The success of the August Revolution in 1945 led to the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), which was the very first workers’ and peasants’ state in Southeast Asia. In the early years of building the people’s government, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh realised the role and significance of the Patriotic Emulation Movement for the country’s urgent tasks at that time, which were to eliminate “hunger” and “illiteracy” and to defeat foreign invaders. In the context of the tough and fierce resistance war against the French colonialists, on 27 March 1948, in light of President Ho Chi Minh’s initiative, the Party Central Committee issued the directive entitled “Launching the Patriotic Emulation Movement” to “speed up the victory of the resistance war and the successful national construction”. In order to make the emulation movement fruitful, on 11 June 1948, on the occasion of the 1,000^th day since the Southern Resistance War, President Ho Chi Minh issued an Appeal for Patriotic Emulation that encouraged compatriots and soldiers to promote patriotic tradition to regain the national independence and freedom, thus building the country and bringing a prosperous and happy life to all the people. President Ho Chi Minh pointed out that “The main purpose of patriotic emulation is to eliminate hunger and illiteracy and defeat foreign invaders. Therefore, it was the duty of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of their occupations, to emulate in all aspects… With the patriotism and resolute will of our people and army, we can and will definitely win.” His Appeal for patriotic emulation created a strong effect and dissemination that summoned, attracted, and motivated the whole Party, people, and army to promote the patriotic tradition as well as the spirit of solidarity and self-reliance to overcome difficulties and hardships to willingly dedicate their lives to the cause of national liberation.

The practice of our revolution has shown that, for the past 75 years, the Party, State, and people have always grasped and creatively applied President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of patriotic emulation in the effective implementation of patriotic emulation movements and commendation work, greatly contributing to the victory of the struggle for national liberation, construction, and defence. Besides, multiple valuable lessons have been drawn through practice.

As an advisory body assisting the Government in state management of emulation and commendation work, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Central Emulation and Commendation Council to promote its role in advising, guiding, and directing, thus creating positive changes that innovate this work to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation. Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs has advised the Party and State to promulgate resolutions, directives, policies, and laws on emulation and commendation to strengthen the Party’s leadership, creating an increasingly perfect legal basis for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of this work. For instance, the Ministry advised the Politburo (11^th tenure) to issue Directive No. 34-CT/TW on continuing to innovate emulation and commendation work on 7 April 2014. Additionally, it assumed the prime responsibility for or coordinated with other agencies in advising the Government to promulgate 16 decrees detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law on Emulation and Commendation (2005) and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Emulation and Commendation (2013). The Ministry also undertook the prime responsibility for researching and formulating three circulars and urging ministries, branches, and localities to promulgate circulars and regulations on emulation and commendation. In order to timely and fully institutionalise the Party’s viewpoint on emulation and commendation work and to overcome the shortcomings and limitations during nearly 20 years of implementing the Law on Emulation and Commendation, the Ministry of Home Affairs researched and advised the development of the Bill on Emulation and Commendation, which was approved by the National Assembly (15^th tenure) at the 3^rd session on 15 June 2022, and took effect from 1 January 2024. This Bill consists of several breakthrough policies and serves as a pivotal basis for continuing to perfect the system of legal documents on emulation and commendation.

From the beginning of the term of the party congresses at all levels, the Ministry of Home Affairs actively advised the Prime Minister - the Chairman of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council to issue a directive to launch the emulation movement to successfully realise the task of socio-economic development under the resolution of the Party congress. Simultaneously, it promoted its advisory role in the organisation of emulation movements nationwide. Actively urging and guiding ministries, branches, and localities to implement emulation movements suitable to the practical situations of different branches, fields, and areas to bring practical effects, thus contributing to the successful realisation of national socio-economic development tasks. Moreover, the Ministry advised, directed, and guided ministries, branches, and localities to organise emulation congresses and advised the Party and State to successfully organise National Patriotic Emulation Congresses. The summaries of emulation movements praising and honouring exemplary collectives and individuals were held, using creative and diverse contents and forms.

The commendation work has received advice, direction, and guidance and has witnessed positive changes, especially in its quality. The Ministry directed functional agencies in charge of emulation and commendation work at all levels to appraise and submit to competent authorities to commend and reward resistance achievements and to confer and posthumously confer the title of Vietnamese Heroic Mother, which produced positive results, promoting the fine tradition of “when drinking water, think of its source”. The process of commendation for achievements in the implementation of political tasks, socio-economic development, and for the time of dedication has been carried out in accordance with regulations in openly and transparently while unscheduled commendation is ensured. Besides, commendation for foreign collectives and individuals with outstanding contributions to the development of Vietnam has been actively and proactively administered, showing the Party’s and State’s care for collectives and individuals with exemplary achievements in national construction and defence.  

