong, member of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Office, to the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee.

8- The Party Central Committee examined methods and the planning of personnel for the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee and other key posts of Party and State in the 2016 – 2021 and the following tenures.

The Politburo is tasked with studying guidelines of the Party Central Committee on finalizing, officially issuing and instructing the implementation of this planning program.

The Party Central Committee called on the Party, people and army to reinforce their line-ups, boost solidarity and unity, strive to overcome difficulties and challenges and to effectively implement the resolutions and conclusions of this plenum of the Party Central Committee, plus other resolutions of the Party, National Assembly and Government, so as to successfully accomplish the socio-economic tasks and achieve the targets set for 2013./.