Opening speech of General Secretary To Lam at the 11th Central Conference (13th tenure)

Respectfully introducing the speech of General Secretary To Lam:

Dear Politburo members and Secretariat members,
Dear Central Party Committee members,
Dear all comrades attending the conference,

With the spirit of determination and determination to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party and to urgently, actively and proactively prepare for the 14th Congress, the Politburo decided to convene the 11th Central Conference of the 13th tenure one month earlier than the original plan. On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I warmly welcome the Central Committee comrades and delegates to the conference. I would like to send you my best wishes for health and happiness and wish the conference a great success.

Dear comrades,

The Central Committee has just voted to approve the conference agenda. Accordingly, the Central Committee will discuss and give opinions on 15 contents, focusing on two main groups of issues: First, the group of issues on continuing to arrange the organization of the political system, arrange administrative units and organize local governments at two levels; Second, the group of issues on continuing to prepare for the 14th National Congress of the Party and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term. Also at this conference, the Politburo will report to the Central Committee for consideration and decision on a number of personnel work contents according to its authority; report to the Central Committee on the situation of the country; the world and regional situation; important tasks that the Politburo and the Secretariat have resolved since the 10th Central Committee Conference to date and topics on institutional improvement and breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation.

Regarding the conference documents, the Central Office has sent them to you in advance for your study. The amount of work to be resolved at this Central Conference is very large, the scope is very wide, and there are many sensitive contents related to "national affairs and people's livelihood". Therefore, to save time, I would like to ask the Central Committee for permission not to present the Reports again but to give time for you to study and contribute your opinions. I would like to suggest a number of issues for the Central Committee to focus on discussing and deciding:

Firstly, regarding the group of issues of continuing to reorganize the political system, reorganize administrative units and organize 2-level local governments. Over the past 4 months, implementing the conclusions of the Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat have led and directed the basic completion of the reorganization and streamlining of the Party, Government, National Assembly and Front agencies at the Central level. The figures on the reduction of focal points and work efficiency as well as cost savings stated in the reports have clearly demonstrated the revolutionary nature of this streamlining. However, in general, the organizational model of the political system is not really complete, especially at the local level. To continue the revolution in streamlining the organizational apparatus, the Politburo and the Secretariat have held many meetings, thoroughly discussed many aspects and agreed to submit to the Central Committee the Project on reorganizing administrative units at all levels and building a 2-level local government organization model; along with the Projects on the local Party organization system; Projects on the arrangement and streamlining of the Fatherland Front agencies, socio-political organizations, and mass organizations assigned by the Party and the State; Projects on the arrangement of the Courts and Procuracies; and Projects on amending and supplementing the Constitution and laws of the State, amending and supplementing regulations on the implementation of the Party's charter, regulations on Party inspection and supervision to ensure synchronous implementation. This is an issue that cadres, party members and people are very interested in. The information that the Politburo and the Secretariat have grasped is that the vast majority of people and cadres and party members agree to support and highly appreciate this policy and wish to see it implemented soon.

The Project on the arrangement and reorganization of administrative units at all levels and the construction of a 2-level local government model, along with the accompanying Projects, are very important and historic issues; not only the arrangement of organization, apparatus, and staff; but also the decentralization of authority; the rearrangement of administrative units; the allocation of resources; and the creation of development space. The goal is to build a government that is closer to the people, closer to the people, and better serves the people; at the same time, opening up a new situation in the country's development with a long-term vision, at least for the next 100 years. Therefore, the Politburo requests that Central comrades with innovative thinking and a thoroughly revolutionary spirit, for the development of the country and for the people, focus on giving opinions on the contents according to the discussion suggestions sent with each Project, especially on major issues such as: On the policy of arranging administrative units - at the provincial level, there are 34 provinces and cities; no district-level organization, reducing about 50% of commune-level administrative units; 2-level local government organization model, associated with decentralization, decentralization, especially the new commune level after the merger, how to be truly close to the people, close to the people, and serve the people better. Regarding the organizational model, functions, and tasks of Party agencies at the provincial and commune levels, corresponding to the 2-level local government to ensure the leadership role of the Party. Regarding the arrangement and consolidation of agencies of socio-political organizations and mass associations assigned by the Party and State to be directly under the Vietnam Fatherland Front to coordinate unified actions, strongly oriented towards the grassroots, towards the masses. Regarding the arrangement of the model of Court and Procuracy agencies into 3 levels associated with adjusting the jurisdiction of trial, jurisdiction of supervision, and jurisdiction of prosecution accordingly. Regarding the scope, content, and method of amending a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution; Party regulations and relevant legal regulations to implement the above policies from July 1, 2025. All of these tasks must be implemented at the same time, no task can be delayed, so we request that you give your comments on the plan and implementation roadmap so that it is synchronous, unified, smooth, and effective, so that the reorganization of the apparatus does not disrupt the operations of agencies, production and business activities, and daily activities of people and enterprises.

