Currently, in the world, the issue of "security" is approached from many different aspects, typically: collective security; common security; human security; comprehensive security... The concept of "comprehensive security" was officially introduced under the Ohira government in Japan in the mid-1970s to refer to military and non-military threats to a country's development. To deal with those threats, according to this concept, it is necessary to mobilize comprehensive resources, from political resources to economic, cultural, and diplomatic resources; in which, economic resources are considered an effective tool, playing an important role in dealing with security-related issues. This view was supported by the Southeast Asian community, and thus, was expanded from the scope of national security to regional security with the birth of the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration signed on November 27, 1971, in Malaysia, with the desire for peace, stability, as well as a sense of regional self-reliance. In that spirit, in 2003, the Declaration on the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) II (Bali Declaration II) emphasized: “The ASEAN Security Community endorses the principle of comprehensive security as having broad political, economic, cultural and social aspects” (1). In 2007, the ASEAN Charter continued to affirm: “Effectively address all threats, transnational crimes and cross-border challenges, in accordance with the principle of comprehensive security” (2).
The motto of “comprehensive security” is approached and considered from many aspects, from national security, regional security, international security; from traditional security to non-traditional security; from political security to economic security, cultural-ideological security, human security, cyber security, etc. It is necessary to clearly recognize the position, role, and importance of each type of security in order to have appropriate policies and measures to build and promote it. However, the first element of security is national security, which is security for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the state and people. The pursuit of regional and international security must be based on national security; traditional and non-traditional security issues are closely related to each other. Non-traditional security issues, such as environmental security, food security, health security, etc., play an increasingly important role in the current context.
Principles for determining the comprehensive security policy in ensuring national security
The Law on National Security (2004) stipulates: “National security is the stability and sustainable development of the socialist regime and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the inviolability of the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland” (3). Accordingly, “ensuring national security” is a commitment to make national security strong and stable; promoting comprehensive strength, consolidating all potentials and proactively preventing, detecting, stopping early and from afar, and fighting to defeat activities affecting national security.
Parade in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Mobile Police Force's tradition day_Photo: VNA
Since the 7th Congress, our Party has pointed out the risks to the survival of the regime and national security, including: the risk of falling further behind economically, the risk of deviating from socialism, the risk of corruption and bureaucracy, the risk of "peaceful evolution". These risks, up to now, still exist, and some aspects have even become more complicated. In addition, there is the state of degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" among a number of cadres and party members; the difficulty in protecting sovereignty over seas and islands, the risk of political and social instability in some areas. Non-traditional security threats mixed with traditional security threats are gradually increasing. These are tensions, religious and ethnic conflicts, secession, local wars, political riots, intervention, overthrow, terrorism, high-tech crimes in the fields of finance - currency, electronics - telecommunications, biology, and environment. The document of the 13th National Party Congress emphasized: "Global issues, such as: peace protection, human security, natural disasters, epidemics, social security and non-traditional security, especially cyber security, climate change, rising sea levels, environmental pollution, ... continue to develop complicatedly" (4).
In recent years, the world and regional situation has undergone complex developments; strategic competition between major countries continues to be fierce, in many fields, with a wide range of influence; cooperation and conflict, war and peace coexist, creating many challenges to ensuring national security. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the principle of comprehensive security, which means paying attention to implementation in all aspects and fields, avoiding one-sidedness and one-sidedness. This must be demonstrated from goals, viewpoints, policies to principles, tasks, and measures to ensure national security; from the combination of prevention and struggle; from theories on ensuring national security to the practice of realizing it...
The comprehensive security principle in ensuring national security requires attention to the relationship between traditional and non-traditional security, considering these two issues closely linked and need to be resolved synchronously. The Party's National Security Strategy emphasizes: "Be ready to effectively respond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges" (5).
The relationships to national security and national security assurance are objective and widespread, but at the same time they are diverse, with different roles, positions, and importance. Therefore, the overall perspective when thoroughly implementing the comprehensive security principle in ensuring national security requires both a comprehensive approach and a focus, identifying which factors, fields, and aspects of activities are fundamental, necessary, urgent, internal, main, and essential, and must be focused on solving first; which factors, fields, and aspects of activities are external, non-essential, and can be solved later.
The comprehensive security motto requires that in dealing with issues related to national security, we must “put the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity of the Fatherland and the national interests above all else, and at the same time always attach importance to the legitimate interests of organizations and individuals” (6); proactively attack, actively prevent, take prevention and maintain internal stability as the main thing; consolidate the great national unity bloc, rely on the people, and keep the people safe as the decisive factor for the victory of the cause of protecting national security. In particular, in dealing with complicated cases and matters related to national security, we must start from the grassroots, under the command and direction of the heads of local Party committees and authorities according to the motto of “on-site command, on-site forces and on-site logistics”; promote the strength of the entire political system and the entire people, in which the people's public security plays an advisory and core role.
President Ho Chi Minh once pointed out: “We must build and firmly lead the people's revolutionary armed forces, ensuring victory over any enemy, under any circumstances” (7). Accordingly, an important principle in ensuring national security from the motto of comprehensive security is that “the work of protecting national security must be placed under the absolute, direct leadership in all aspects of the Party, the unified management of the State; is an important, regular task of the entire Party, the entire army, the entire people, of all levels and sectors; the heads of Party committees and authorities bear the main responsibility” (8).
