Minister Dao Ngoc Dung: The consistent goal is to improve the material and spiritual life of the people.

On March 20, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia had a working session with the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions.

Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia works with the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions. Photo: Le Anh Dung

Reduce 3 department-level organizations and 4 division-level organizations

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Y Vinh Tor reported on the Ministry's activities since its establishment.

According to Resolution No. 176/2025 of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions is one of 17 ministries and ministerial-level agencies of the Government of the 15th National Assembly. The Ministry was established from March 1, 2025 on the basis of the Ethnic Minorities Committee receiving additional functions, tasks, and organization of the state management apparatus on religious beliefs from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Immediately after the National Assembly approved, the Minister and the Ministry immediately began to implement the organization and apparatus to put it into operation soon, accordingly the Ministry has streamlined the organization and apparatus. The Ministry has arranged 13 departments and units, including 9 units assisting the Minister in performing the state management function, 4 public service units serving the state management function of the Ministry. In which, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs is a department-level organization, the organizational structure includes 7 division-level units; the Ministry Office and the Ministry Inspectorate have division-level units according to regulations.

The Department of Propaganda for Ethnic and Religious Affairs has two divisions headquartered in Dak Lak and Can Tho City. In addition, there are two units established by the Minister under his authority and five public service units which are specialized schools received from the former Ministry of Education and Training.

The total number of cadres, civil servants and employees of the Ministry is 998, including 5 leaders of the Ministry, 79 leaders at department level and equivalent, 221 civil servants, and 693 public employees.

The Ministry has reorganized and consolidated its internal organization and merged and dissolved organizations with overlapping functions and tasks.

The result was a reduction of 3 department-level organizations and equivalent - reaching 17.6%, and a reduction of 4 division-level organizations - reaching 36.3%. At the same time, the Minister issued decisions to appoint leaders of departments and units under the Ministry from March 1 and completed the restructuring of the organizational structure and resources of units under the Ministry.

Implementing Decree 178/2024/ND-CP of the Government, up to now, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions has had 115 civil servants, public employees and workers register their wishes to quit their jobs (retirement and resignation) to enjoy the policy; the first batch of 20 people has been resolved to quit.

Regarding coordination with the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission in the coming time, the Ministry proposes to continue to coordinate in advising and implementing well the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State related to ethnic and religious affairs; coordinate in training and fostering cadres who are ethnic minorities, prestigious people, village elders, village chiefs, dignitaries, officials, etc.

In addition, the Ministry requested the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission to pay attention to and coordinate research and report to the Politburo and the Secretariat for consideration of important policies and orientations in determining the composition of Vietnam's ethnic minorities and ensuring the people's freedom of belief and non-belief.

During the meeting, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission Trieu Tai Vinh proposed a number of issues that the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions should study further. For example, why only the Mong ethnic group frequently changes their beliefs, while other ethnic groups do not.

Mr. Vinh said that there is a cause for this situation and that research institutes need to be involved.

In addition, he also noted that the Ministry is concerned about the commercialization of religion and superstition in Buddhism.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission Lai Xuan Mon proposed that more attention should be paid to the issue of popularizing digital education for ethnic minorities; and attention should be paid to effectively implementing three national target programs, especially in ethnic minority areas.

When talking about ethnicity and religion, we must talk about history and culture.

Speaking at the meeting, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia congratulated the establishment of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions.

Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission Nguyen Trong Nghia. Photo: Le Anh Dung

He said that the Party determined that there was an alliance between workers, farmers, and intellectuals, solidarity within the Party, solidarity of the political system, national solidarity, solidarity between religions, and between believers and non-believers.

Therefore, with the inheritance of the achievements and efforts of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization and the Ethnic Committee, the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs in the past, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religion needs to do better in the current new situation.

The Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission affirmed that education, mobilization and propaganda work is still the top priority of Vietnam, which is done in every period, but in the period of international integration, entering the era of self-development, we must both grow the economy and ensure cultural and sustainable development.

"When talking about ethnicity and religion, we must talk about history, culture, international exchange, tourism services... Ha Giang and Yen Bai are packed with international tourists booking rooms at motels and hotels, proving that the world is very interested in us. So, we must be proud of our position," said Mr. Nghia.

Recalling history, compatriots have accompanied the nation, accompanied the two resistance wars against France and the US, including the most difficult years, the Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department emphasized: "Our current steps forward also have the contributions of compatriots."

He also noted the need to improve the effectiveness of propaganda and mobilization.

“First of all, we must unify the awareness of cadres, party members and the political system, then the awareness of the people, ethnic minorities and religions. In the new situation, we will continue to diversify and be more effective, maximizing new media, especially digital transformation in propaganda work," Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia advised.

In addition to the press system that currently has this content, he said he will direct more newspapers to have columns in Vietnamese, ethnic languages, and foreign languages, and continue to promote propaganda work about ethnicity and religion.

"The columns on propaganda work for ethnic and religious people need to be more diverse. Press agencies need to continue to do better on this issue in the spirit of promoting the advantages of digital media in the coming time," Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia expected.

Harmonious handling of ethnic and religious issues

Sharing at the meeting, Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Dao Ngoc Dung said: "Implementing the direction of General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of the Party and State, as soon as we received the new task entrusted to us by the Party and Government, with a proactive and urgent spirit, we did not wait or 'waste time'. The Minister and the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions immediately got to work."

He identified the Ministry's first task as an extension and realization of the Party and State's policies and guidelines in both areas: Ethnic affairs and ensuring the rights of ethnic minorities, beliefs and religions; performing the function of state management in this area.

Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Dao Ngoc Dung. Photo: Le Anh Dung

The Ministry identifies the general goal of improving the material and spiritual life of the people, especially ethnic minorities in remote areas; ensuring equality among ethnic groups and respecting the freedom of belief, religion and non-belief of the people, solidarity, mutual assistance for development. Promoting the positivity, self-reliance and self-reliance of ethnic minorities in socio-economic development, striving to escape multidimensional poverty sustainably.

On that basis, strive to achieve the goal of firmly ensuring national security and social security, harmoniously handling ethnic, religious and pressing social issues, preventing hot spots from occurring; effectively handling complicated security and political issues, and responding to non-traditional security threats, according to Minister Dao Ngoc Dung.

He hopes that in the coming time, the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission will continue to pay attention to, lead, orient, and coordinate ethnic and religious issues with the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions to achieve better results.

To achieve these goals, the Ministry needs to closely coordinate with relevant agencies and units under the leadership and direction of the Party in terms of ideology, politics, mass mobilization work and state management.

Specifically, the Ministry will coordinate with the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission to complete programs and plans early and with quality; focus on key, strategic tasks to achieve effectiveness; strengthen propaganda work, raise awareness within the Party and among the people, to turn awareness into action; strengthen inspection and supervision work...

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