Successfully organizing the congresses at all levels of the Party Committee of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics: Solidarity, democracy, exemplary conduct, intellect, effectiveness

Professor, Dr. NGUYEN XUAN THANG,
Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Committee, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council

The Party congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 term, leading to the 14^th National Party Congress, constitute a pivotal political event. This occasion enables the entire Party to review the preceding term and historical trajectory, while establishing objectives, orientations, tasks, and solutions for the new mandate to propel breakthrough national development in the new era - Vietnam's ascendant epoch. For the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics - the nation's foremost institution for training mid-to-senior level Party cadres, executives, and political-theoretical research, convening these multi-tiered congresses represents not merely a critical institutional event and profound political undertaking across the Academy system, but also demonstrates its distinctive political role, stature, and responsibility toward the revolutionary cause of the Party and nation.

The 15^th Congress of the Party Committee of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics for the 2025–2030 term takes place in a context where the Academy is undergoing many strong, comprehensive, and synchronous changes and developments. Pursuant to Politburo Decision No. 214-QĐ/TW dated December 28, 2024, defining the Academy's functions, duties, and organizational structure, the Party Committee has incorporated additional party organizations and members transferred from: the Central Theoretical Council; the Central Council for Literary and Art Theory and Criticism; and the National Academy of Public Administration. Since February 2025, the Academy's Party Committee has operated under the direct supervision of the Party Committee of Central Party Agencies, comprising party cells and chapters functionally aligned with: 9 specialized bureaus; 16 research, teaching, information, journalism, and publishing institutes; and 6 constituent academies.

To successfully organize Party Congresses at all levels throughout the Party Committee of the Academy, Party Committees and subordinate Party organizations must thoroughly internalize the guiding spirit of the Central Committee; Directive No. 45-CT/TW dated April 14, 2025 of the Politburo regarding Party Congresses at all levels leading up to the 14th National Party Congress; the article by Comrade Tô Lâm, General Secretary: “Effectively Organizing Party Congresses at All Levels for the 2025-2030 Term”; closely follow guidance from the Central Agencies' Party Committee and the Academy Party Committee; while promoting the vanguard, exemplary, and intellectual roles of cadres and Party members across the Academy. Concentrated efforts must be directed toward effectively implementing the following key tasks:

First, prioritize the rigorous, scientific, quality-driven, and strategic development of grassroots-level congress documents. These documents must be concise yet represent the crystallization of the collective wisdom across the entire Party Committee and Party cells; they must faithfully and objectively reflect the implementation of resolutions during the previous term, clearly delineating achievements, strengths, limitations, shortcomings, and their causes - particularly subjectively attributable factors - while deriving lessons learned. Draft documents must undergo thorough, multi-stage deliberations before submission to the Congress for further commentary and adoption. The Document Drafting Team must operate with a spirit of democratic deliberation, accountability, intellectual rigor, and scientific methodology. All documents must specifically and accurately reflect the contextual realities of each grassroots Party Committee and Party cell; mechanically copied or formulaic reports are strictly prohibited.

Building upon strict adherence to and concrete implementation of the draft Political Report to be presented at the 15^th Academy Party Congress, the political reports of each grassroots Party Committee and Party cell must articulate the contextual background and situational characteristics; identify emerging requirements; define explicit objectives, orientations, missions, and breakthrough solutions commensurate with each committee’s position, functions, and duties, while aligning with core missions for the upcoming term.

Specialized institutes must prioritize enhancing the quality of personnel training and development; innovating theoretical research, synthesizing practical experience, and policy advisory functions; and cultivating a contingent of dedicated, visionary, and passionately committed lecturers, researchers, and experts. Functional departments and units should focus on strengthening policy advisory capabilities, modernizing management and governance methodologies, enhancing systemic oversight, and advancing organizational and operational reforms in the context of digital transformation. For subordinate Party Committees of Academies, a comprehensive and synchronized approach encompassing both aforementioned dimensions are essential.

