Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

2023 is a pivotal year, of great significance in the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. This is also the year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organizes the 32nd Diplomatic Conference, summarizing the leadership and direction of the implementation of foreign affairs tasks and Party building tasks in the first half of the 13th National Party Congress term.

The 32nd Diplomatic Conference (December 18-23) devoted time to discussing Party building and overseas Party work to evaluate mid-term work, determine directions for strengthening the leadership capacity of Party committees at all levels, and improving the quality of Party members and cadres in the Diplomatic sector to be clean, strong and comprehensive.

In the first half of the 13th Congress term, the entire Party has made very positive changes, with many outstanding marks in the more harmonious and smooth combination between "building" and "fighting", more comprehensively in all aspects of Party building work. However, the world context continues to evolve rapidly, complexly, unpredictably, with more challenges than predicted, unprecedented for the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland.

The Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs always identifies Party building and rectification as a key task, associated with the political tasks of Party committees, agencies, units and each cadre and Party member; as the leading important factor in ensuring the promotion of the pioneering role of foreign affairs in maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, seizing opportunities and external resources to serve national development, and enhancing our country's position and prestige in the international arena.

Comprehensive and synchronous implementation of Party building work

Since the 31st Diplomatic Conference, the entire Diplomatic sector has made efforts to synchronously implement both foreign political tasks and the tasks of Party building and building a clean and strong sector. On the basis of seriously and deeply grasping the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress with the viewpoint that "Party building is the key", the Party Executive Committee of the Ministry has coordinated with the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lead and direct Party organizations to maintain their leadership role, synchronously and comprehensively deploy all aspects of Party building work, effectively perform the function of managing Party organizations and Party members at home and abroad with remarkable results.

Political and ideological work has always been given importance with the direction of Party organizations at home and abroad to proactively and actively grasp and fully implement the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Committee, effectively implement the resolutions[1] of the Party Committee of the Ministry, the books of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and at the same time continue to promote the implementation of Conclusion 01-KL/TW of the Politburo, Term XIII on continuing to implement Directive 05-CT/TW " on studying and following the ideology, morality and lifestyle of Ho Chi Minh " in conjunction with the implementation of Resolution 4 of the Central Committee, Term XII and XIII on strengthening, building and rectifying the Party, repelling the degradation of ideology, politics, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation".

The Party Committee of the Ministry directed the effective implementation of tasks and solutions to protect the Party's ideological foundation and fight against erroneous and hostile viewpoints in the new situation. In the past two years, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has actively responded to the Political Contest on protecting the ideological foundation of the Central Steering Committee 35 with the largest number of entries, achieving high quality, and was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Party Committee of the Central Agencies for its outstanding achievements in the 5 years of implementing Resolution No. 35.

Party building and organization work has received special attention. Exactly 4 years since the Politburo issued Decision 209-QD/TW on merging the Overseas Party Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Party Committee, overseas party work has been regularly directed by the Central Committee, directly by the Politburo and the Secretariat. The characteristics of overseas party work include party members of ministries, branches, provincial and municipal party committees who are working, working and studying abroad, having the opportunity to access the achievements of humanity in economics, culture, education, science and technology, but also being impacted and influenced in many ways.

The Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has promptly completed the staff and support apparatus, standardized working methods and procedures, innovated working methods, stabilized the Party organization system and ensured the smooth operation of overseas Party organizations. The management of Party members abroad continues to receive attention, direction and is implemented in accordance with the requirements and regulations of the Central Committee. Thanks to that, the system of overseas Party organizations is maintained, constantly improved and developed, and the contingent of Party members abroad continues to make important contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Research and advisory work for the Central Committee, Politburo, and Secretariat on party work has been effectively implemented, promptly resolving a number of urgent and complicated issues, especially regulations on the functions and tasks of subordinate party committees operating abroad to strengthen and consolidate grassroots party organizations such as Regulation 43-QD/TW[2] and regulations on the tasks of party members and the management of party members abroad Regulation 86-QD/TW[3].

In 2023, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deployed a Project to submit to the Secretariat for promulgation of Regulations on inspection and supervision of party organizations and party members abroad. This is a new Regulation to overcome difficulties and limitations to suit the subjects, types, functions and tasks of party organizations and party members being inspected and supervised in the context of operating abroad. Research and advisory work with specific results has contributed to perfecting the system of documents on party work abroad.

Inspection and supervision work is carried out systematically and systematically, contributing to maintaining Party discipline, building and perfecting regulations and procedures to ensure that agencies and units comply with State policies and laws. The Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Resolution to strengthen leadership in the inspection of compliance with Party guidelines and policies and State laws in the diplomatic sector[4].

The Party Committee of the Ministry and the Inspection Committee have made great efforts to overcome difficulties, overcome shortcomings pointed out by relevant agencies, and find innovative solutions to deploy inspection and supervision teams according to Party regulations, in accordance with the characteristics of Party work abroad, such as strengthening the combination of foreign affairs working teams with inspection of Party work; coordinating the administrative inspection and supervision work of the government with the inspection and supervision of the Party.

