In 2024, the entire Party, people, and Military vigorously engage in the emulation to successfully implement the resolutions of the 13th National Congress of the Party and the 11th Party Congress of the Military; it is a year marked by significant events for the country and the Military. This is a crucial occasion for agencies and units to concentrate on leading and directing comprehensive, high-quality, and effective propaganda and training work, especially focusing on key content, contributing to building a politically strong Military, and successfully fulfilling military and defence tasks in the new situation.

In recent years, under the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, directly under the leadership of the Chief of the General Political Department, along with the proactiveness and sharpness of party committees, political commissars, and political officers at all levels, the entire Military has comprehensively and synchronously implemented the central and focal points of propaganda and training work, successfully completing all assigned tasks, achieving outstanding results in many tasks, and making important contributions to building a politically strong Military, successfully accomplishing military, defence, and homeland protection missions.

The year 2024 holds significant meaning in the successful implementation of the resolutions of the 13th National Congress of the Party and the 11th Party Congress of the Military; preparations for the Party Congresses at various levels, moving towards the 12th Party Congress of the Military and the 14th National Congress of the Party. It is a year witnessing numerous significant events for the country and the Military during the backdrop of the global and regional situations, which continue to experience complex and unpredictable developments, and the competition among major powers is intensifying, exerting multifaceted impacts on various countries. The task of building  the Military and defending the country imposes new and increasingly high requirements; the entire Military continues to vigorously pursue the “three breakthroughs” as outlined in the resolutions of the 11th Party Congress of the Military and the theme for 2024: "Fundamentally complete the adjustment of force organisation towards being elite, compact and strong". Hostile and reactionary forces continue to promote the “peaceful evolution” strategy, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” and strengthening efforts to sabotage the Party, the government and the Military.

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Duc speaks at the meeting on propaganda and ideological work in southern units

The situation demands that propaganda and training work must be proactive, acute, always a step ahead and provide timely advisory to party committees, political commissars, political officers and commanders at all leadership levels to effectively implement this important task, meeting the requirements of military, defence, and homeland protection missions in the new situation, which includes a focus on executing the following key aspects effectively.

Firstly, continuing to innovate, enhance the quality and effectiveness of political and ideological education, as well as social sciences and humanities education. In implementing this focus, party committees and leadership at all levels must concentrate on leading, directing, and effectively organising the implementation of Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 09 November 2023, of the Central Military Commission's Standing Committee “Regarding innovation and improvement of the quality of political education in the new period”; as well as Plan No. 2656/KH-CT, dated 28 August 2023, of the General Political Department on constructing the project “Innovation in social sciences and humanities education within the military schools of the Vietnam People's Army”. Conduct study sessions to thoroughly understand and strictly implement the directives, resolutions, and conclusions of the Party, the Central Military Committee, with a focus on the 8^th Resolution of the Party Central Committee (13^th tenure) on the Homeland Protection Strategy in the new situation, as well as important strategies, plans regarding military, defence, homeland protection, etc. In the implementation process, party committees, political commissars, political officers, and commanders at all levels should enhance their leadership, raise awareness, innovate thinking and methods; decisively overcome limitations and weaknesses, bring about substantial changes and strengthen the quality of political education, social sciences and humanities education across the entire Military and the people's self-defence forces. Enhance the quality and responsibility of the personnel directly involved in political education, social sciences and humanities education within the units; link this with promoting the exemplary role of cadres, party members, especially those in key leadership positions, and  cadres at grassroots units. Direct fundamental and comprehensive innovation, ensuring the coherence of content, programmes, forms, and education methods, ensuring a fundamental, scientific, purposeful, highly practical, easily understandable and applicable approach, in compliance with regulations and rules. Pay attention to standardising and modernising infrastructure, equipment, and promoting the application of science and technology to meet the requirements of digital transformation, integrating information technology into political and social sciences education in order to build political integrity, determination for cadres and soldiers across the entire Military, contributing to building a clean and strong party organisation, exemplary units, strong and comprehensive agencies, creating a “role model, exemplary” force; building a politically strong military, ensuring that the military remains a political force, a loyal and trustworthy fighting force of the Party, the Government and the people.

