42 Nghe An delegates attend the 2nd National Congress of Ethnic Minorities

On the morning of December 4, in Hanoi, the 2nd National Congress of Ethnic Minorities officially opened. This is an event of important political and social significance, a special symbol of the great solidarity of the Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Delegates perform the flag-saluting ceremony. Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

The delegation of Nghe An province attending this Congress has 42 delegates, led by Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. The delegation includes 22 delegates of Thai ethnic group, 9 delegates of Tho ethnic group, 4 delegates of Mong ethnic group, 4 delegates of Kho Mu ethnic group, 1 delegate of O Du ethnic group, 1 delegate of Dan Lai ethnic group.

The delegates attending the Congress are typical examples with many achievements in leadership and direction in implementing the Action Program and Resolution Letter at the Congress of Ethnic Minorities at all levels; have many achievements in contributing to ethnic work and have many achievements in mass mobilization work, contributing to ensuring political security in the province.

Delegates from Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces took souvenir photos with Party and State leaders. Photo: Manh Hung

VIVID SYMBOL OF ETHNIC UNITY

Taking place 10 years after the first one, this Congress has the theme "Under the glorious flag of the Party, all ethnic groups are equal, united, respect, help each other, promote internal strength and develop together with the country" with 1,593 official delegates representing 54 ethnic groups.

The Congress aims to evaluate the achievements and results of implementing ethnic policies and ethnic work in the 2010-2020 period, thereby drawing lessons, continuing to improve ethnic policies, and setting out directions, goals, tasks and solutions for ethnic work in the 2020-2030 period.

Panorama of the Congress. Photo: Manh Hung

The Congress is a forum for exchange, learning and sharing of experiences among ethnic groups, and is a broad political and social activity aimed at raising awareness, consolidating trust and consensus among ethnic groups under the leadership of the Party.

The Committee for Ethnic Minorities said that Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, of which 53 are ethnic minorities with more than 14 million people, accounting for 14.7% of the country's population. Ethnic minorities live in communities, intertwined with the majority ethnic groups in 51 provinces and cities, mainly in mountainous and border areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions; which are particularly important strategic areas in terms of politics, socio-economics, national defense - security, foreign affairs and ecological environment.

Each ethnic group has its own cultural nuances, creating diversity, richness, uniqueness, and unity in the Vietnamese national culture. The ethnic minority community is an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, all are "Descendants of the Dragon and the Fairy" living together in harmony; wholeheartedly following the Party, standing shoulder to shoulder in the cause of national liberation, building and defending the Fatherland.

Leaders of the Ethnic Committee present gifts to representatives of ethnic minority youth at the Congress. Photo: Manh Hung

The draft report of the Congress sets the target that by 2025, the average income of ethnic minorities will increase by more than 2 times compared to 2020; by 2030, it will be half of the national average. The poverty rate among ethnic minorities will decrease by more than 3% each year; by 2030, the poverty rate will be reduced to below 10% (according to the current multidimensional poverty standard).

By 2025, basically complete the work of settling down; arrange and relocate 90% of households that migrated without planning. By 2030, plan to arrange, relocate and relocate 100% of ethnic minority households currently residing scattered in special-use forests, remote areas, and places at risk of flash floods, landslides.

THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH OF THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE

Speaking at the opening of the Congress, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh emphasized that the Politburo recently issued Conclusion No. 65-KL/TW on continuing to implement Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee (9th tenure) on ethnic work; the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 88 approving the Project and National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2030 period.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh delivered the opening speech at the Congress. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

This is the first time we have a National Target Program dedicated to ethnic minority and mountainous areas with a total capital allocation for the 2021 - 2025 period of more than 130,000 billion VND to invest in comprehensive development of all fields, focusing on economic development, sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction for ethnic minorities; developing education and training, improving the quality of human resources; improving the quality of health care and protection for people; developing culture, information and tourism; ensuring national defense, security and foreign affairs; building a strong Party and political system at the grassroots level in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Speaking at the Congress, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that ethnic people have been making great contributions to the country's development during the resistance war as well as in peace.

"It can be affirmed that solidarity is the source of strength of the great Vietnamese nation. When separate, each of us is just a drop of water. Together, we are the ocean. Only when we hold hands and move forward - the 54 ethnic groups of Lac and Rong brothers and sisters, will we be able to build a powerful nation" - the Prime Minister emphasized.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech at the Congress. Photo: Manh Hung

The Prime Minister requested all levels, sectors, agencies and units from the central to grassroots levels to make the greatest efforts to fundamentally resolve urgent issues arising in practice, create livelihoods, improve people's income and life, and implement the motto of action "leaving no one behind".

“I hope that our ethnic minorities, no matter how difficult or hard-working they are, will prioritize their time and money, creating all conditions for our children to go to school, to play, and to study properly. Only education is the only way to bring our villages, homeland, and country to develop and become rich and strong,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented the First Class Labor Medal to the Committee for Ethnic Minorities. Photo: Manh Hung

The Prime Minister called for us to work together to preserve and promote the fine cultural identities of ethnic groups (in terms of language, writing, folk songs, folk dances, folk music, etc.), and at the same time, to resolutely eliminate backward customs, superstition, heresy, child marriage and incestuous marriage.

The Prime Minister also suggested that we must continue to build and nurture the spirit of great solidarity among ethnic groups to last forever. The country's legacy and the glory of the Fatherland forever belong to the community of Vietnamese ethnic groups.