Ethnic Mường women perform a traditional dance. — VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hoà

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Hồ Quốc Dũng has signed the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 19/CT-TTg, calling for stronger implementation of the Ethnic Affairs Strategy through 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The directive highlights that in recent years, the Party and State have introduced and implemented a broad range of policies and development programmes related to ethnic affairs, including the Ethnic Affairs Strategy for 2021-30 with a vision to 2045, promulgated under Government Resolution No. 10/NQ-CP in January 2022.

These efforts have contributed significantly to improving living conditions in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Both the material and spiritual well-being of ethnic minority communities have improved markedly, with poverty reduction in these areas outpacing the national average. Equality, solidarity, mutual respect and cooperation among ethnic groups have continued to be strengthened, contributing to greater public confidence in the leadership of the Party and State, as well as to political stability and social order nationwide.

Despite these achievements, the Government acknowledged that socio-economic development in many ethnic minority and mountainous areas remains slow, while infrastructure still falls short of development needs. Educational quality and human resources capacity remain limited, and the training, recruitment and employment of ethnic minority officials in some localities have yet to receive adequate attention.

Certain areas also continue to face latent risks related to political security and social order, alongside unresolved issues concerning housing land, production land, access to clean water and residential planning.

The directive noted that, in addition to objective challenges, shortcomings also stem from inconsistent awareness and implementation among some ministries, sectors and local authorities. Several projects assigned under the action programme for implementing the strategy have fallen behind schedule, while institutional structures for ethnic affairs management remain insufficiently synchronised.

To accelerate implementation of the strategy, the Prime Minister requested ministries, agencies and local authorities to continue thoroughly implementing the Party and State’s policies on ethnic affairs, improve the effectiveness of State management and strengthen oversight of policy implementation.

The directive also stressed the need to accelerate programmes and projects in ethnic minority and mountainous regions through more effective mobilisation and integration of resources, particularly in disadvantaged and border areas and among very small ethnic groups.

Emphasis will also be placed on linking socio-economic development with environmental protection, sustainable management of natural resources, national defence and social security, contributing to sustainable development and strengthening the great national unity bloc.

Under the directive, ministries were assigned specific responsibilities. The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs was tasked with coordinating implementation and prioritising the resolution of urgent issues such as housing, residential land, production land, electricity, clean water and essential infrastructure to stabilise livelihoods in ethnic communities.

The Ministry of Finance will coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies and localities to secure State budget allocations and mobilise lawful funding sources for ethnic minority and mountainous areas. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue developing policies on stable settlement planning and rural infrastructure, while promoting livelihoods associated with forest protection and sustainable income generation.

The Ministry of Education and Training was instructed to improve educational quality, expand upper secondary school networks in ethnic minority and border areas, and implement programmes to train high-quality ethnic minority human resources in key sectors through 2035, with orientations towards 2045.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was tasked with accelerating electricity infrastructure development, aiming to ensure all households in these areas have access to electricity by 2030.

The directive also highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of ethnic groups, especially those at risk of fading, while advancing sustainable cultural and community-based tourism with the participation of local ethnic communities.

Provincial and municipal authorities were requested to complete plans for training, fostering and employing ethnic minority officials within the political system, while strengthening inspection and evaluation of the implementation of ethnic affairs-related policies.

The Prime Minister also called on the Việt Nam Fatherland Front to intensify public mobilisation campaigns, promote self-reliance among ethnic communities and further strengthen national solidarity. — VNA/VNS