Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang told the press on December 22 that scheduled for December 25 in Ha Noi, the conference will serve as an important platform to strengthen coordination among central and local authorities, Viet Nam's representative missions abroad, and the OV community.
Around 320 delegates are expected to attend, including Party and State leaders, officials of ministries, sectors and localities, veteran officials in OV affairs, and representatives of OV associations and communities. Notably, 20 outstanding OV delegates attending the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress will take part in person.
Hang said that Resolution 36, issued in 2004, is the Party’s first document giving comprehensive strategic guidance on OV affairs in the context of deeper international integration. Over the past two decades, it has served as a guiding framework, reaffirming the consistent viewpoint that OVs are an inseparable part and an important resource of the Vietnamese people, and contribute to Viet Nam's friendship and cooperation with other countries.
To date, the State Committee for OVs has received 60 review reports, 20 thematic papers, and 180 proposals from ministries, sectors and localities, along with inputs from 98 overseas representative missions of the country. It has also organised five seminars and workshops to support a comprehensive assessment and help shape orientations for the coming period.
Reviewing achievements after more than 20 years of the resolution implementation, the Deputy FM noted that the OV community has grown significantly in both size and quality, from about 2.7 million people in nearly 90 countries and territories in 2004 to nearly 6.5 million in over 130 today, with around 80% living in developed countries. Their role and standing have continued to rise while ties between OVs and the homeland have become closer and more substantive.
She highlighted a major shift in management thinking towards accompanying, supporting, and serving OVs as reflected in improvements in the legal framework to better protect their rights and legitimate interests, including amendments to the Law on Vietnamese Nationality and the legislation on science, technology, land, and housing.
The Party and State have also encouraged OVs to engage in the making of major policies, she went on, noting that more than 2,000 opinions from around the world have been submitted to contribute to the draft documents of the 14th National Party Congress, demonstrating their sense of responsibility and aspiration to support national development.
Preserving and promoting Vietnamese cultural values, especially the Vietnamese language, has seen notable progress, with updated teaching materials, digital application in language instruction, online training for teachers, the Vietnamese Bookshelf initiative, the designation of September 8 as Vietnamese Language Day, and programmes to select Vietnamese-language ambassadors.
These achievements show the strong attention from Party and State leaders, the engagement of the entire political system, and the dedication of those working in OV affairs, once again affirming that OVs are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese people, Hang added.
