The solemn Fourth Congress of Ethnic Minority Representatives of Nghe An Province - 2024

Comrade Hau A Lenh - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs - attended and directed the Congress.

The leaders of Nghe An province attending the Congress included: Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; and other members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee; leaders of the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee; departments, agencies, and localities; and 250 delegates who are exemplary individuals representing ethnic minorities living in the province.

Unity, innovation, creativity, leveraging advantages and potential, integration, and sustainable development.

With the theme: "Ethnic minorities in Nghe An province unite, innovate, create, leverage advantages and potential, integrate and develop sustainably," the Congress is a political and social event of great significance, an opportunity to evaluate the implementation of the Party and State's guidelines and policies on ethnic affairs in the locality; affirm, honor and commend the contributions of ethnic minorities in the process of building Nghe An province; and at the same time, encourage and inspire patriotism, self-reliance, and the strength of great unity among ethnic groups in the area.

The ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Nghe An province have nearly 1.2 million people, accounting for 36% of the province's total population. Of these, ethnic minorities comprise over 491,000 people, representing 14.76% of the province's total population.

In Nghe An province, 47 ethnic minority groups live together, mainly concentrated in 12 districts and towns (Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, Anh Son, Tan Ky, Thanh Chuong, Quynh Luu and Thai Hoa town); among them, 5 ethnic minority groups live in concentrated communities: Thai, Tho, Kho Mu, Mong, and O Du.

During the period 2019-2024, under the leadership and guidance of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee, and with the coordination and support of provincial departments, agencies, the Fatherland Front, and mass organizations, as well as the decisive involvement of ethnic minority and mountainous districts, ethnic affairs in Nghe An province achieved remarkable results.

Ethnic minority and mountainous regions have received significant investment and support through various programs and policies, particularly the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Regions (2021-2025), the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, and the National Target Program for Building New Rural Areas. These are crucial resources that create favorable conditions for the socio-economic development of these regions.

The total budget allocated for investment and development support in the region during the 2016-2020 period was over 13,400 billion VND, a 1.3-fold increase compared to the 2011-2015 period. The medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period is 8,859 billion VND.

Ethnic minority programs and policies have been implemented openly, transparently, and in line with objectives, locations, and target groups. Many aspects have proven effective, making significant contributions to socio-economic development and improving the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities.

Average per capita income increased year after year, reaching 39 million VND by the end of 2023, and the poverty rate according to the multidimensional poverty approach for the 2022-2025 period decreased to 12.48%.

The number of communes, villages, and hamlets meeting the new rural standards is increasing. By June 30, 2024, the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province had 10 communes meeting the advanced new rural standards; 1 commune meeting the model new rural standards; and 1 district-level unit completing the new rural development task; the average number of criteria met per commune in the region was 14.34; and 212 villages and hamlets met the new rural standards.

In accordance with Directive No. 21-CT/TU dated February 10, 2023, of the Provincial Party Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership in mobilizing support for the construction and repair of houses for the poor and those with housing difficulties, the goal is to strive to build and repair 7,995 houses (3,560 prefabricated houses, 3,398 new houses, and 1,037 repaired houses) in 11 districts and towns in the region by the end of 2025, ensuring stable living conditions for the people.

The work of preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities in conjunction with tourism development has seen many positive changes. The grassroots political system continues to be built and strengthened, basically meeting current requirements and tasks; grassroots democracy is being implemented more effectively.

During the period 2019-2024, Nghe An province selected 6,858 influential individuals in villages and hamlets throughout the province. Currently, Nghe An province has 926 influential individuals; the province pays special attention to and fully implements policies and regulations for these influential individuals.

The dissemination and popularization of the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws have always been given attention, contributing to raising legal awareness, strengthening the trust of ethnic minorities in the Party and the State, and contributing to the stability of security and order, preventing malicious individuals from instigating, inciting, and exploiting the situation. The border situation, political security, and social order and safety in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province remain stable.

Xbuilding ethnic minority areasethnic minoritiesNghe An province is economically prosperous, rich in national identity, and strong in national defense and security.

Delivering a speech at the Congress, Comrade Hau A Lenh - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs - respectfully thanked the Party committees and authorities at all levels and congratulated the Party committee, government and people of all ethnic groups in Nghe An province on the achievements made in the past period.

The comrade commended and acknowledged the efforts of the ethnic minority people who have joined forces and worked together to develop the potential and strengths of ethnic minority and mountainous regions, contributing alongside the people of the whole country in the current process of renovation, development and protection of the nation.

Emphasize six key tasks.Looking ahead to the Party Committee, government, and ethnic minorities of the province, the Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs expressed confidence that Nghe An, with its strategic location, abundant potential and advantages in forests and seas, and its hardworking, intelligent, and studious people, will achieve strong breakthroughs in development. He also expressed confidence that the ethnic groups will continue to uphold the revolutionary traditions of their homeland, unite, enthusiastically compete in labor and production, and support each other in overcoming all obstacles.

"Building the ethnic minority areas of Nghe An province into economically prosperous regions with rich ethnic identity, strong in national defense and security, and successfully achieving the goals of the Provincial Party Committee and the goals in the Resolution of the Congress, will at the same time make Nghe An a model for other provinces to learn from and emulate for development," Comrade Hau A Lenh confidently stated.

On behalf of the provincial leadership and the Presidium, Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province - seriously accepted the directives and will work with relevant departments, agencies, and localities to effectively implement ethnic affairs and ethnic policies in the coming period.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province expressed his hope that in the future, Nghe An province would continue to receive the attention, guidance, and support of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and, in particular, the Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities, so that the province could further improve its work on ethnic minorities and ethnic policies, especially in raising the material and spiritual living standards of ethnic minority people, particularly in the western part of the province.

In his address to the Congress, Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Head of the Provincial Delegation of National Assembly Deputies - reviewed the results of implementing ethnic policies in the province, and at the same time, analyzed and pointed out the advantages, difficulties, and challenges in the coming period.

Based on that, the Provincial Party Secretary expressed his wish that the ethnic minority people of the provinceDo these 5 things well.These are: maintaining solidarity; preserving upstream resources; preserving cultural identity; being confident, self-reliant, and strong, overcoming difficulties and striving forward; maintaining border security; and at the same time, requesting Party committees, governments at all levels, and sectors of the province to seriously implement the four contents so that the ethnic minority people of the province can effectively carry out the five above tasks.

After a day of focused and urgent work with a high sense of responsibility, the 4th Congress of Ethnic Minority Representatives of Nghe An Province announced its Resolution and proceeded with the closing ceremony.

On this occasion, the Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs awarded Certificates of Merit to one collective and five individuals, and presented the Commemorative Medal for the Cause of Ethnic Minority Development to five individuals.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province awarded Certificates of Commendation to 6 organizations and 24 individuals for their outstanding achievements in building and developing socio-economic, security, and national defense aspects in ethnic minority areas of Nghe An province during the period 2019-2024.