Speech by General Secretary To Lam at the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress

Dear leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Dear revolutionary veterans, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, Heroes of Labor, national emulation fighters, and typical advanced delegates.

Dear delegates attending the Congress!

Today, we solemnly organize the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress in the atmosphere of the whole country competing to achieve achievements towards completing the country's major goals, towards the 14th National Congress of the Party. This is an opportunity to summarize the emulation movement and reward work for the period 2021-2025; honor and commend outstanding collectives and individuals; at the same time, determine the direction and tasks to continue innovating emulation and reward work in the coming period.

In this solemn and sacred moment, we respectfully commemorate the great President Ho Chi Minh; pay tribute to generations of revolutionary predecessors, heroic martyrs, war invalids, sick soldiers, meritorious people; acknowledge and commend the sacrifices and silent contributions of millions of workers, cadres and soldiers who are contributing day and night to build and defend the Fatherland.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I warmly welcome, respectfully thank and congratulate you comrades and delegates for attending the Congress. I send my warmest greetings, best wishes for health, happiness and success to our compatriots, soldiers nationwide and our compatriots abroad.

Dear comrades and delegates,

Patriotic emulation is a precious tradition of our nation. President Ho Chi Minh aroused, organized and led the emulation tradition into an action movement of the entire nation with the "Appeal to Patriotic Emulation" on June 11, 1948. The person who emphasized emulation is to "do it quickly, do it well, do it a lot". The person affirmed: "Emulation is patriotism, patriotism must compete. And those who compete are the most patriotic.

Emulation is a movement; Emulation is discipline, responsibility, creativity in each specific matter; Emulation is an effort to surpass oneself to contribute more; is a healthy competition to do better; Emulation is the daily work of each individual, each collective; the goal of emulation is to bring benefits to the country, the people and each individual to create "specific products that the people truly enjoy".

Today's festival is an opportunity for us to honor the most beautiful flowers in the patriotic flower garden. Among the more than two thousand delegates present here, many comrades are national heroes and emulation fighters; many comrades are typical examples selected and promoted from the grassroots. In the fields of economy, culture, society, national defense, security, foreign affairs; in regions, areas, urban areas and rural areas, borders and islands, belonging to many ethnic groups, religions... simple people but making noble achievements. Some have quietly innovated a process to save every working hour, every penny of expenses; some have persistently protected public health; some have "eaten at home, carried prisoners and wholesale goods"; some have persistently improved the quality of education; some have "waves, winds", "divers, islands" to protect independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and keep the country peaceful; some have businessmen who dare to innovate technology, expand the market, create jobs, care for workers' lives... like the workers who work hard to create honey for life.

What is worth appreciating in advanced models is not only achievements and the will to overcome difficulties but also the qualities that create achievements: honesty, dedication, responsibility, discipline, creativity, community awareness; putting the common good above personal interests; considering honor as sacred and noble; taking work efficiency as a measure of labor quality. Advanced examples are root energy for development: Energy of intelligence and labor; of faith and aspiration; of duty and compassion; being the example of Uncle Ho taking care of everything but forgetting oneself. When the shining example is multiplied, spiritual life becomes better every day, life becomes more meaningful, more humane, warmer in humanity.

We honor it to spread. Honoring is to " display" shining examples as motivation for everyone to follow, so that the emulation movement and the spirit of dedication can converge and spread widely. I suggest that all levels, sectors, units, localities, each family and individual should do better in discovering, fostering and replicating typical examples; propagating correctly, telling the story of "real people, real deeds"; promptly encouraging good examples, good initiatives, effective methods; at the same time, resolutely fighting against forms, "racing" achievements, "disease" achievements.

Along with honoring, it is important to "unify the correct coordinates" of emulation and reward work: Taking quality and efficiency as a standard; taking practical contributions as a basis; targeting direct and grassroots workers. The Law on Emulation and Commendation 2022 has emphasized the principles of publicity, transparency, and timeliness. Therefore, everywhere must make emulation and reward work a driving force, confidence, and fairness so that everyone can see all efforts and contributions recognized, respected, and honored.

Dear comrades and delegates,

We are entering a new stage of development with intertwined opportunities and challenges. The international and regional context is rapidly changing; strategic competition, climate change, extreme natural disasters, epidemics, non-traditional security, supply chain disruptions, technological risks... pose very high requirements for the country's strategic autonomy, self-reliance, self-reliance, resilience and breakthrough capability.

The road ahead requires rapid and sustainable development, building an independent and self-reliant economy associated with extensive international integration; continuing to improve institutions, streamline the apparatus, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of national governance; focusing on prioritizing the development of science - technology, innovation, digital transformation; promoting the building of Vietnamese culture and people in the new era; strengthening national defense - security, maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity..., all of which require us to have a strong, substantial, widespread and persistent patriotic emulation movement.

In the new revolutionary period, patriotic emulation must become a dynamic ecosystem so that all correct policies can be transformed into practical actions; political tasks are transformed into a sense of responsibility, specific work, clear destination so that all people can see themselves as the subject of development, the creator of the future and enjoy the fruits of labor and creativity.

