Speech by General Secretary and State President To Lam at the National Conference on Studying, Disseminating, and Implementing the Resolution of the 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee

Esteemed comrades, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front,

Esteemed comrades, leaders of central Party committees, ministries, sectors, provincial and municipal Party Committees, Party Committees under the Central Government, localities, and Party organizations throughout the entire political system,

Dear cadres, Party members, and people nationwide,

Today, the Politburo and the Secretariat are organizing a national conference to study, disseminate, thoroughly understand, and implement the Resolutions, Conclusions, and Regulations of the 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee. Through the thematic sessions, we have clarified the core contents, new points, and requirements for implementation. I highly appreciate the serious and responsible spirit demonstrated by all comrades.

The 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee reached a high consensus on many important issues and decided on major orientations regarding Party building, the political system, national development, and national defense and protection.

These decisions represent an important step in concretizing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, linking the tasks of 2026 with the objectives for the entire term, toward the milestones of 2030 and 2045.

These policies all aim to enhance the Party’s leadership and governing capacity; improve national governance, development capacity, and the ability to safeguard the country; ensure that the political system operates more effectively; unlock resources; improve people’s living standards; and promote national development.

We have reached a unified understanding that implementation must have clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear timelines, clear effectiveness, and clear accountability.

The quality of implementation is the measure of leadership and governing capacity as well as the effectiveness of the system’s operation. Awareness must be transformed into action, and determination must be translated into concrete results.

On that basis, I request that the entire Party and the entire political system focus on thoroughly understanding and effectively implementing five key issues.

First, unify awareness, firmly grasp the guiding viewpoints, new approaches, and the organic relationship among the Central Committee’s decisions and strategic shifts; understand correctly in order to act consistently.

The most important point that must be deeply understood is that the Central Committee’s decisions form an interconnected and integrated system, all aimed at comprehensively renewing the methods of leadership, governance, development, and national protection.

Party building, organizational restructuring, and personnel development must contribute to improving leadership capacity, governing ability, and operational quality.

The country’s development space and resources must be managed in a unified manner and utilized effectively.

The development model must be based on productivity, knowledge, technology, innovation, and human resources, while closely reflecting Vietnam’s practical conditions.

National defense, security, foreign affairs, and environmental protection must adopt a proactive approach, strengthening resilience, adaptability, and the firm protection of the country.

These tasks constitute an organic whole; any weak or delayed link will affect overall results.

In Party building, it is necessary to combine “construction” and “prevention”; combine strict discipline with encouragement for innovation.

The implementation of the Party Charter must strictly comply with the Charter and follow proper authority and procedures. New issues requiring pilot implementation must have clearly defined scope, duration, responsibilities, and must be reviewed and summarized afterward.

Regulations on what Party members are prohibited from doing serve to identify and prevent violations, enabling cadres and Party members to conduct self-reflection and self-correction. At the same time, they must protect the spirit of daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility for the common interest.

In managing development space and resources, it is necessary to overcome fragmentation based on administrative boundaries, sectors, fields, and terms of office; each locality and each resource must be placed within the overall framework of regional connectivity and national interests.

The completion of land legislation must uphold the principle that land belongs to all the people and is a special national resource, serving as a space for survival and development.

Land management and utilization must ensure the common interests of the entire population, contribute to improving people’s lives, and strengthen people’s trust in the Party and the State.

The State will not reconsider lawful land-use rights established under land policies and laws throughout different periods.

The State guarantees improvements in housing and livelihoods for people whose land is acquired.

Marine economic development must be closely linked with ecosystem protection, improving people’s livelihoods, firmly safeguarding sovereignty, and promoting national development.

The marine economy is only one component of the broader goal of building a strong maritime nation.

We must actively prepare the necessary conditions so that by 2045, Vietnam will become a nation that prospers from the sea, develops sustainably from the sea, possesses modern maritime governance, and has advanced marine technologies.

Renewing the development model is not merely about adjusting economic growth; it is about transforming the way development achievements are created, distributed, and enjoyed.

People must remain at the center, as the subject, the objective, and the driving force of development.

Science, technology, data, innovation, and high-quality human resources must become the primary drivers.

Growth must be generated from every sector, locality, enterprise, household business, and worker, enabling all stakeholders to have greater opportunities to contribute and benefit.

In safeguarding the country and ensuring sustainable development, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the unified relationship between security and development.

Development must create greater potential and resilience; ensuring security must maintain a stable environment for development.

We must shift from a state of mainly responding to and overcoming consequences toward proactively identifying, forecasting, preventing, and adapting to risks.

We must firmly protect the Party, the State, the people, the political system, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, while also ensuring human security, data security, energy security, water security, and the security of critical infrastructure.

We must not sacrifice the environment for short-term growth.

Second, urgently and comprehensively concretize the decisions into action programs and plans that are closely aligned with reality, with clear priorities and interconnected implementation.

Resolutions must go hand in hand with action programs.

Action programs must reflect the realities, characteristics, and specific conditions of each ministry, sector, locality, and grassroots organization in order to ensure effective implementation.

