Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng (centre); Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam (first, right) and officials of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society on Monday morning in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Red Cross Society was told on Monday morning to create more humanitarian and charity activities.

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Honorary President of the Việt Nam Red Cross Society, was speaking when he met 80 delegates at the agency’s 11th Congress in Hà Nội.

The congress was also attended by Chairwoman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Mass Mobilisation Bùi Thị Minh Hoài, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam and representatives of ministries, sectors, the Party Central Committee’s Office and the Party General Secretary’s Office.

Trọng said the agency needs to be organised in a more methodical and practical way.

It should coordinate with agencies of the Party, Government, and socio-political organisations to launch more movements of humanitarian activities and charity work, he said.

“Among the fine traditional cultural values of the nation, humanity and compassion are always core, outstanding and transparent values,” he said.

Therefore, the success of the movements will be a great spiritual contribution to building a society rich in humanity and compassion, he added.

He ordered the agency to effectively organise the campaign "Each organisation, each individual attaches to a humanitarian address" so that every vulnerable and poor person could receive support.

If the movement "Good people, good deeds - Working together to build a compassionate community" is a moral and spiritual contribution, the campaign "Each organisation, each individual attaches to a humanitarian address" is a material contribution to the poor and disadvantaged people in the country, he said.

He suggested the agency pay more attention so that these movements will have more sustainable vitality in social life and among the people in the future.

In the next five years, Trọng said the agency must always pay attention to the work of nurturing its officers and members.

The agency was founded by late President Hồ Chí Minh and he was also the first Honorary President, Trọng said.

“It is a great honour, pride and encouragement for the agency,” he said.

Therefore, officers and members of the agency have to strive and work hard with the spirit of "loving people as if you love yourself", he said.

He said: “The prestige is a great resource, the lifeblood and vitality of the agency.”

The prestige does not come naturally, it comes from the attitude, behaviour and action of the agency’s officers and members for the humanitarian cause, he said.

Also at the meeting, Trọng highly appreciated the agency’s operation at all levels in the 2017-2022 term while the country faced many difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Việt Nam Red Cross Society was founded in 1946, right after the success of the August Revolution. Late President Hồ Chí Minh was the first Honorary President of the agency from 1946 until 1969 (when he passed away).

Inheriting the tradition of kindness and humanity, the agency has become a professional humanitarian organisation, attached and integrated into people's lives with nearly 7.2 million officers, members and volunteers working at 11,925 units.

Through many movements, the agency has helped tens of millions of poor and disadvantaged people in the country with the amount of more than VNĐ23 trillion (US$981 million) so far. — VNS