Accordingly, the association had to ensure the spirit of workers and peasants as well as extending its influence across all strata. Since then, despite being organised in many different forms and names to suit the tasks of each revolutionary period, the VNUFhas always fulfilled its task of gathering all social strata. At its congress in Ho Chi Minh City from January 31 to February 4, 1977, in particular, the VNUF decided to merge the three organisations of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam and the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces of Vietnam, into a common agency called Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF).
Over the past 90 years, the VFF has increasingly upheld its role and responsibility in the cause of national construction and defence. It has constantly innovated its operational contents and methods to enhance the political alliance and firmly build and consolidate the great national unity as well as representing and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the people. The organisation has also performed social democracy, supervision and criticism while fighting against corruption and waste, contributing to the building of a clean and strong Party and government. The VFF committees at all levels have always made their efforts to enhance the solidary and social consensus; promote creative emulation and socio-economic development; and accelerate the cause of industrialisation, modernisation and international integration.
In recent years, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak and storms and flooding with heavy consequences, the VFF Central Committee has strongly upheld its role and responsibility for the people and the nation thanks to practical activities. In addition,the VFF committees at all levels have paid great attention to launching numerous support programmes for the life and production of the poor and near-poverty people, ethnic minority groups and those who are living in remote areas. As a result, the VFF Central Committee’s role, position and prestige has been further strengthened and affirmed.
However, the reality of the Fatherland Front's activities also showed that the concretisation of the Constitution’s provisions on the fatherland front has been still slow, particularly those related to social supervision and criticism. The Party committees in several localities have not really paid attention to the front works; meanwhile, the implementation of coordination regulations between the VFF committees and other agencies hasyet to become good. Several operational contents and methods of the VFF and other unions are not yet suitable with reality, not fully meeting the legitimate demands, aspirations and interestsof the people.
The cause of national industrialisation and modernisation and international integration also poses urgent requirements for the mass mobilisation activities and people gathering. Accordingly, the VFF committees at all levels should innovate its operationalmethods to promote the strength of the whole people. Notably,many complex social problems continue to arise, and several social evils are not being promptly prevented. The lack of jobs, difficulties in living and the spread of bad information have caused frustration, reducing people's confidence into the Party and government.
With the above shortcomings, the enhancement of the great national unity is very necessary to create an unbreakable unitybloc, contributing to upholding the spirt of patriotism and national construction and defence.
In order to achieve these important goals, the VFF committees at all levels and its member organisations should operate unanimously and be determined to effectively perform the communications and mobilisation of people from all strata in the country and abroad towards their homeland. The committees should continue to expand and diversify the forms of unification, especially through regularly gathering people’s opinions to promptly reflect to the Party and State agencies; as well as monitoring, supervising and urging the settlement of people’s recommendations. The emulation movements and campaigns should be launched in line with the reality in the country, thereby mobilising all people to work creatively and successfully implement the goals of socio-economic and cultural goals and defence-security maintenance. Notably, the contents toward the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance and national self-esteem as well as the proactive development of production and business, promotion of initiatives and talents and the support for sustainable poverty reduction will be strengthened.
The VFF committees at all levels should proactively representand protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of people; effectively implement the social monitoring and criticism; and actively prevent and fight corruption and waste.The VFF Central Committee continues to enhance the international solidarity and people-to-people diplomacy under the motto of “proactiveness, creativity and effectiveness”, contributing to boosting the friendship between Vietnamese and people around the country and improving Vietnam’s position in the international arena.
During the national renewal process, with the increasing development of democracy, the role of the VFF and organisations has been raised. Therefore, the VFF should identify the most important task of firmly building the spirit of great national unity and strengthening the consensus among the people. The main goal is to promote the patriotism, national pride, the self-reliance and unification among all Vietnamese people in both country and abroad, regardless of social, ethnic and religious backgrounds, significantly contributing to maintaining the national independence, unification and territorial sovereignty and integrity towards the successful cause of national industrialisation and modernisation.