Strengthening Party leadership, improving the quality of Party members

From now until the end of the 13th National Congress, our country will continue to integrate comprehensively and deeply into the world, and the tasks for the diplomatic sector will be more difficult in the context of the world and regional situation continuing to fluctuate in a complex and unpredictable manner. Lessons from the past show that we must firmly adhere to Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, constantly cultivate morality, and clearly recognize our responsibilities and duties to the Party, State and People.

Entering a new phase, with the determination to innovate thinking and action, Party members and cadres in the entire Party Committee are determined to synchronously implement both foreign affairs tasks and industry development and construction, in which Party building is the key task. To achieve that goal, it is necessary to continue:

One, raise awareness of Party committees and Party members about the meaning and importance of Party work . It is necessary to overcome the phenomenon of "heavy professional work, light Party work" that still exists in some Party committees. The quality of Party work depends largely on the quality of Party committees, especially the heads of Party committees. It is necessary to constantly care for, train and build a team of cadres doing Party work for the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the team of Party committees at the grassroots level, Party committee secretaries with leadership capacity, responsibility, qualifications, ability to unite, gather and educate Party members and the masses. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen awareness education for cadres and Party members to foster enthusiasm and sense of responsibility of Party members. Strictly handle violations to maintain Party discipline.

Second, innovate the leadership methods of Party committees and organizations at all levels . Focus on promoting the role and professional strengths of grassroots Party organizations in implementing resolutions and directives of the Central Committee and higher-level Party Committees. Standardize the working style and procedures of the Party Committee. Regularly conduct inspections and supervisions with the motto "supervision must be expanded", "inspection must be focused and key" to promptly detect shortcomings and defects for correction.

Third, focus on building and rectifying the Party in terms of organization, especially the contingent of cadres in the diplomatic sector . Party cells are the roots of the Party, cadres are the root of all work. Focus on building the Party organization and the quality of the contingent of Party members at home and abroad in the new situation. Discover, train, foster, plan, and build a contingent of diplomatic cadres and Party members who are absolutely loyal to the Party's ideals and the interests of the nation, possessing the qualities of "both red and expert", demonstrating the mettle, ethics, and diplomatic style of Ho Chi Minh, always alert, proactive in prevention, not allowing self-evolution, self-transformation, corruption, and negativity.

Fourth, improve the effectiveness of research and consultation on documents on Party building and overseas Party work in the new situation. In preparation for the 14th National Congress of the Party and towards synchronizing overseas Party work and overseas Party organization models with the Party's organizational system, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to research and summarize to build a new Directive on overseas Party work that is more suitable to the international context and the current situation to replace Directive 51-CT/TW dated April 13, 2005 of the Secretariat on strengthening overseas Party work in the new situation in conjunction with Notice 89-TB/TW dated April 23, 2012 of the Secretariat on overseas Party organizations in the period of international integration.

Fifth, more comprehensively and vigorously implement the work of overseas Vietnamese according to Conclusion 12 of the Politburo . Party committees and organizations at all levels focus on caring for and strengthening the close relationship and solidarity between party members, the masses and the overseas Vietnamese community, ensuring stable conditions for the community to develop with peace of mind, turn to the homeland and contribute their heart and mind to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Sixth, strengthen close coordination between the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Party Committees at all levels and provincial and municipal Party Committees in overseas Party work. Since the merger with the Overseas Party Committee under Regulation 209, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has both performed the task of leading and managing Party organizations and Party members in the country and managing Party organizations and Party members abroad. Innovating and improving the quality of Party building work and managing Party members abroad is not only the responsibility of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Party Committees and organizations at all levels abroad, but also the responsibility of the Central Committees, ministries, branches, unions and local Party Committees whose Party members are working, working and studying abroad.

Therefore, it is necessary to establish a smooth coordination mechanism between the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Party committees, Party executive committees, Party delegations and Party committees directly under the Central Committee in carrying out political tasks and Party building work abroad.

Promoting the 78-year proud and glorious tradition of the diplomatic sector, which was directly founded by President Ho Chi Minh and has been guided, mentored and trained by Party and State leaders through the periods, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to link the task of Party building with the work of building the sector to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, promoting foreign affairs resources in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Party work abroad. “Despite facing many difficulties and challenges, generations of Party members and diplomatic officials will still demonstrate the intelligence, courage, morality and character of the Ho Chi Minh era diplomacy and continue the tradition of indomitable but peaceful diplomacy of the Vietnamese people, continuing the trust, support and meeting the expectations of the Party, State and people” as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong believed, so that the diplomatic sector will continue to “contribute significantly to the common, great and historically significant achievements of our country”.

[1] Resolution No. 01-NQ/DUB dated August 25, 2021 on "political and ideological work in the current situation" and Resolution No. 02-NQ/DUB dated December 24, 2021 on "improving the leadership capacity, fighting strength of grassroots party organizations and the quality of party members", Resolution 07-NQ/DUB dated May 15, 2023 on improving the quality of party cell activities.

[2] Regulation 43 dated November 26, 2021 of the Secretariat on functions and tasks of Party committees and grassroots Party cells operating abroad under the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[3] Regulation 86 dated October 28, 2022 of the Secretariat on the duties of party members and the management of party members abroad.

[4] Resolution 02 dated March 20, 2023 of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on strengthening leadership in the inspection of compliance with the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws in the diplomatic sector.