The self-assessment reports of Party committees must be substantive and consistent with the Political Report, adopting a spirit of frank and objective self-criticism and criticism to clearly delineate achievements, limitations, and shortcomings requiring remediation. Assessments must not be superficial, perfunctory, or detached from the collective and individual responsibilities of committee members, particularly the heads and assigned leads. Under no circumstances may self-assessment be exploited for personal agendas, nor may it engender internal division or undermine solidarity. These principles deeply embody President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching: “The purpose is mutual correction and progress. The purpose is to improve working methods for greater efficacy and accuracy. The purpose is internal unity and cohesion”⁽¹⁾.

Second, personnel preparation must be accorded paramount importance as the decisive factor in the Congress’s success. This mission bears critical significance, directly impacting leadership quality, the Party organization’s operational efficacy, and the functional performance of the entire Academy system in the new tenure. Preparatory work for Party Committee personnel must be conducted rigorously, transparently, and democratically, in full compliance with Party regulations and procedures, while ensuring the unified, direct leadership of the incumbent Committee and the close oversight of the Standing Board of the Party Committee at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Selected personnel must exemplify political integrity, revolutionary ethics, practical competence, innovative thinking, professional expertise, organizational capability, and the ability to unite collectives. They must demonstrate courage in ideation, action, creative innovation, and accountability for common interests - free from self-seeking, parochialism, or conservatism. Under no circumstances may individuals lacking competence, moral qualifications, or a sense of responsibility be elected to Party committees. This exclusion applies equally to those exhibiting passive attitudes, complacency, or absence of dedication. Nor shall committee positions be filled to meet structural quotas with individuals lacking credibility among Party members and the masses.

Particularly, decisive measures must be taken to prevent and address unhealthy lobbying, position-seeking, factionalism, coercive tactics, and internal disunity during Party Committee nominations and elections. Elected committees must constitute exemplary, cohesive, and credentialed leadership cores that ensure rational composition, generational continuity, and developmental progression. Careful consideration must be given to selecting cadres with either comprehensive leadership competence or domain-specific expertise aligned with the functional mandates of Party organizations and units - whether subordinate academies, specialized institutes, or functional departments. Unified implementation must guarantee that unit heads concurrently chair their respective Party Committees across the Academy system. Special attention must be devoted to identifying, cultivating, and nominating promising young and female cadres for committee membership, thereby meeting the Academy’s requirements for innovative and sustainable development.

For Party organizations undergoing restructuring or mergers per Politburo Decision No. 214-QĐ/TW, scientifically grounded personnel plans must be formulated through close inter-agency coordination. The reorganization process must ensure continuity, stability, and developmental progression - particularly preserving internal unity and cohesion. All manifestations of division, including us-versus-them dichotomies, local parochialism, or actions undermining the solidarity and leadership efficacy of new Party Committees, must be categorically prevented. Mergers must be intrinsically linked to rigorous vetting and selection of exemplary cadres who demonstrate dedication, vision, credibility, and integration capability within the new collective.

The selection of delegates to the Academy's Party Congress must be conducted with rigor, democratic principles, objectivity, and regulatory compliance. Elected delegates must exemplify political integrity and ethical standards, possessing both competence and credibility to actively contribute to higher-level Party Congress proceedings. They must be worthy representatives of the intellectual caliber, resolve, and stature befitting the Party Committee of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Particular attention must be devoted to addressing the legitimate concerns and aspirations of cadres and Party members, especially non-reelected committee incumbents. Timely acknowledgment and sincere appreciation of their contributions constitute a tangible manifestation of the humanistic ethos within the Academy's Party Committee. This practice reinforces organizational solidarity, bolsters trust, fosters broad consensus, and generates unified momentum essential for the succeeding tenure's success.

