12th National Congress of Communist Party of Vietnam successfully concluded with higher women representation in Party leadership

The Congress discussed and adopted important documents, including the Political Report of the 11^th tenure Central Committee submitted to the Congress; the Report o­n reviewing the 5-year 2011-2015 socio-economic development tasks and directions and tasks for the 5-year period 2016-2020; the Report o­n the leadership of the 11^th tenure Central Committee, Politburo and Secretariat; the Report o­n observance of the Party’s 11^th tenure Statutes; and the Report o­n the implementation of the 11^th tenure 4^th Plenum Resolution o­n Party building.

The documents adopted at this Congress are in-depth summary of both theoretical and practical issues; confirming great and historic achievements of the 30 years of renewal; important achievements recorded in the last 5 years; as well as setting forth directions, guidelines and solutions for the country’s continuous fast and sustainable development.

The Congress specified 6 central tasks and adopted main criteria as orientations for the country’s next period development as follows: (i) In the economic field, the average annual economic growth rates in 5 years to be 6.5 – 7%; by 2020, GDP per capita to be around USD 3,200 - 3,500; (ii) In the social field, by 2020, the agricultural workforce to account for about 40% of the society’s total workforce; the trained workforce to account for some 65 – 70%; the urban unemployment rate to be lower than 4%; the ratio of poor households to decline by 1.0 – 1.5% yearly as the average; (iii) In the environmental field, by 2020, 95% urban dwellers and 90% rural dwellers to access clean or sanitation-standardized water, and the forest coverage rate to achieve 42%.

The Congress advocates for consistent implementation of a foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, cooperation and development; multi-lateralization and diversification of relations; proactive and active international integration; being a friend and reliable partner and responsible member of the international community; to ensure the supreme national interest o­n the basis of fundamental principles of international law, equality and mutual benefit; to enhance foreign activities’ efficiency, continue deepening cooperative relations, contributing to peace, national independence, democracy and social progress, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world.

The Congress reaffirmed the determination of the entire Party and people to maximize advantages, surmount all obstacles and challenges, enhancing the Party’s leadership capacity and combativeness, the State governance’s effectiveness and efficiency, promote the entire nation’s strength and socialist democracy, push forwardcomprehensively and harmoniously the renewal process, ensure the country’s speedy and sustainable development, successfully accomplish the noble goal of “a prosperous people, a strong, democratic, equitable and advanced country”, steadily marching towards socialism.

The Congress elected the Party’s highest leadership body in between two Congresses. The 12^thtenure Central Committee consists of 180 official members and 20 alternate members. At the 1^st Plenum of the Central Committee convened o­n January the 27^th, the 12^th-tenure Central Committee elected the Politburo of 19 members, and the Secretariat of 3 members together with Politburo members appointed by the Politburo; and the Control Commission of 21 members. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected as the General Secretary of the 12^th-tenure Central Committee with high credibility.

Particularly, the Congress witnessed higher women representation in the Party’s leadership. Among 200 official and alternate members of the Party Central Committee, there are 20 women making up 10% - an increase from the previous tenure's female percentage of 8.13%. Women representation in the Politburo also increased from 12.5% to 15.7% (3 females out of 19 members). These figures reflect the Party’s efforts towards the goals of gender equality in accordance with its political platform since establishment.