Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm (centre) congratulates the 13th Executive Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union for the term of 2026-31. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Young people across the country must become more resolute in their ideals, more self-reliant in their studies and work, more pioneering in innovation, stronger in their aspiration to contribute, and more proactive in mastering their own future and that of the nation.

That was the directive issued on Thursday morning in Hà Nội by Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, as he attended and delivered a keynote address at the opening of the 13th National Congress of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union for the 2026-31 term.

The congress brought together 788 outstanding delegates representing more than 5.1 million union members and nearly 22 million young people nationwide.

He said that the congress is taking place at a time when the country is entering a new phase of development opportunities.

“In the context, young people are not only expected to carry forward the legacy of the Party and the revolutionary cause, but also to play a direct role in shaping the future,” the top leader said.

He emphasised the need to build a generation of Vietnamese youth committed to lifelong learning, mastering science and technology, and taking the lead in innovation, digital transformation and international integration.

“Young people must not study merely to obtain qualifications, but to become good citizens, to work, to innovate, to master their own lives and to serve the nation,” he added.

Each young person should cultivate habits of self-learning, foreign language proficiency, digital literacy, vocational skills, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability in response to rapid changes in society and the labour market.

The youth union must strongly promote the spirit that Vietnamese youth can master their future through knowledge, resilience and creativity.

It should also connect young people with universities, research institutes, businesses, experts, markets and the global Vietnamese intellectual community, helping them transform aspirations into capability, capability into products and products into value for the country.

“The country now requires a new mindset from its youth, such as to think more broadly, learn more quickly, work more effectively, live more responsibly, and contribute more meaningfully,” he said.

The Party, State and people place deep trust in the younger generation.

He expressed his hope that every young person would nurture ambitious goals, beginning with everyday actions: serious study, creative labour, honesty, discipline, compassion and responsibility; pride in the nation; affection for fellow citizens; respect for the law; defence of justice; and willingness to take part in collective endeavours.

He said: “When stepping onto the global stage, each young Vietnamese should embody a positive image of the country: confident in knowledge, dignified in character, rich in cultural understanding, responsible to the nation and friendly towards international friends.”

Strengthening patriotic education

Broadly agreeing with the orientations, tasks and solutions set out in the draft Political Report of the youth union, submitted to the congress, leader Lâm stressed the need to deepen ideological and political education for young people, strengthen patriotism, political resilience, ethics, lifestyle values and aspirations to contribute.

He said ideological education must go beyond the transmission of resolutions, political activities, or slogans.

Its essential purpose is to ensure that young people understand correctly, believe strongly, and act voluntarily.

The youth union must educate through sound reasoning, persuasive truth, relatable role models, sincere dialogue and practical training environments.

In the digital space, the youth union must maintain a strong, intelligent and humane presence; it must listen effectively, speak in ways young people understand, and address issues that matter to them.

It should promote positive values, defend the Party’s ideological foundation, and combat harmful content, misinformation, fake news, consumerist lifestyles, moral deviation and social indifference.

Every youth union official should be an inspiration; each grassroots youth union a source of trust; and every member a positive force within the community.

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm delivers a keynote address at the opening of the 13th National Congress of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union for the 2026-31 term. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

The Party’s trusted reserve force

He also underlined the importance of building a strong and comprehensive youth union, describing it as a trusted reserve force of the Party and a training environment for young cadres within the political system.

Strengthening the youth union contributes directly to Party building among young people, he said, adding: "It must stay close to young people, understand them, trust them, assign responsibilities and guide their development."

Youth union officials in the new era must possess firm political conviction, moral integrity, strong public mobilisation skills, organisational capability, digital competence, policy advisory capacity, and the ability to engage in dialogue and address emerging issues among young people.

The selection of outstanding youth union members for Party admission must prioritise quality, based on political resilience, ethics, practical competence, reputation among young people and performance in real-world activities.

The youth union must truly serve as an environment for identifying, nurturing, testing and providing high-quality young cadres for the Party, the State, the Fatherland Front and the wider political system.

To ensure the youth union fulfils its mission in the new period, he called on Party committees, organisations, authorities, the Fatherland Front, ministries, sectors and localities to continue providing leadership, coordination and favourable conditions for youth work and youth movements.

Also on Thursday, Bùi Quang Huy, First Secretary of the 12th Central Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, was re-elected as First Secretary of the 13th Central Committee for the 2026-31 term.

In his acceptance speech, Huy pledged unity, dedication and full commitment with officials and members nationwide to implement the resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress, Party policies, State laws and the resolutions of the 13th National Youth Union Congress.

He affirmed the goal of building a youth union that is strong in all aspectspolitical, ideological, ethical, organisational and operational while renewing its methods, placing young members at the centre, and driving the organisation towards greater contributions to national development objectives. — VNS