Associate Professor Dr Trần Viết Lưu, deputy chief of office of the Việt Nam Association of the Elderly. — Photo courtesy of Trần Viết Lưu

Associate Professor Dr Trần Viết Lưu, deputy chief of office of the Việt Nam Association of the Elderly (VAE), speaks to Việt Nam News reporter Thu Trang about their work responding to population ageing.

What is the premise for the VAE to advise on strategic policies for proactive adaptation to population ageing?

Over the past period, thanks to the sound leadership of the Party, the engagement of the entire political system, the unity, solidarity and concerted efforts of the people, Việt Nam has continued to develop comprehensively across all fields.

The economy has grown year on year; agriculture, rural areas and urban centres have become increasingly spacious, green, clean, beautiful, civilised and progressive; national defence and security have been strengthened.

Việt Nam’s position and prestige on the international stage have been consolidated and enhanced. Party building and the building of the political system have been reinforced. In particular, after 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal), our country has achieved many historic accomplishments, bringing the nation’s cause to a stage that is 'increasingly more dignified and more beautiful'.

Among these achievements is the important contribution of older persons.

At present, more than 9 million older persons are directly engaged in labour, production and business; some have even been honoured by the Party and the State as Labour Heroes in the Đổi mới (Renewal) period. There are more than 9,000 intergenerational self-help clubs, serving as a bridge connecting older persons with other generations. Around 1 million older persons are currently participating in the building of the grassroots political system, contributing to the establishment of the two-tier local government model.

Older persons are actively involved in the all-people movement to safeguard national security. They serve as a conduit for transmitting traditional cultural values and as exemplary figures in patriotic emulation movements, embodying the spirit that 'with greater age comes greater resolve'.

They also make positive contributions to the development of Việt Nam’s 'silver economy' ecosystem. Older persons actively participate in the all-people movement to safeguard national security, protect border markers and boundaries, and build friendship with neighbouring countries.

Many advanced countries in the world have undergone population ageing over a period of about 50 to 70 years, with some taking more than 100 years. Việt Nam, by contrast, is forecast to experience population ageing over roughly 25 years. This creates major pressures, difficulties and challenges for the VEA’s work and for older persons’ affairs in the new era. It requires older persons to continue promoting their intellect, prestige and experience in service of the common cause.

The VAE has correctly identified the key tasks and principal breakthrough solutions aimed at advising on strategic responses to the rapid population ageing taking place in our country today. The VAE’s action programme for implementing the resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress clearly reflects a renewed mindset, a new spirit, renewed determination and resolute action, tapping into the precious resources of Việt Nam’s 17 million older persons, thereby contributing to building a strong, civilised, prosperous and happy country in the new era.

What are solutions of the VEA to proactively adapt to population ageing?

First, renew thinking and raise awareness of the position and role of older persons in the new era. President Hồ Chí Minh, a model example who devoted his entire life to the Fatherland and the people, said: 'A word from the elderly can influence the rise of the country... In relation to the family and the Fatherland, the elderly bear the responsibility of elders. In relation to villages and neighbours, the elderly enjoy great trust. When the elderly call, the people respond. When the elderly act, the people follow'; 'From past to present, those who love their country have never sat idle simply because they are old'.

On June 5 this year, in a meeting with 85 outstanding representatives of older persons on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of Việt Nam Older Persons Day (June 6, 1941 – June 6, 2026), Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm emphasised: 'One older person who lives as a good example can bring peace to a family. One older person with prestige can bring harmony to a community. One older person still deeply concerned with national and public affairs can inspire many generations'; 'A developed country is not measured solely by the scale of its economy, growth rate or modern infrastructure. A developed country is also measured by the quality of people’s lives, by the sustainability of families, by human warmth in the community, and by whether older persons are able to live in peace, be cared for, be respected and continue to contribute'.

This is a historic and cultural message about the continuing need to nurture the traditional moral values of 'when drinking water, remember its source' and 'respect the elderly, honour longevity', and it is hoped that this spirit will continue to spread throughout Vietnamese society in the new era.

Second, proactively innovate in the activities of the VAE and older persons’ work, ensuring comprehensiveness, practicality, effectiveness and a clear focus. In the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress, the entire political system and society must uphold the spirit of national self-reliance and self-strengthening, great aspiration, high determination, and unity and concerted effort to bring the Vietnamese nation towards glory. The national aspiration in the new era sets higher requirements and tasks, with greater difficulties and challenges, which requires the country’s older persons to continue deserving the title of 'the backbone of the nation' and to serve as a steadfast support for the endurance of the nation.

At present, the Government has assigned the Ministry of Finance to develop a project entitled 'Developing the silver economy in the new era' for early submission to the Central Committee. Thus, the silver economy ecosystem is a breakthrough solution in the VAE’s activities and older persons’ work, aimed at strategically adapting to population ageing in our country.

The VAE is urgently working with the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy, the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, the Central Theoretical Council, and the National Assembly’s Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs to prepare the conditions for the successful organisation of the 2026 Silver Economy Forum. This will be a new step forward in the VAE’s strategic coordination and advisory work. On that basis, the VAE will continue to proactively coordinate policy advice to the Party and the State in organising a sidelines conference at APEC 2027 on building the silver economy ecosystem in the new era.

Students listen to stories about the resistance war told by older people. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hà

Third, the 'National Strategy for Older Persons to 2035, with a vision to 2045' opens up new prospects for strategic adaptation in the context of the rapidly ageing population in Việt Nam. The Party, the State and the people have long paid, and continue to pay, profound attention to the protection, care and promotion of the role of older persons.

To achieve the major objectives set out in the National Strategy for Older Persons, the VAE has been proactively coordinating policy advice and providing guidance on the implementation of a number of contents, including supporting vocational education, job creation, livelihood assistance and housing for older persons.

Besides, strengthening communications and international cooperation on older persons, with emphasis on people-to-people diplomacy in the field of population ageing, in order to secure international consensus and experience-sharing.

In particular, the VAE is actively advising the State to support the campaign to develop an international convention on the protection of older persons’ rights.

In addition, developing a network of social assistance establishments providing care and rehabilitation services for older persons; expanding public social welfare facilities for the care and rehabilitation of older persons that have sufficient capacity and scale to meet demand and enable access to and enjoyment of public services; and supporting investment in social assistance establishments in terms of facilities, technical infrastructure and equipment that meet prescribed standards.

Fourth, at all levels, the associations must adapt to the digital age, strive to keep pace with the development trends of the era and the country, and actively participate in shaping new development. One of the major tasks assigned by the Government to the VAE is to effectively and substantively implement the project entitled “Older persons participate in promoting digital transformation, green transition, entrepreneurship and job creation” (commonly known as Project 379).

With a spirit of steadfast revolutionary advance, older persons throughout the country are fully confident that, in any historical circumstance, older persons will always remain loyal to the Party, and worthy of being descendants of the Dragon and Fairy lineage, serving as a reliable foundation so that our land and mountains will remain firm for thousands of generations. — VNS