Today, facing the requirements and tasks of the cause of innovation, industrialisation, and modernisation of the country, national construction and defence as well as international integration, with both opportunities and challenges, advantages and difficulties, the emulation and commendation work should be innovated to bring better practical efficiency. On the basis of deep awareness of the position and role of the patriotic emulation movement, in response to Uncle Ho’s Appeal for Patriotic Emulation, the Ministry of Home Affairs continues to promote the work of advising, guiding, and leading the emulation and commendation work with the central tasks as follows:

First, continuing to thoroughly grasp and deeply imbibe President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of patriotic emulation, actively advising and strengthening guidance and direction, and effectively implementing the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints, the State’s policies and laws on emulation and commendation, maintaining practicality and efficiency. Importance is attached to Directive No. 34-CT/TW of the Politburo (11^th tenure), Directive No. 19/CT-TTg issued on 16 July 2021, by the Prime Minister on launching emulation of successful implementation of the annual socio-economic development task, and the 5-year Plan (from 2021 to 2025) under the Resolution of the 13^th Party Congress. Thereby, raising the awareness and responsibility of party committees and authorities at all levels in leading and directing the organisation of patriotic emulation movements, thus creating a driving force to promote the socio-economic development of the country and of each ministry, branch, and locality.

Second, guiding and urging ministries, branches, and localities to organise patriotic emulation movements in association with promoting the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality, and style. Emulation movements are orientated to the grassroots level and are launched in diverse forms with specific goals which are associated with the performance of political tasks to resolve central and urgent tasks, breakthrough stages, difficult duties of agencies, organisations, units, and localities. Continuing to advise on the effective implementation of emulation movements launched by the Prime Minister, which serves as the core for emulation movements nationwide, including “The whole country joins hands to build new-style countryside”, “For the poor and leave no one behind” in the 2021-2025 period, “Officers, civil servants, and public employees emulate the implementation of office culture”, etc. in association with the implementation of discipline, thus improving the quality and efficiency of services for the people. Effectively implementing the movement entitled “Promoting the development of synchronous and modern infrastructure; practising thrift and combating waste” to mobilise the synergy of the whole political system and the response of different classes of people in the construction and development of synchronous and modern socio-economic infrastructure, practising thrift and combating waste.

Third, coordinating with ministries, branches, and localities, information and communication agencies to promote the propaganda of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on patriotic emulation as well as the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws on emulation and commendation, especially the new provisions of the Law on Emulation and Commendation, the degrees and regulations detailing the implementation. Continuing to guide and direct the effective implementation of the Project entitled “Propaganda of exemplary individuals” for the 2021-2025 period according to Decision No. 1526/QĐ-TTg issued on 9 December 2022, by the Prime Minister. Importance is attached to the synchronous implementation of all the four stages of: discovering - fostering - summarising - replicating exemplary individuals, which is considered as a central task in the innovation of methods and in the organisation and direction of emulation of movements.  Promoting the role and responsibility of the leaders in discovering, praising, and rewarding collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements; stepping up propaganda, replication, and promotion of the role of exemplary individuals, especially in setting examples in agencies, units, localities, and grassroots units.

Fourth, studying and advising on perfecting the system of legal documents on emulation and commendation; assuming the prime responsibility for or coordinating with relevant ministries and branches in advising the formulation of the Government’s decrees detailing the implementation of the Law on Emulation and Commendation (2022). Urging and coordinating with ministries, branches, and localities to review, amend, and supplement circulars and regulations on emulation and commendation for synchronous and effective implementation that is in accordance with the practice, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of emulation and commendation.

Fifth, advising, guiding, and directing the implementation of commendation work, ensuring it is timely, public, transparent, and legal. Ratifying dossiers of commendation for achievements in the resistance wars and awarding the “Glorious Youth Volunteers” Medal in accordance with the regulations. Attention is paid to commend collectives and workers who directly engage in production and business, officers and soldiers serving in the armed forces, commune police, neighbourhood guards, guards working in agencies and enterprises, etc. Focusing on commending grassroots units, remote areas, border areas, islands, areas where ethnic minorities reside, Vietnamese collectives and individuals living abroad as well as international collectives and individuals who have significantly contributed to the cause of national construction, development, and defence.

Sixth, continuing to advise and propose to innovate the activities of the Emulation and Commendation Councils at all levels to successfully perform the advisory role to party committees and authorities in directing and organising emulation movements and commendation work. Guiding and directing to step up the professional training and retraining to build a contingent of cadres engaged in emulation and commendation work at all levels with good morality, practical capabilities, and professional expertise. These cadres know how to mobilise the masses and organise appropriate emulation and commendation movements in the era of international integration.

The 75^th anniversary of Uncle Ho’s Appeal for Patriotic Emulation takes place in the context that the whole Party, people, and army are emulating to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13^th Party Congress. Putting President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of patriotic emulation and the lessons learned into practice, the Ministry of Home Affairs continues to research, advise, propose the launch, then guide and direct the implementation of various emulation movements in all fields, ensuring practicality and efficiency, thus creating great motivation for the successful completion of socio-economic development goals, which serves as a solid premise for national construction and defence in the new situation.

PHAM THI THANH TRA, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Home Affairs