Taking tangible effectiveness and community benefit as the benchmark

The establishment of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs on the foundation of the former Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, while also assuming state management of belief and religion from the Ministry of Home Affairs, reflects the strategic vision and consistent attention of the Party and State to ethnic and religious affairs, fields closely linked to the great national unity bloc.

Upon assuming his new role, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung shared: “This is a difficult and distinctive field, but also one full of vitality, and we must get to work immediately.” According to him, the ministry must not only perform state management functions but also become an extended arm of the Party in ethnic and religious affairs, a place where trust, aspiration and social consensus converge.

That spirit of immediate action was quickly translated into proactive, decisive and innovative methods, closely connected to grassroots realities, with tangible effectiveness and community benefit as the guiding yardstick. The “six clarities” principle - clear people, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear responsibilities, clear products and clear authority - has become not merely a management slogan but a consistent operational rule.

In its first year, the ministry made important strides in institutional building and improvement, science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation and administrative reform in ethnic and religious affairs. It advised and submitted 11 projects and tasks to the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government and the Prime Minister; issued 10 circulars under its authority; received, classified, updated and digitized more than 19,000 incoming documents; and issued over 4,000 outgoing documents. All outgoing documents were digitized and transmitted through the national inter-agency document system on time. These efforts have laid foundations for modern, transparent and effective governance.

As Minister Dao Ngoc Dung has repeatedly emphasized, the guiding objective remains specific and humane: ensuring that ethnic minority and religious communities benefit increasingly in both material and spiritual terms; safeguarding freedom of belief and religion; and strengthening solidarity among ethnicities and religions.

From that orientation, ethnic and religious affairs have been implemented persistently, synchronously and substantively at the grassroots level. In 2025 alone, ministry leaders led more than 100 working delegations to localities, not only to grasp realities and remove obstacles but also to listen, share and encourage communities. These journeys created a connective flow from central policy to local life.

Spreading momentum for development

Despite restructuring and streamlining the apparatus while simultaneously undertaking a heavy workload with many unprecedented tasks, the sector maintained steady operations without disruption or overlap.

In 2025, notable progress was recorded in implementing ethnic policies, particularly the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, Phase I (2021-2025). The ministry proactively coordinated the program’s review with a frank and constructive spirit.

After nearly five years, the program achieved and exceeded six of nine target groups under National Assembly Resolution 120/2020/QH14. Concrete figures - such as an average poverty reduction rate of 3.4 percent per year, rising per capita income and improved access to basic social services - reflect substantive improvements in ethnic minority communities’ lives.

Building on this foundation, the ministry has proposed Phase II of the program with breakthrough adjustments, firmly maintaining National Assembly goals while focusing on the most pressing issues in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

State management of belief and religion also achieved positive results. A prominent highlight was the ministry’s proactive guidance and support for the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in successfully hosting the 2025 United Nations Vesak celebration in Vietnam. The joint declaration of the event affirmed Buddhism’s responsibility toward global issues while promoting messages of peace and compassion, and showcasing Vietnam as a country that respects religious freedom, values cultural identity and embraces integration.

At the same time, policy communication continued to innovate, and international cooperation in ethnic and religious affairs expanded, gradually enhancing Vietnam’s standing on the global stage.

Distinctive milestones

The year 2025 also opened a new chapter marked by foundational events. The First Patriotic Emulation Congress and the First Party Congress of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs for the 2025-2030 term not only signaled organizational maturity but also initiated a journey of institution building, integration and sustainable development.

A particularly meaningful moment at the 2025 ceremony honoring outstanding ethnic minority students and youth was General Secretary To Lam’s emotional meeting with them. His deep concern became a powerful source of encouragement, strengthening confidence among ethnic minority youth.

The year also marked the near completion of the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing, a genuine achievement. After taking over the task from the former Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, as the standing body, implemented it decisively under the “four real” principle: real words, real actions, real effectiveness and real benefits for the people. Completing the program five years and four months ahead of schedule stands as a remarkable milestone. A total of 334,234 solid homes were built, strengthening the foundation for sustainable and equitable development.

At the national exhibition “80 years of Independence - Freedom - Happiness,” the exhibition space “Vietnam in diversity - united in purpose,” curated by the ministry, vividly portrayed the solidarity of ethnicities and religions, a core value underpinning national strength.

Looking back, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung candidly noted that in the context of a newly established ministry facing high demands and heavy workloads, officials had to exert extraordinary effort. Achievements were the result of collective unity, close inter-agency coordination and the persistent striving of the people.

Speaking at the national conference reviewing ethnic and religious affairs in 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long affirmed that in just over nine months since its establishment, the ministry, together with localities and communities, accomplished many key objectives, reinforcing solidarity and public trust in the Party and the State.

Turning pressure into momentum

At the ceremony announcing the National Assembly’s resolution on the establishment of the ministry on March 1, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that national solidarity remains the bedrock in the new phase. The ministry must continue to thoroughly implement Party guidelines and State policies and effectively perform its assigned functions.

The milestones of 2025 have affirmed the increasingly important role of ethnic and religious affairs, creating a solid foundation for entering 2026, the first year of a new development phase linked to the implementation of the 14th National Party Congress Resolution and the 2026-2030 socio-economic development plan.

“2026 must be a year of strong acceleration, contributing to national renewal and growth. The entire sector must act more decisively, think more boldly, show greater determination and transform pressure into momentum and difficulty into opportunity,” Minister Dao Ngoc Dung directed.

On the foundation already built, ethnic and religious affairs will move forward with the country into a new era, guided by high determination, people-centered policies and social stability and consensus as pillars, fulfilling the Prime Minister’s expectation that the ministry serve as a model of unity and inspiration for equal development among ethnicities and religions.

Pham Thi Thanh Huyen