Second National Congress of Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities opens

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the event

The event is of important socio-political significance and is a special symbol of the great unity bloc of Vietnamese ethnic communities.

Among the attendants are former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former State President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong, and President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man.

Taking place 10 years since the first congress, the second congress is themed “Under the glorious flag of the Party, all ethnic groups are equal, while uniting, respecting and helping each other to promote inner strength and advance forward with the country”, featuring the participation of 1,593 official delegates who represent 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Viet Nam is a multi-nationality country with 54 ethnic groups, including 53 ethnic minorities with more than 14 million people, accounting for 14.7% of the country’s population.

The ethnic minorities live in communities, interwoven with the ethnic majority group in 51 cities and provinces nationwide, mainly in mountainous and border areas, which are the extremely important strategic areas in terms of the political and socio-economic aspects, defense-security, external relations and the ecological environment.

Each ethnic group has their own cultural nuances, creating diversity, richness, unique characteristics and consistency in the Vietnamese national culture. The ethnic minority communities are an inseparable part of the country, wholeheartedly standing side by side in the cause of national liberation, construction and defence under the leadership of the Party.

Since the first congress in 2010, the Party and State continue to pay special attention to and prioritize investment in improving the socio-economic conditions and the material and spiritual life for the ethnic minority communities.

The draft report of the second congress has targeted that the average income of ethnic minorities will increase over twofold by 2025 compared to it is now, and will be equal to half of the national average by 2030.

The rate of poor households among ethnic minority communities will reduce by over 3% annually to below 10% by 2030 (according to the current multidimensional poverty standard).

In addition, the draft report has also set the goal of basically completing sedentary agriculture and settlement for ethnic minority groups and making stable arrangement for 90% of unplanned migrant households by 2025. By 2030, 100% of ethnic minority households scatteredly residing in special-use forests, remote and isolated areas and the areas prone to flash floods and landslides, will be relocated./.

By Vien Nhu