Third, Party Congresses at all levels within the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics system must be conducted with solemnity, procedural rigor, and substantive depth, ensuring statutory compliance, timeline adherence, and comprehensive fulfillment of prescribed agendas. All phases, from planning and document drafting to personnel logistics, operational execution, deliberative sessions, member consultation, communication campaigns, emulation initiatives, and fostering an atmosphere of unity and confidence, demand systematic, meticulous, and integrated implementation. Post-Congress, resolutions must be urgently operationalized into action programs with clearly defined objectives, mandates, and implementation frameworks. Immediate execution must commence with explicit timelines, milestones, and precise accountability allocation to collectives and individuals.

The Congress must constitute a genuinely democratic, intellectual, and dynamic political forum where every Party member exercises heightened responsibility toward the Party, the people, and institutional advancement. Participants must engage in forthright dialogue, offer constructive criticism, and contribute incisive, practical recommendations to enhance documentation quality, refine resolutions, and elect exemplary Party Committees - thereby strengthening organizational leadership capacity and operational efficacy. Congress proceedings must rigorously incorporate lessons from pilot and prior congresses to continuously refine methodologies and decisively eliminate superficial displays, ostentation, and resource wastage. Members of the Standing Board, Executive Committee, and assigned Party Committee representatives overseeing Academy Party organizations must allocate full attendance, effectively fulfilling their roles in guidance, monitoring, oversight, gauging member sentiment, and proactively resolving emergent operational challenges.

Congress planning must be scientifically designed and rationally structured to prevent scheduling conflicts or overlaps that would compromise event quality and efficacy. The Academy's Party Committee Standing Board must maintain rigorous oversight before, during, and after proceedings - upholding principles and discipline while exercising situational flexibility to ensure schedule adherence and substantive outcomes. For regional academies (Zone II, III, and IV Political Academies), appropriate representation from the Central Party Committee leadership are required to attend in duly designated capacities, avoiding unnecessary expenditures while ensuring operational guidance and demonstrating institutional solidarity with remote units. All grassroots-level Party congresses across the Academy system must be successfully concluded by 30 June 2025, establishing the essential foundation for the 15^th Congress of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Party Committee, scheduled for late July 2025.

Fourth, a particularly significant task for Party congresses at all levels throughout the Academy system is to provide substantive, responsible, and high-quality input into draft documents for higher-level congresses, especially the draft documents submitted to the 14th National Party Congress and the Political Report for the 15th Party Congress of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Contributions should be linked to the implementation of Politburo’s Conclusion Announcement No. 46-TB/TW on the Development Strategy of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics through 2030, with a vision toward 2045; The directive speech by General Secretary To Lam at the 75^th Anniversary of the Academy's Tradition (September 2024); Core tasks and breakthrough solutions for building a "distinctive, modern, and internationally integrated" Academy. This endeavor must be worthy of the Academy’s stature as the preeminent Party school bearing the revered name of President Ho Chi Minh in the new era of national development and resurgence.

As the paramount institution for political theory research, the Party Committee of the Academy must fully mobilize the collective intellect of its cadres, lecturers, and scientists to provide substantive input into the draft documents for the 14^th Party Congress. These encompass the Summarization Report on theoretical and practical issues concerning 40 years of socialist-oriented renovation in Vietnam, the Political Report, the Five-year Report on Implementing the 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy alongside the 2026-2030 socio-economic development orientation and tasks, and the Report summarizing party building work and implementation of the Party statute. Contributions must particularly address major priorities - including the Congress theme and guiding principles, assessment of the outcomes of the 13^th Congress Term and the comprehensive review of 40 years of Renovation, critical lessons learned, developmental perspectives, and national objectives for the new era - as well as strategic orientations, core tasks, and breakthrough solutions. The latter encompasses: comprehensively refining institutions for rapid and sustainable national development; establishing a new growth model; achieving breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation; developing a modern, world-class national education system; ensuring effective resource management, environmental protection, and proactive climate change adaptation; strengthening Party and political system development; constructing and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam; promoting socialist democracy and the people’s role; and advancing national defense, security, and foreign affairs - all aligned with the Party’s current major policy directives. This consultative process constitutes not merely a political obligation but equally a scientific responsibility for the Academy, thereby affirming its institutional stature and delivering substantive contributions toward the success of the 14^th Party Congress.

