Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm assumes the position of Honorary President of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society after being nominated by its 12th National Congress in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm on Tuesday urged Việt Nam’s Red Cross Society to recognise their role not only in disaster relief, but also in ensuring social security and helping communities to become resilient.

He was speaking at the 12th National Congress of the society for the 2026-2031 term in Hà Nội, which gathered more than 500 delegates representing over 5.6 million Red Cross officers, members and volunteers nationwide.

After he was nominated by the congress, the top leader assumed the position of the society’s Honorary President for the term.

In his inaugural speech, Lâm said that he, the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee would provide leadership and support for the Red Cross to continue to innovate, improve operational efficiency and fulfil its noble humanitarian mission.

While applauding the society’s past achievements and contributions of its officers, members and volunteers, the Party leader also emphasised the expanding role of the Red Cross in the country’s new development phase.

“A strong Việt Nam must also be a compassionate Việt Nam, a modern society must know how to share and a developed nation must respect and protect the dignity and safety of every human being,” he said.

The country was promoting scientific, technological development and innovation, aiming to become a high-income country with sustainable growth by 2045, he noted, going on to ask, “But the most profound measure of development remains people: are vulnerable people protected, are those at risk supported and does every citizen have the opportunity to rise?”

Humanitarian work cannot be limited to relief efforts during natural disasters, epidemics and calamities, but must become an integral part of human development strategies, ensuring social security, risk management and enhancing community resilience, according to Lâm.

“We must switch from passive response to proactive prevention, from post-damage relief to early warning and early action, from mere donations to livelihood support, capacity building and opening up opportunities for development,” he said.

“The best support not only helps people overcome immediate difficulties, but also helps them recover and rebuild their lives in the long term.”

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm speaks at the meeting.

Work instructions

After agreeing with the work direction, objectives, key performance indicators and six action programmes outlined in the Red Cross Society’s reports presented to the congress, Lâm pointed out that one of its most urgent tasks would be to revise policies related to vulnerable groups and make sure they are effective for those who need them the most.

The society needed to get more involved in community-based risk management, build an early warning system, a local response force and a first aid network, and help communities develop their own safety models.

Each commune, ward and special zone must have a team of trained volunteers with action plans and the ability to provide timely support to vulnerable groups, especially children, the elderly, people with disabilities, people with serious illnesses and people in remote areas, such as border regions and islands.

“Along with disaster response, the society also needs to be better prepared for public health risks, accidents and mental health crises,” Lâm said. “Every school, agency, factory and community needs to have people with practical, life-saving first aid skills.”

Openness, transparency, integrity and accountability must also be placed at the centre of all Red Cross Society activities, he added.

All contributions must be received, managed and allocated appropriately, and donors must have the right to know what and who their donations are used for.

In terms of work efficiency, the Red Cross needed to build a comprehensive humanitarian database and connect it with national databases and the social security system.

It must take advantage of mapping technology, Big Data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms for humanitarian work, from identifying needs, distributing resources and providing early warning, to managing volunteers and assessing impacts.

Internationally, the society’s humanitarian activities should become an effective people-to-people diplomacy channel, which communicates the image of a peaceful, compassionate, loyal and responsible Việt Nam.

“Việt Nam will not only receive aid, but will also improve our capacity to assist other countries when natural disasters, calamities and humanitarian crises occur,” the top leader said.

He asked that Party committees at all levels continue to create favourable conditions for the Red Cross Society to complete these tasks and fulfil its mission.

Lâm also called on the business community, organisations, individuals, philanthropists, Vietnamese people abroad and international friends to support the society with their own resources, knowledge and technology, stressing that they will help sustain the country’s lifelong humanitarian traditions.

“Vietnamese people have, for thousands of years, fostered a tradition of patriotism, solidarity and compassion, and the moral principles to ‘love others as loving oneself’ and help those with disadvantages,” he said.

The top leader expressed his confidence that the Red Cross Society would continue to improve and fulfil its noble mission.

“It should become a symbol of faith and sharing, so that everyone who’s down on their luck knows they are not alone, and every compassionate person has a reliable place to act together and contribute to building a strong, prosperous, civilised and happy Việt Nam,” he said. — VNS