Ensuring national security according to the comprehensive security motto in Vietnam has achieved many successes in recent times. Accordingly, we have "firmly protected the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity of the Fatherland, national and ethnic interests; protected the Party, State, people and socialist regime; ensured security, order and social safety; maintained a peaceful and stable environment for national development... National defense and security potential has been strengthened, and the people's hearts and minds have been focused on" (9). However, besides achievements, ensuring national security still has certain limitations, such as the theory of ensuring national security is not yet complete; the work of grasping the situation and making strategic forecasts is sometimes lacking in initiative; crimes and social evils are still complicated; security in some areas is not really stable, especially cyber security and security in foreign investment. Some factors affecting human security and safety have not been thoroughly addressed. The combination of ensuring national security with economic, cultural and social development in some localities is not tight and effective.
Customs and border guards coordinate patrol at Da Nang port_Photo: VNA
Promoting the role of comprehensive security in ensuring national security today
The document of the 13th National Party Congress affirmed: “Firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, protect the Party, the State, the people, the socialist regime, the culture, and national and ethnic interests; maintain a peaceful environment, political stability, national security, and human security; build an orderly, disciplined, safe, and healthy society to develop the country in the direction of socialism” (10). This goal clearly demonstrates the overall, comprehensive vision in the strategy of building and protecting the socialist Fatherland of our Party; at the same time, establishes the principle of national security protection activities: “Closely combine the task of protecting national security with the task of building and developing the economy, culture, and society; effectively coordinate national defense, security, and foreign affairs activities” (11). Along with the goals and principles of ensuring national security, measures to ensure national security also need to be considered comprehensively.
In the current period, to continue promoting the achievements and overcome the limitations in ensuring national security according to the comprehensive security principle, it is necessary to promote the implementation of the following solutions:
Firstly, continue to study and perceive comprehensively and holistically issues related to ensuring national security, perfecting theories on national defense and security; closely linking theory with practice; grasping the situation objectively and fully, avoiding passivity and lack of information; closely combining ensuring national security with economic, cultural and social issues; absolutely not allowing the situation of pursuing local economic interests while neglecting security; considering and proactively taking measures to resolve all factors, fields, aspects of activities, and risks to national security, from national security to regional and international security; from traditional security to non-traditional security; paying attention to newly arising issues in ensuring national security, not leaving out any aspect.
Second, in the process of researching, reviewing and resolving issues related to ensuring national security, it is necessary to classify and identify necessary, focused and urgent contents and proactively have appropriate viewpoints and solutions. Resolutely ensure national security according to the motto of putting the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity of the Fatherland and national and ethnic interests above all; firmly uphold the principle of ensuring the absolute and direct leadership of the Party in all aspects of ensuring national security; promptly and effectively handle strategic, urgent and complicated issues arising in the field of security; prevent and promptly fight against plots and sabotage activities of hostile and reactionary forces; maintain a strategic initiative, avoid being passive and surprised, and prevent terrorism and sabotage; curb the increase in crime, creating positive changes in security and order in strategic areas; Proactively prevent early, from afar, when “the country is not yet in danger”, on the basis of promoting the strength of national solidarity, building a solid people's position. Research and develop a set of national security, social security and safety indexes for sustainable development; review, supplement, adjust, practice, and rehearse plans to protect national security; develop projects to ensure security and order at all levels and in all fields.
Third, building the police and army - the core forces in protecting national security - revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern, on the basis of promoting the role and resources of all classes of people in building the country's overall strength. Promoting the development of economic, cultural, social, foreign affairs factors with national defense, security, etc. in a cohesive, unified whole (12), coordinating with the elements of science and technology of the era, such as digital society, digital citizens, to create overall strength, important resources in ensuring national security. At the same time, building a team of cadres and leaders in the political system, in all fields with strategic vision, creative thinking, professional capacity, good moral qualities, exemplary spirit, saying goes hand in hand with doing; have a high spirit of revolutionary vigilance, have knowledge of national defense and security, and have a correct awareness of protecting national security to not only ensure military security, but also ensure comprehensive security on the political, economic, ideological, cultural, diplomatic security fronts...; prevent and combat "self-evolution", "self-transformation", and the "peaceful evolution" plot of hostile forces.
Fourth, strengthen international cooperation in ensuring national security. Promote cooperation with countries and international organizations in responding to non-traditional security threats. To resolve security issues, including environmental security, energy security, etc., no single country can solve them. Accordingly, implement a policy of peace, friendship, expand exchanges and cooperation with all countries on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. At the same time, multilateralize and diversify foreign relations; be ready to be a friend, a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community on the basis of ensuring the highest national interests./.
Dr. PHAM DUY HOANG
Colonel, Vice Principal of People's Security University
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(1) Declaration on ASEAN Agreement II (BALI Agreement II) in Indonesia on October 7, 2003, source: https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Linh-vuc-khac/Tuyen-bo-ve-Thoa-uoc-ASEAN-II-228912.aspx
(2) Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore in 2007, source: https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/images/archive/AC-Vietnam.pdf
(3) Ministry of Public Security, National Security Law Training Steering Committee: In-depth training materials on National Security Law, Volume I - Introduction to National Security Law and related documents, People's Police Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006, p. 205
(4) Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2021, vol. I, pp. 106 - 107
(5), (6), (8) See: Resolution No. 51 - NQ/TW, dated September 5, 2019, of the Politburo, on National Security Protection Strategy
(7) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 14, p. 608
(9) Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 67 - 68
(10) Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, op. cit., vol. I, p. 156
(11) Ministry of Public Security, Steering Committee for training on the Law on National Security: In-depth training materials on the Law on National Security, Volume I - Introduction to the Law on National Security and related documents, ibid, p. 207
(12) Pham Minh Tuan: "Promoting the country's comprehensive strength for the cause of protecting the socialist Fatherland today", Communist Specialized Magazine, No. 9-2023, p. 50
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