Fifth, intensified communication efforts must be undertaken before, during, and after the congresses to stimulate substantive emulation movements in celebration of party congresses at all levels, culminating in the 15^th Party Congress of the Academy and the 14^th National Party Congress. Propaganda initiatives should remain grounded in practical realities, employ diverse formats, and feature innovative content that highlights the Academy's achievements, endeavors, and aspirational trajectory in the new phase, while simultaneously disseminating the enduring values of its 75-year legacy as the Party school bearing the name of the great President Ho Chi Minh. Emulation movements must align with the Academy's core political missions - particularly "excellence in teaching, learning, research, and service provision" - manifested through advancing theoretically and practically significant scientific research projects, organizing impactful seminars, vigorously innovating pedagogical methods, enhancing training quality, improving institutional governance, and better addressing the material and spiritual well-being of cadres, lecturers, and students. Such emulation must transcend performative displays and eschew superficiality. Rather, it should generate tangible outcomes, inspire creative innovation, and foster a collective patriotic fervor throughout the Academy's Party Committee. Furthermore, these movements ought to integrate with major national commemorations, forming waves of concerted action that reinforce the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics' distinctive role, stature, and institutional identity.

Sixth, concentrated efforts must be directed toward effectively organizing the congresses without permitting disruption to routine political operations. All Party committees, grassroots cells, and the Academy’s entire system must implement scientific and timely coordination to concurrently facilitate thorough congress preparations while ensuring completion of core professional responsibilities - particularly in cadre training and development, scientific research, safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation, international cooperation, student management, and political school operations. Paramount attention must be accorded to: expediting appropriate position placements for cadres post-restructuring; resolving cases of voluntary resignations by officials and employees under Decree 178/2024/ND-CP and guiding Document 1814/BNV-TCBC, implementing Decree 178/2024/ND-CP and Decree 67/2025/ND-CP; reforming training curricula to align with the streamlining of the political system and provincial-level administrative reorganization - specifically eliminating district-level units, merging commune-level units, and establishing a two-tier local governance model; completing key national scientific programs KX.02/21-25 and KX.04/21-25 while actively preparing proposals for 2026-2030 programs; facilitating the Central Theoretical Council’s substantive support to the 40-Year Renovation Summary Drafting Committee and the 14^th Congress Document Drafting Committee in synthesizing contributions for the Summarization Report on 40 Years of Renovation and the draft Political Report; impeccably organizing commemorative seminars for major Party and national anniversaries; and accelerating progress toward building a Smart Academy and digitizing operational frameworks. This integrated approach will generate new momentum propelling the entire Academy toward the exemplary fulfillment of all mandated political responsibilities.

Party congresses at all levels constitute an extensive political undertaking and simultaneously represent an occasion for all cadres and Party members of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics to awaken and cultivate a spirit of responsibility, proactivity, creativity, self-reliance, and developmental aspiration. This collective endeavor must foster unity in building a Party Committee characterized by integrity, comprehensive strength, exemplary conduct, solidarity, democratic principles, disciplined governance, and progressive development. Furthermore, it positions the Academy to become the definitive exemplar in training, research, and disseminating the Party's revolutionary ideology and theory. These concerted efforts will culminate in the successful organization of the Academy's 15^th Party Congress while making substantive contributions to the success of the Party Committee Congresses of Central Party Agencies and the 14^th National Party Congress.

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(1) Ho Chi Minh. Complete Works, Vol. 5. Hanoi: National Political Truth Publishing House, 2011, p. 272.