I suggest that the patriotic emulation movement in the new period focus on the following 9 major orientations:

First, compete to closely follow political tasks, associated with specific goals; taking service results to the people as a measure. Each movement must have clear work, measurable criteria, and verified products; the sure work is the clear result. Every level must consider completing tasks and serving the people better as a responsibility and honor.

Second, compete for innovation, development of science and technology and digital transformation. Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo requires creating new strategic and revolutionary driving forces to make breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. Emulation must aim at improving productivity, improving governance quality, developing the digital economy, digital society, and digital government. Implementing the new Central resolutions issued in 2025 will be an endless " resource and inspiration" for us to reap achievements in patriotic emulation.

Third, compete to build a professional, honest, modern administration; promote discipline, order and the responsibility to set an example. Compete to reform administrative procedures, improve service quality, reduce compliance costs; overcome avoidance, push-ups; " say what you do". Each agency must consider time, cost and convenience of people and businesses as a measure of public service quality.

Fourth, compete in developing culture, education, health care and social security; improve the quality of life; build Vietnamese people in the new era. Emulation must make society more humane and more humane; better care for people with meritorious services and the disadvantaged. Each locality, each sector, agency, and unit must have a specific movement for safe - quality schools, friendly - effective hospitals, and disciplined - humane communities.

Fifth, compete to develop a healthy and effective private economy; improve the quality of enterprises and national competitiveness. Emulation in enterprises associated with technological innovation, modern governance, and social responsibility; job creation, ensuring welfare for employees; building an honest business culture.

At the same time, emulation must be associated with green transformation and sustainable development: Saving energy, using resources effectively, reducing emissions, protecting the living environment; developing a circular economy and a civilized and responsible lifestyle. Emulation in this field is both a long-term goal and an immediate requirement to ensure energy security, water security, food security, environmental security and the quality of life of the people; to develop quickly but sustainably, protect and create a future.

Sixth, compete towards the grassroots; focus on remote areas, border areas, and islands; attach importance to direct workers and frontline forces. Emulation must go to each individual, family, village, residential group, industrial park, school, hospital, so that everyone has the goal of striving, the desire to contribute and achieve results in emulation.

Seventh, compete to strengthen national defense and security; maintain political stability, social order and safety; firmly protect independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; proactively respond to non-traditional security challenges. Each locality, each force, each industry must compete to build a solid foundation from the grassroots, keeping peace for the people for development.

Eighth, in 1948, our Uncle Ho called for patriotic emulation to eliminate hunger fighters, poor fighters, and foreign invaders. Now we continue the Uncle Ho's spirit to fight corruption, waste, negativity, and destroy internal invaders. And we organize a patriotic emulation to make each individual, each collective, and everyone live better, live more beautifully, be more affectionate, and be more humane because "people and people live to love each other". To compete for patriotism to truly make us more humane, more responsible, know how to share with the disadvantaged, know how to support each other in times of difficulty, know how to behave in a civilized, polite, and tolerant way, so that kind people are supported, good deeds are expanded; so that each collective considers serving the community as a responsibility, an honor; each individual considers doing good deeds as a natural thing; so that the emulation movement becomes a humanistic flow that nurtures trust, multiples love, creates a life not only more complete but also warmer, more beautiful in the soul and beautiful in the way of behaving and behaving for everyone.

Ninth, innovate emulation and reward work in a practical, public, transparent and timely manner. The 2022 Emulation and Commendation Law is an important basis for standardizing criteria and processes, ensuring fair rewards. Directive No. 39/CT-TTg dated October 15, 2024 of the Prime Minister requires promoting the patriotic emulation movement and organizing emulation practically and effectively. Reward must be given to the right person, the right job, at the right time; priority must be given to the grassroots and direct workers; resolutely fight against forms.

Dear comrades and delegates.

The patriotic emulation movement is only sustainable when it is well organized, well supervised and well spread. I propose that Party committees and authorities at all levels thoroughly grasp President Ho Chi Minh's patriotic emulation ideology; innovate the way of launching and evaluating; strengthen inspection and rectification; create an environment for good people and good deeds to be recognized in a timely manner. Press and media agencies will increase propaganda, highlight the value of emulation movements, contribute to arousing patriotism, national pride, the desire to contribute, and create momentum for development in the following years.

I hope that the typical advanced delegates honored today will continue to maintain the passionate fire, continue to be the core to spread. At the same time, each of us should set a competitive goal: Study better, work better, be more disciplined, be more creative, be more enthusiastic, be more responsible... When each person improves, each organization becomes stronger, the whole country and people will move forward.

With deep belief in the strength of national solidarity, in the tradition of patriotic emulation, in the intelligence, bravery and aspiration to rise up of the Vietnamese people, I believe that the patriotic emulation movement will open a new period: Stronger, more substantial, more creative, contributing to the country's rapid and sustainable development, so that the people are increasingly prosperous and happy.

Wishing the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress a great success.

Wishing the leaders, delegates and all compatriots and soldiers nationwide good health, happiness and success.

Sincerely thank you!

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