Each program must clearly define objectives, tasks, leading and coordinating agencies, authority, resources, timeline, deliverables, evaluation data, and responsible individuals.

Implementation must not become bureaucratic. The number of plans and conferences must not be considered a substitute for actual results.

Immediately after today’s conference, Party committees, agencies, and localities must review programs for implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, Party resolutions, and documents of the 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee.

Tasks with the same objectives, target groups, and implementation areas must be integrated. Overlapping contents must be addressed, and resources must be coordinated toward common goals.

There must not be situations where multiple agencies are involved but no single body assumes ultimate responsibility.

It is necessary to clearly classify tasks.

Those with clear orientations, sufficient legal foundations, and necessary conditions must be implemented immediately.

Tasks requiring institutionalization must identify responsible agencies, deadlines, and specific outcomes.

New, difficult, and unprecedented tasks must clearly define principles, authority, pilot scope, resources, and oversight mechanisms.

The absence of precedent must not be used as a reason for delay, while implementation must also avoid haste and subjective approaches.

Institutionalization must be timely and synchronized, transforming the Party’s orientations into clear and feasible regulations.

Authorities at each level must proactively address issues within their competence.

For matters beyond their authority, they must promptly report and propose solutions.

It is not acceptable to simply transfer documents to higher levels and wait.

Legal gaps or inconsistent guidance must not be allowed to slow down work or create additional procedures and costs for people and businesses.

Regarding the two-tier local government system, the central level does not propose reorganizing or readjusting commune-level administrative boundaries, as the system is basically operating in a stable, effective manner.

Any province or centrally governed city that genuinely finds adjustments necessary, based on Party orientations, State laws, planning requirements, governance realities, and the legitimate aspirations of the people, may submit proposals to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

Any proposal to adjust administrative boundaries must be scientific, cautious, feasible, consensus-based, and must serve socio-economic development goals while improving services for the people.

The mindset of “convenient for officials but burdensome for the people” must be resolutely eliminated.

The Standing Committees and Executive Committees of provincial and municipal Party Committees must take responsibility for such proposals.

The implementation timeline of the Resolution must be designed for each specific task.

In the remaining six months of 2026, the focus must be on ensuring the smooth operation of the apparatus, resolving urgent bottlenecks, and striving to achieve the highest possible socio-economic targets.

During the 14th Party term, major decisions must be basically institutionalized, decentralization and delegation of authority must be completed, and foundations must be created for a new development model.

Toward 2030 and 2045, Vietnam must strengthen its self-reliance, competitiveness, adaptability, and national resilience.

Third, enhance the capacity for implementation and ensure all necessary conditions for the political system to operate smoothly and interact effectively.

After one year of operating the overall organizational model of the political system and the two-tier local government system, the apparatus has been functioning in a stable, smooth, and effective manner.

However, the quality of implementation remains uneven, particularly at the grassroots level.

The current goal is to continue improving leadership capacity, governance capacity, and public service delivery.

We must continue refining functions, authority, and implementation capabilities.

There must be a stronger and faster shift: from management toward service and enabling development; from fragmented handling toward integrated data-based governance; from waiting for instructions toward proactively solving problems and taking responsibility.

Implementation must be placed under the unified leadership of the Party while ensuring that each agency performs its proper functions and authority.

The Politburo and the Secretariat provide leadership, direction, and inspection.

The National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels institutionalize policies, make decisions, and conduct supervision.

The Government, ministries, sectors, and localities allocate resources and organize implementation.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations disseminate information, mobilize people, supervise, and conduct social criticism.

There must be seamless coordination among leadership, institutionalization, implementation, and supervision, without overlapping or replacing each other’s roles.

The central level shall focus on strategy, institutions, shared foundations, major resources, and inspection.

The provincial level shall concretize orientations, organize development spaces, coordinate resources, and ensure the necessary conditions for commune-level administrations to operate smoothly.

The commune level is the frontline of public governance, directly handling the needs and affairs of citizens and businesses; therefore, it must have sufficient capacity to manage and promote development.

The commune level must mature through the process of organizing and implementing assigned tasks.

The central level delegates authority to localities.

The provincial level shall further decentralize tasks that commune-level administrations are capable of carrying out.

Commune-level administrations must strive to undertake assigned responsibilities and must not push tasks upward when those tasks fall within their own authority.

When commune-level administrations lack the necessary conditions for implementation, provincial-level authorities must proactively resolve difficulties.

If matters exceed their authority, they must report to the central level for consideration.

Each task must have a single main responsible focal point, a clear coordination mechanism, shared data resources, and measurable and verifiable outcomes.

Decentralization and delegation of authority must be synchronized with human resources, finance, data, technology, and power control mechanisms.

Data must be accurate, complete, clean, dynamic, and consistent, and must be shared according to authority.

The practice of requiring citizens to repeatedly provide information that the State already possesses in its systems must be eliminated.

Information systems must serve governance, forecasting, monitoring, and accountability; they must not create additional procedures, software systems, or formalistic reporting requirements.