Second, regarding the group of issues to continue preparing for the 14th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term. Since the 10th Central Conference, the Politburo has continued to resolutely and urgently direct the preparation of the work to organize the 14th National Party Congress, focusing on two groups of issues: Documents and Personnel.

Regarding documents: Along with sending the draft summary of 4 documents for the grassroots congress to comment on, the Politburo has directed the addition and updating of many new issues, especially important revolutionary policies and decisions for national development. The content and presentation of the documents have many improvements to ensure the nature of documents, science, practicality, action, feasibility, and purpose, following the motto that the Political Report is a "torch to light the way", other reports are "action manuals". The consistent content of the documents demonstrates the unchanging persistence on the socialist path; well resolving the dialectical relationship between stability and development, closely following the great goal of "better and better meeting the needs of the people"; and determination to realize the country's 2 100-year goals. These are very high goals, and striving to achieve them is very difficult. Since 2025, we have had to carry out many tasks to create a foundation for realizing this goal. The Politburo and the Secretariat really want to hear recommendations and solutions to help us achieve the GDP growth target of 8% or more in 2025 and continuous double-digit growth in the following years under the conditions of carrying out a revolution in organizational apparatus and rearranging administrative units at all levels, as well as in the situation of "global trade war". The most important thing for this content is that comrades in each locality, ministry and sector must find "what needs to be done immediately" from their own internal resources in order to achieve the set targets.

Regarding personnel: this is the "key" of the "key" issue to realize the goals and visions of the 14th Congress. The higher task requirements require a higher level of staff, especially strategic-level staff. Personnel work must be prepared early and will continue to be supplemented and perfected until the 14th Congress. The Politburo has directed the review and supplementation of the draft Orientation for personnel work of the 14th Central Executive Committee in accordance with the structure of the new organizational model; reviewed the proposal for the Central Committee to supplement the planning of strategic-level staff; drafted amendments and supplements to a number of contents of Directive 35 of the Politburo on organizing Party Congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress. All of these important tasks are aimed at the goal of successfully organizing Party Congresses at all levels and organizing the 14th National Congress in the first quarter of 2026 according to the set plan. At the same time, to contribute to bringing the Resolution of the 14th National Congress into life immediately, the Politburo submitted to the Central Committee the Project on "Orientation for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term", with the policy of organizing elections earlier and reforming, innovating, and improving the effectiveness of the National Assembly and People's Councils, contributing to fully promoting the people's mastery over the country's affairs. These are very strategic and important issues for the country's development in the new period. I request that Central Committee members carefully study the documents and give their opinions on the important contents of each topic. These documents will be the basis and "compass" for leading and directing the successful organization of Party Congresses at all levels; the 14th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.

Dear comrades,

In the context of the new and urgent situation, which requires breakthroughs, decisiveness, determination, solidarity and unity from the policy proposal stage to implementation, I therefore request the Central comrades and delegates attending the Conference to promote a sense of responsibility, concentrate their intelligence, and contribute ideas to the contents so that the Conference can achieve the set goals and requirements.

In that spirit, I declare the 11th Central Conference, Session XIII, open. Once again, I wish you good health and the conference great success.

Thank you very much, comrades!