Building an all-people defence posture, a key content in building an all-people defence, directly improving the country's defence strength to meet the high requirements of the task of Fatherland protection in the new situation, is a big issue that needs further researches.

According to the Law on National Defence 2018, national defence posture is the organisation and deployment of defence forces and potentials across the territory according to a unified plan, in line with the national defence strategy to prevent and deal successfully with all hostile forces' disruptive conspiracies and activities, ready to change the country from peacetime to wartime.

Building an all-people defence posture is a key content in building an all-people national defence, a key and regular task of the entire political system, the entire army and the entire people. Aware of that, over the past years, this important task has been seriously carried out by the Party, State, ministries, branches at both central and local levels with positive results. Along with strengthening potential building, the national defence posture has been increasingly strengthened, especially in strategic areas, borders, seas and islands and closely linked with the people's security posture and the all people’s border guard posture. In particular, the construction of defence areas under the Politburo's Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW (10^th tenure), Directive No. 07-CT/TW of the Secretariat (11^th tenure), Decree No. 152/2007/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 02/2016/NĐ-CP of the Government has been done thoroughly, strengthening further military posture. The combination between economic development, national defence, security and foreign affairs has been carried out in a strict and efficient manner, creating new position and force for the entire people's defence posture in each locality, region and nationwide, and establishing a posture for protecting the Fatherland from early and afar.

Currently, the Fatherland protection task is done in the context of broad and deep international integration. Traditional and non-traditional security challenges are becoming more severe,... posing high requirements, opportunities, and challenges. That situation requires further strengthening of the construction of the all-people defence, the all people's defence posture in the new situation. In order to overcome the limitations and effectively implement the Party's strategic policy on this issue, it is necessary to have leadership, direction and well implement the following measures:

Firstly, step up propaganda and education on the task of building an all-people defence posture. Propaganda should be promoted to make the entire people, first of all, the Party committees, authorities, cadres and party members, deeply aware of the Party's views and policies on building an all-people national defence and all people’s defence posture. Focus on clarifying the necessity, objectivity, basic content of building the all people’s defence posture; difficulties, challenges and requirements and promote the propagation of results and experiences in implementation of localities. To make it highly effective, it is necessary to employ various  forms and methods of propagation; continue to renew and improve the quality of education, fostering and popularisation of knowledge on defence and security to all subjects; bring into full play the effectiveness of the mass media and social networks with a focus on key, remote, borders, and islands areas, etc.

Second, enhance the Party's leadership, the effectiveness and efficiency of the State's management over building an all-people defence posture. This is the most important principle and issue, ensuring that the construction of the all people's defence posture is carried out in the right direction and achieve the set goals. Implementing this content, all levels, branches and localities need to continue promoting the work of Party building and rectification; thoroughly grasp and concretide the Party's strategic policy on building an all-people national defence, the all-people defence posture associated with the people's security posture, and building defence areas with resolutions, action programs, plans, schemes with synchronous and feasible roadmap and measures. Improve the capacity of party committees at all levels from central to grassroots levels to implement the resolutions and policies on defence. Continue to renovate methods and mechanisms, consolidate the structure, improve the leadership and direction capacity of the local military party committees in the construction and operation of the defence areas.

Moreover, it is necessary to review, supplement and complete the legal system, mechanisms and policies related to building the all people defence posture; regulations on coordination between the Ministry of National Defence and other departments, ministries and branches in the state management of national defence. Clearly stipulate responsibilities and powers of leaders at all levels, branches and localities in performing defence tasks, building the all people’s national defence, the national defence posture, in line with the development of practice.

Third, synchronously implement measures to build a solid all people’s defence posture closely linked with the people's security posture. In order to meet the requirement of protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, the building the all-people defence posture must be solid at all levels and areas, (inland, border, sea, island), and in all theatres (land, air, sea, cyberspace),  ready to perform peacetime defence tasks and transform into people's war posture in the event of war. In the coming time, together with building a strong "people’s heart and mind posture", it is necessary to review and carefully make plans of strategic defence and security zones, economic zones, industrial parks and export processing zones. Promote the combination between economic development with defence and security consolidation, especially the adjustment of population re-allocation, investment in socio-economic infrastructure in the dual, modern and synchronous direction, especially in key, strategic, border, sea and island areas. Along with that, step up the building of the people's armed forces; adjust the arrangement of defence and security forces to form a new strategic position to ensure that they are ready to handle defence and security situations successfully.

Fourth, be proactive in defence international integration and foreign affairs to create a posture and force for building the all people’s defence posture from afar. Continue to thoroughly grasp and implement well contents of defence international integration and foreign affairs according to the Party's orientations; diversify the contents and forms of bilateral and multilateral defence relations to suit political, economic and diplomatic relations. Strengthen and expand reliable cooperation with partners, especially strategic partners. Prioritise relations and cooperation with neighbouring countries, ASEAN countries; promote border cooperation, resolve the remaining issues, disagreements, disputes. Continue to consolidate and develop partnerships, strategic partnerships relations with traditional friendship countries. Actively participate responsibly in multilateral defence mechanisms and forums, especially those in which ASEAN plays the key role; participating in UN peacekeeping operations,... contributing to enhancing the position and prestige of the country and the Army in the international arena. Given the current situation, it is necessary to study and perfect mechanisms and regulations in order to closely coordinate departments, ministries, branches and localities; link defence integration and external  activities with other fields in an overall plan. In the process of implementation, it is necessary to strictly abide by the foreign policies of the Party and the State and the regulations of the Ministry of National Defence; clearly distinguish partners and adversaries, closely combine cooperation and struggle, resolutely, persistently resolve disputes, contradictions and differences on the basis of international law under the motto of “being steadfast in goals but flexible in policies”, taking sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests of the nation as the supreme goal.

Building an all people’s defence posture is a strategic policy of the Party and the State. This is a big issue and an important work which needs to be studied and reviewed in both theory and practice, to serve as a basis for implementation and meeting the requirements of Fatherland protection in the new period.

Major General DAO TUAN ANH, Deputy Director of the National Defence Academy