Secondly, effectively organise propaganda activities and commemorations of the significant national and military events in 2024, especially commemorating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam People's Army and the 35th anniversary of the National Defence Day, ensuring compliance with current regulations. Thoroughly comprehend and strictly implement the conclusions of the Political Bureau, the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and the guidance of the Central Propaganda Department; the projects, plans, and instructions of the Ministry of National Defence and the General Political Department regarding the organisation of commemorative activities and based on a solid understanding of their functions and tasks, party committees, party organisations and key cadre at all levels within the military must emphasise their responsibilities in leadership and guidance to ensure effective organisation and meaningful outcomes. The Propaganda and Training Department and the entire military propaganda and training sector concentrate on advising and organising the effective implementation of nine groups of activities, including: propaganda, education, emulation, commendation; cultural, literary, artistic, and sports activities; military and defence activities; exhibitions, fairs, and expos; conferences, seminars, meetings, exchanges; policy dissemination, mass mobilisation, gratitude activities; defence diplomacy; participation in production labour, socio-economic development linked with reinforcing national defence and security and organising commemorative events. Moreover, the Propaganda and Training Department and the entire military propaganda and training sector closely coordinate with other departments, ministries, localities to effectively implement various activities, such as: propagate the commemoration of the event with the theme “Building the Vietnam People's Army to become politically robust, elite, compact, strong, and modern”. Organising competitions: understanding traditions, propagandists, creative works, promoting literary and artistic works, press; training reporters; compiling, publishing, distributing propaganda-oriented documents, producing documentaries, television programmes. Launching campaigns, special competitions, linking with the Patriotic Emulation Movement and successfully fulfilling economic and social development tasks, ensuring national defence and security. Commending collective and individual achievements in work, training, readiness for combat, contributing to the military construction, reinforcing national defence, and safeguarding the homeland. Effectively organising cultural, literary, artistic, physical, and sports activities; promoting creative works, promoting literary and artistic works, press; publishing and distributing cultural publications. Deploying exhibitions, displaying achievements: military and defence (weapons, technical equipment, military science, defence industry); building the people's armed forces, constructing the national defence; international economic-defence fairs and organising thematic exhibitions (on-site, mobile) showcasing achievements in culture, literature, art, press on the topic of “Armed forces and revolutionary war”, etc. Through these activities, propagandise and educate extensively about the glorious 80-year journey of building, fighting, and maturing of the heroic Vietnam People's Army; the national tradition of fighting against foreign invaders, nurturing patriotism, revolutionary heroism; the achievements of 35 years of building the people's defence.

The organisation of commemorative activities must be comprehensive, ensuring solemnity, practicality, effectiveness, safety, efficiency, with profound educational significance, aligned with the functions and tasks of the military, central and local departments and agencies. Therefore, reinforcing trust and enhancing the responsibility of the entire political system, the entire Party, people, and armed forces towards the task of building a strong national defence, with the people's defence posture closely linked to the solid national security posture, meeting the requirements of safeguarding and defending the homeland in the new situation.

Thirdly, enhancing the effectiveness of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints; preventing and countering manifestations of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”, and the scheme of “politicalisation” of the Military. The party committees, party organisations, and units throughout the Military continue to lead the strict implementation of Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW dated 22 October 2018 of the Party Central Committee (12th tenure) and the resolutions, directives, conclusions, and regulations of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on enhancing the protection of the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints in the new situation; improving the quality and effectiveness of political and ideological education, fostering resistance among all cadres and soldiers against the subversive schemes and tactics of hostile forces. Strengthening the work of internal political protection, paying attention to building clean, exemplary, strong, comprehensive, party organisations and units proactively preventing and pushing back the decline in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle, manifestations of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” within the military; closely linking “construction” and “resistance”, prioritising “construction” as fundamental and ensuring resolute and effective “resistance”. Focusing on innovating content, diversifying forms and methods of propaganda; emphasising public struggle through the press, mass media, the internet, and social networks. Regularly consolidating, refining, and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the activities and roles of Steering Committee 35, Task Force 47 at all levels being proactive, sensitive, grasping the situation firmly, and timely advising the party committees, commanding officers on practical and effective solutions. Actively coordinating closely with appropriate authorities within and outside the military, creating comprehensive strength in fulfilling the task of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints. Strengthening inspection work, regularly conducting reviews, summaries, drawing experiences, timely praising, rewarding, and honouring collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in fulfilling this task.

Continue to organise the 4th Political Commentary Competition on protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints in 2024. To ensure the quality and practical effectiveness of the competition, party committees and commanding officers at all levels should concentrate on leading and directing the launch of the competition with strictness, seriousness, creativity, and thriftiness; diversify content, forms, and participants; create extensive dissemination. The content of the competition should focus on fundamental and central issues regarding the work of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints today, such as: the scientific and revolutionary values of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's ideology and its supplementary and developmental proposals; socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam today. Particularly, it is necessary to deeply propagate and affirm Vietnam's current development model with prominent values, harmoniously combining stability and development, with people at the centre, "no one left behind"; safeguard, apply, and develop theories on Party building, rectification, anti-corruption, negativity; core content, new content in Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party and Party Central Committee (13^th tenure); ensure social security, consolidating the great unity bloc; recover and develop the economy and society. Proactively identify and combat wrong and distorted viewpoints of hostile forces, reactionaries in all areas; summarise valuable experiences, models, effective practices, and propose solutions, recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the work of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting wrong and hostile viewpoints, etc. To achieve effectiveness and widespread dissemination, agencies and units need to mobilise the active participation of cadres, party members, soldiers, union members, and workers, with a positive, proactive and highly responsible spirit.

To successfully implement the above priorities, party committees, political commissars, political officers, commanding officers, and political agencies at all levels need to harness the combined strength of various organisations and forces; closely coordinate and collaborate with appropriate authorities both within and outside the Military, striving to deploy flexible, innovative approaches, methods, and forms of work. Additionally, it is essential to focus on building a proficient propaganda and training apparatus and a team of well-trained propaganda and training officers who are adept in their professional duties, provide accurate and effective advice, and contribute to the development of a strong Military in terms of political awareness, laying the groundwork for building an elite, compact, strong and modern Military in the new situation.

Lieutenant General NGUYEN VAN DUC

Director of the Propaganda and Training Department