The Congress sees the attendance of 1,587 delegates, who represent the wisdom, will, spirit and strength of unity of more than 5.1 million Party members. The Congress takes place at a time when the country has recorded highly significant achievements after 35 years of reform. The country has been presented with numerous opportunities but is also faced with various challenges amid a rapidly developing and unpredictable global and regional situation.
In implementing the Politburo's directive on Party congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Congress, the documents to be presented to the 13th Congress have undergone a thorough and careful preparation process, which underlines the combination between theory and reality, steadfastness and reform, and inheritance and development, on the basis of promoting maximum democracy, sincerely listening to the feedback of scientists, officials, Party members and the people, selecting and consulting constructive and responsible ideas.
The draft documents are also publicised on the mass media so that people from all walks of life as well as overseas Vietnamese communities can contribute their feedback. Such documents reflect the wisdom of the Party and are a crystallisation of the wisdom and creativity of the entire Party, people and armed forces in the formulation of the policies for national development, construction and defence in a new situation.
The 13th Congress convenes with the motto "Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativity - Development" and under the theme "Enhancing the construction and rectification of the Party and a strong and clean political system; inspiring the ambition of national development, promoting the strength of national solidarity in combination with the strength of the times; continuing to promote comprehensive reform; building and firmly defending the motherland while maintaining an environment of peace and stability; and striving to transform Vietnam into a socialist-oriented developed country by the middle of the 21st century."
The Congress will review the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th Congress; look back at 35 years of reform, 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform, 10 years of implementing the supplemented Platform in 2011, and the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy; determine the socio-economic targets and orientations for the 2021-2025 period; determine the targets and orientations towards 2030 and the development vision towards 2045; review the leadership of the 12th tenure Central Committee; evaluate Party building and the implementation of the 12th tenure Party Charter; and elect the Central Committee of the 13th tenure.
Over the past 5 years, under the Party’s sound leadership, Vietnam has seized on the opportunities afforded and overcome many challenges. The socialist-oriented market economy continues to grow while macroeconomic stability and high economic growth are sustained. The fields of education and training, science and technology, culture, society and human development have recorded many important achievements. The political and social situation is stable; defence and security have been maintained and strengthened; external relations and international integration have been deepened. The strength of national solidarity has been reinforced; socialist democracy continues to be promoted. The construction of a rules-based socialist state has seen many progresses, while the organisation and apparatus of the legislative, executive and judicial bodies continue to be perfected. The construction and rectification of the Party and the political system has been expedited in a comprehensive, synchronous, aggressive manner with clear results.
Notably, in 2020, Vietnam managed to successfully contain the Covid-19 pandemic, gradually restored production and business, and stabilised the people's lives, helping to reinforce the people's trust in the Party, State and socialism, and affirming the capability, spirit and fine tradition of the Vietnamese nation. Vietnam is now possessing an economy, strength and international prestige never seen before.
The historically and highly significant achievements in the 35 years of the Doi Moi reform and 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform continue to affirm that the Party's path of reform is right and creative. Such achievements are a crystallisation of the Party and people's creativity, affirming that Vietnam's path to socialism is suitable for the reality in Vietnam and the development trend of the times. They also affirm that the Party's sound leadership is a decisive factor in all victories of the Vietnamese revolution.
The global and international situations are forecast to continue witnessing complicated, rapid and unpredictable changes in the coming years. Under the impacts of Covid-19, the world has fallen into a serious crisis in many respects. Strategic competition, economic competition and trade wars continue in a tense manner. Countries in the world are striving to adjust their strategies and development methods to adapt to the new situation. Climate change, natural disasters, epidemics and non-traditional security issues are exerting increasingly great and multi-faceted impacts, seriously threatening the stable and sustainable development of the world, the region and Vietnam.
Continuing the Party's path of reform in the coming period, the consistent guiding principle is persistently following, creatively applying and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Ideology; firmly pursuing the goal of national independence and socialism; and steadfastly following the Party's path of reform to construct and defend the socialist Vietnamese motherland.
The strategic thought is rapid and sustainable development, ensuring the close alignment and synchronous implementation of tasks, in which socio-economic development is the central task, Party building is the key task; cultural development is the spiritual foundation of society; and ensuring national defence and security is a critical and continual task.
The driving force and resources for national development are the evocation of patriotism, the spirit of self-reliance, the strength of national solidarity and the aspiration for a prosperous and happy country; the promotion of the synergy of the entire political system and Vietnamese culture and people; and the combination of the national strength with the strength of the times.
The deciding factor to success is strengthening Party building and rectification, enhancing the leadership capacity, the ruling capacity and the combat capacity of the Party, and building a comprehensively clean and strong Party and political system.
With a glorious tradition and valuable lessons in the 91 years of leading the Vietnamese revolution of the Communist Party of Vietnam - a truly revolutionary, clean and strong Party, which possesses sufficient capability, wisdom, experience and prestige of leadership, and which has been given the trust and endorsement of the people, we can firmly believe that the Party will continue to lead the nation to achieve new miracles in national construction and development so that Vietnam will become wealthier and more beautiful as desired by President Ho Chi Minh.
Looking towards the 13th Congress, the entire Party, armed forces and people from all over the country as well as from abroad will unanimously place absolute trust in the Party's leadership, joining hands to bring the resolution of the Congress to life and take the country forwards into a new development period.
