Within the framework of the plenary session on the morning of October 7, 2026, in Hanoi, the 2026 Annual International Forum on Public Governance synthesized and officially announced the Summary Report along with Nine Key Policy Messages. This is the result of scientific, serious, and comprehensive work by leading domestic and international managers and experts following three days of vibrant discussion.
Concluding 20 thematic discussion sessions on modern public governance
Spanning three days of vibrant work featuring plenary sessions, policy dialogues, roundtable discussions, and 20 thematic sessions, the forum comprehensively examined aspects of public governance: from institutional reform, government organizational restructuring, decentralization, delegation of power, and local governance to innovation, data, artificial intelligence (AI), strategic foresight, inclusive governance, and international cooperation.
Throughout the sessions, the forum reached a consensus view: amidst a volatile development context and rising uncertainties, governments need to strengthen governance capacity, execution ability, and agility to definitively resolve immediate challenges while accumulating capabilities for future readiness.
The organizing committee of the forum synthesized the discussions and officially announced Nine Key Messages:
Dr. Kristoffer Berse, Dean of the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines, announces the messages1. Placing people and inclusiveness at the center of governance People's needs must serve as the guiding compass for institutional reform, policy design, public service delivery, and development evaluation. Inclusiveness requires considering from the outset who can participate, who benefits, and who risks being left behind, especially when introducing new technologies or service models. Meaningful participation of citizens, communities, and enterprises will help governments identify barriers that purely administrative data might easily overlook.
2. Translating institutional reform into execution capacity Institutional reform, organizational restructuring, decentralization, delegation of power, and digital transformation fulfill their purpose only when the system operates effectively in practice. Clear responsibilities must be paired with competent officials, financial resources, appropriate tools, and feasible procedures. Authority must be compatible with execution capacity. For Vietnam, as it operates a two-tier local government model and continues streamlining the administrative apparatus, the focus in the coming phase must be ensuring new arrangements operate smoothly, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination, and generating new capabilities directly within the system.
3. Making decentralization and delegation of power effective for communities Effective decentralization and delegation of power require a clear distinction between purely administrative task transfer and substantive decision-making empowerment. In implementing the two-tier local government model in Vietnam, focus should be placed on enhancing local institutional capacity, ensuring primary-level governments possess sufficient human resources, finance, data, and tools commensurate with their responsibilities. Simultaneously, equal access for citizens to essential public services across communities must be ensured.
Dr. Masao Kikuchi, Meiji University, Japan, announces the messages
4. Translating development resources into sustainable capabilities Resources including capital, human resources, science, technology, data, natural resources, enterprises, and international partners realize their maximum value only when connected with clear development priorities. Development decisions need to be evaluated both on immediate results and on strategic capabilities accumulated for the future (such as technology mastery, high-quality human resources, competitive enterprises, and strong institutions). Development governance must deliver results today while expanding capabilities for the 2030 and 2045 visions.
5. Utilizing digital transformation to improve public services Digital transformation requires redesigning processes and service organization around the journey of citizens and enterprises. Technology investment must follow real service demands and user feedback, using time, effort, and cost savings for citizens as the measure of success. Direct support channels for vulnerable groups facing barriers to the digital environment must be maintained, alongside ensuring data security, privacy, and analytical quality in decision-making.
6. Embedding strategic foresight and cyclical learning into policy and execution processes Strategic foresight helps governments identify emerging signals, analyze future scenarios, and test policy assumptions to proactively prepare early for fluctuations. This proactivity must be paired with institutional learning capacity: execution outcomes and real-world feedback must feed back into policy adjustments. A safe space for policy experimentation, testing, and adaptation within controlled risk levels must be established.
Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, announces the messages
7. Strengthening the use and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) AI opens up numerous opportunities to enhance administrative efficiency, analysis, forecasting, and decision support. To realize these benefits, public authorities need to develop responsible AI utilization capacity, tied to data quality control, transparency, fairness, and auditability. Expert judgment and substantive human oversight remain decisive factors; AI plays only a supporting role and must not diminish public accountability.
8. Investing in human skills throughout the transformation process Institutional capacity depends on the capability of civil servants and the workforce. The transformation process demands continuous investment in education, vocational training, and lifelong learning. Cadres and civil servants need to upgrade data analysis skills, work across institutional boundaries, and exercise professional judgment in digital and AI environments. Collaboration between the government, training institutions, and the private sector should be promoted to align training with practical demands.
9. Organizing domestic and international partnerships around shared challenges and common outcomes Modern development challenges are often inter-sectoral, inter-regional, and extend beyond the boundaries of a single agency. State capacity is reflected in the ability to attract and organize stakeholder participation (enterprises, institutes, universities, international organizations) around common problems. In international cooperation, Vietnam needs to proactively transition from "participating" to "contributing," sharing practical knowledge and experience gained from 40 years of Doi Moi, institutional reform, and local governance with the international community.
Translating governance capacity into practical development results
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, affirmed: The core value of the nine key messages lies in seamlessly connecting institutional reform, decentralization, delegation of power, technology application, and skills development into a continuous cycle of execution, learning, and accountability.
In the coming period, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Academy of Public Administration and Governance will continue to coordinate closely with ministries, sectors, localities, and international partners (such as UNDP, EROPA, etc.) to operationalize the outcomes of the forum. Parties will step up comparative research programs, policy dialogues, leadership and management training, and piloting advanced governance models in practice, contributing to building a modern, effective, and efficient public governance system for national development.