Fourth, continue building a contingent of cadres with sufficient qualities, capabilities, and credibility to meet requirements; emphasize exemplary responsibility and the decisive role of leaders.

Cadres are the decisive factor determining the quality of implementation.

Even with correct resolutions and sufficient resources, if cadres lack capacity, responsibility, or the courage to act, work will still stagnate.

Personnel evaluation must be democratic, transparent, fair, and objective.

It must be linked to job positions, products, progress, effectiveness, reputation within the Party, and trust among the people.

The results of implementing resolutions must serve as a key basis for evaluating cadres.

Party committees and local authorities must arrange cadres according to their capabilities and expertise, especially at the commune level and in positions directly responsible for implementing policies.

Training must be based on job positions and practical requirements.

Weak cadres who avoid responsibility or shift tasks to others must be promptly replaced or encouraged to resign.

At the same time, cadres who are ethical, creative, and willing to take responsibility for the common interest must be respected, utilized, and protected.

A clear distinction must be made between cadres who dare to innovate and those who take advantage of pilot programs, special policies, or mechanisms for protecting officials in order to seek personal gain, legitimize wrongdoing, or cover up violations.

Heads of agencies and organizations must directly lead major tasks, difficult issues, and long-standing bottlenecks.

They must monitor progress, listen to grassroots levels, businesses, and the people; make decisions within their authority; and take responsibility to the end.

It is unacceptable to simply assign tasks and wait for reports.

Leaders must not claim achievements while shifting responsibility when delays occur.

Leaders must remain close to reality, understand their assigned areas and fields, and promptly identify and resolve problems.

Every cadre and Party member must strictly comply with Party regulations and State laws; regularly conduct self-reflection and self-correction; and demonstrate exemplary behavior through concrete results.

Strict discipline is not intended to make cadres fear responsibility; rather, it ensures that each person understands boundaries, performs the correct role, acts within proper authority, and feels confident in innovating and contributing.

Fifth, establish strict discipline in implementation; strengthen inspection, supervision, communication, and evaluation based on data, products, and actual results; take the interests and satisfaction of the people as the ultimate measure.

Inspection and supervision must begin from the outset and continue throughout the implementation process.

They must focus on areas at risk of delays, stages vulnerable to group interests, corruption, wastefulness, negativity, and issues of public concern.

It is necessary to monitor, provide early warnings, and promptly remove obstacles.

Inspection and handling should not wait until tasks are delayed, resources are wasted, or consequences have already occurred.

It is necessary to clarify: To what extent have Party orientations been institutionalized? How has the apparatus improved its operation? Which bottlenecks have been removed? Which resources have been unlocked? What benefits have citizens and businesses gained?

A task can only be considered completed when it produces operational results, verified data, and practical effectiveness.

Results must serve as the basis for evaluating cadres.

Good practices must be recognized; those who dare to innovate must be protected; and manifestations of avoidance, responsibility shifting, formalism, and profiteering must be strictly handled.

The authorities must regularly listen to citizens, businesses, intellectuals, experts, and grassroots officials.

Practical feedback must be regarded as an important channel for policy verification.

When widespread difficulties arise, it is necessary to simultaneously examine both implementation responsibilities and shortcomings in mechanisms and policies.

Not all limitations should be attributed solely to grassroots levels, nor should policies be used to justify weaknesses.

Through inspection, difficulties must be removed, approaches adjusted, practical experiences summarized, and institutions improved.

Communication and information dissemination must be incorporated into every action program.

They must ensure timeliness, accuracy, clarity, and persuasiveness; clearly explaining objectives, benefits, roadmaps, and responsibilities so that people can correctly understand, trust, and participate.

It is necessary to proactively combat false and distorted information while also listening to well-founded criticism.

Social consensus is first and foremost created through correct policies, fair and transparent implementation, and tangible results that people can feel in their daily lives.

In all action programs, people must be placed at the center—as the subject, objective, and driving force.

Economic effectiveness must be harmonized with social effectiveness.

Growth must go hand in hand with progress, equality, culture, environmental protection, national defense, and security.

Long-term interests must not be sacrificed for short-term achievements.

Vulnerable groups must not bear unreasonable costs.

The value of resolutions must be reflected in people’s quality of life, development opportunities, safety, trust, and happiness.

Dear comrades,

Today’s conference marks the beginning of a new phase of implementation, with higher requirements for responsibility, discipline, and effectiveness.

The issues decided by the Central Committee must immediately be transformed into programs, tasks, products, and concrete results.

Therefore, I request that Party committees, Party organizations, agencies, localities, and leaders immediately begin their work; identify the right priorities, clear focal points, clear responsibilities, and clear timelines, while ensuring all necessary conditions for implementation.

Work results must be verified through practical changes, service effectiveness, and people’s satisfaction.

Each level, each sector, and each cadre and Party member must transform awareness into action and determination into concrete outcomes.

With the unified leadership of the Party, coordinated action across the entire political system, and the solidarity and support of the people, we will certainly bring the documents of the 3rd Plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee into life, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress.

Thank you very much.

Hong Nhung