Vietnam’s 14th National Party Congress opens first working day

THE HANOI TIMES — The 14th National Party Congress commenced its proceedings today (January 19) after Party and State leaders and congress delegates paid tribute at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh and laid wreaths at the Bac Son Martyrs Memorial in Hanoi.

The delegation’s wreath bore the inscription, “Forever grateful to the great President Ho Chi Minh.”

In the solemn moment, the delegates paid their respects and honored the immense contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, the brilliant leader and national liberation hero who founded and trained the Communist Party of Vietnam, the vanguard of the working class, the working people and the Vietnamese nation.

Afterwards, Party General Secretary To Lam, State President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Permanent Member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai, along with Politburo members, Central Party Secretaries and delegates to the 14th National Party Congress, laid flowers and offered incense at the Martyrs Memorial on Bac Son Street in Hanoi.

The delegates bowed in tribute to the nation’s outstanding sons and daughters who fought bravely and sacrificed their lives for independence, freedom and national reunification.

The delegation’s wreath bore the inscription, “Forever grateful to the heroic martyrs.”

The 14th National Party Congress will be held from January 19 to January 25 at the National Convention Center under the theme of “Under the glorious flag of the Party, joining hands and uniting wills to successfully realise the country's development goals to 2030; ensuring strategic autonomy, fostering self-reliance and confidence; advancing firmly in the era of national rise for peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, civilisation and happiness, and steadfastly progressing towards socialism.”

A total of 1,586 delegates are attending, representing central Party bodies, mass organizations, the armed forces and overseas Party organizations under the approved allocation plan.

The congress will discuss and adopt four key documents. They include the Political Report, the report reviewing 40 years of Doi moi (Renewal) process in theory and practice, the report on 15 years of implementing the Party Charter and the report reviewing the leadership of the 13th Party Central Committee.

One of the core tasks is the election of the 14th Party Central Committee, expected to include 180 full members and 20 alternate members.

At the 15th Plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee in late December 2025, the Central Committee approved by a high consensus vote the list of nominees for the 14th Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and key Party and State leadership posts for the 2026-2031 term.

Speaking at the closing session of the 15th Plenum, Party General Secretary To Lam thanked the Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat for their trust and pledged continued unity and responsibility to meet the confidence of the Party and the people.

In recent months, draft documents for the congress received 14 million comments from about five million officials, Party members and citizens.

The Party Central Committee identified three strategic breakthroughs, including perfecting institutions with a focus on comprehensive decentralization; promoting science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; and developing high-quality human resources alongside synchronous infrastructure, particularly in transport, digital, and energy sectors.

According to information released at the opening of the Congress Press Center, 597 domestic reporters and technicians from 113 news agencies registered to cover the event, compared with 498 at the 13th Congress. In addition, 79 foreign reporters and assistants from 43 international media organizations and political parties also registered, compared with 66 at the previous congress.