“The Annual International Forum on Public Governance is an important academic and policy initiative of the Academy of Administration and Public Governance, creating an academic space for open, intellectual, and practical policy dialogue”

The full text of the opening speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of the Politburo, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), and Chairman of the Central Council on Theoretical Studies, is respectfully introduced below.

Distinguished international guests, esteemed delegates, experts, and scholars,

It is my great pleasure to join all of you today at the 2025 Annual International Forum on Public Governance under the theme “Innovation toward National Sustainable Development in the New Era.”

On behalf of HCMA, I would like to extend my respectful greetings and best wishes to all Vietnamese and international delegates. I wish you good health, happiness, and success.

This year’s Forum takes place at a particularly significant moment. Viet Nam has just celebrated the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, rekindling national pride, confidence, and the aspiration for a strong, prosperous, civilized, and happy nation. This is also the time for us to look back on the path we have traveled, reshape our mindset, and set forth new visions, policies, and strategic actions for a new phase of development - an era of innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth in the era of the Vietnamese nation’s rise.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The world is undergoing profound, epochal transformations. Among them, innovation has become the all-encompassing driving force of progress - the core strength and competitive advantage of every nation. The extraordinary development of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and next-generation technologies is fundamentally transforming growth models. It is particularly reshaping modes of production and driving major global transitions - digital, green, energy, and human resource transformations - along with changes in governance and development approaches.

Amidst this trend, many governments around the world, including Viet Nam, have been making a strong shift from a management and control mindset to a developmental and enabling governance mindset - from administrative thinking to service-oriented thinking that creates public value. Governance capacity and policy-making competence are now expressed through flexibility and evidence-based, scientifically grounded decision-making. Data-driven governance and the nurturing of an innovation culture in a comprehensive and synchronized manner have become key measures and standards defining the strength and standing of nations.

The Communist Party of Viet Nam has clearly affirmed that innovation is the essential driving force for realizing the aspiration of building a prosperous and happy nation. Party General Secretary To Lam has emphasized: “Innovation is not merely a slogan, nor is it a story of a distant future - it must be brought into practice, deliver tangible results, and serve the people, businesses, and the sustainable development of the nation.” This guiding principle embodies strong practicality, action orientation, and high political responsibility. It also affirms that innovation must be institutionalized, effectively implemented, and measured by real outcomes, public trust, and, above all, the satisfaction of citizens and enterprises.

In 2025, under the comprehensive leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, headed by Party General Secretary To Lam, the nation has resolutely and systematically implemented a profound reform of the organizational structure of the political system. This reform has inspired a strong wave of innovation, garnered widespread public support and consensus, and received high recognition from the international community. The two-tier local government model currently being implemented in Viet Nam represents a strategic step - not only toward streamlining the administrative apparatus and reducing staffing, but also toward expanding development space; leveraging local potential and strengths; clarifying responsibilities; enhancing autonomy and creativity at the grassroots level; and improving the effectiveness of public service delivery.

For this model to operate effectively, it requires new governance capabilities, i.e., a combination of strategic thinking, digital technology, data management, and an innovation-driven culture. Innovation must become a core competency of the public workforce - cadres, civil servants, and public employees - who directly implement policies and build trust among citizens and businesses. In other words, we aim to move towards a modern, integrity-based, and high-performing civil service. Every cadre and public servant must become an “agent of innovation” - one who dares to think, to change, to act, and to take responsibility for the common good, for the development of their localities, institutions, and the nation. We must deeply internalize the guiding principle of thinking globally, envisioning nationally, acting locally, staying close to the people, and serving the people responsibly. Institutional bottlenecks must be removed; this should be viewed as a top breakthrough task - to unleash, liberate, and fully harness all societal initiatives and resources.

The State of Viet Nam must shift decisively from a “controlling” government - one that prohibits whenever it cannot manage - to a governing and enabling State that serves and accompanies citizens and businesses. This means building a comprehensive innovation ecosystem, where enterprises are placed at the center of innovation; educational institutions and research institutes serve as platforms for knowledge linkage; and government agencies act as institutional enablers, guiding, coordinating, and creating a favorable policy environment for creativity and development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the era of artificial intelligence, big data, and the digital economy, innovation is not only a new engine of growth but also the very foundation of modern national governance. A nation can achieve rapid and sustainable development only when every policy, every institution, and every official can adapt to a changing governance environment and continuously innovate. Innovation must become a culture of action throughout the entire system, deeply embedded in every aspect of social life, from strategic planning and institutional design to policy implementation and outcome evaluation.

International experience shows that synergy among the State, academia, and business is key to fostering comprehensive, substantive innovation. The interconnection between policy, knowledge, and market generates a powerful synergy that turns innovative ideas into reality, enhances public governance capacity, improves service quality, and raises national productivity.

I highly appreciate the initiative of APAG in organizing the Annual International Forum on Public Governance, particularly the Forum’s theme. The Forum serves as an open, democratic, intellectual, and highly practical academic space for dialogue among the State, academia, and business - a platform for discussion, experience sharing, and co-creation of solutions to address and unlock the core challenges of public governance and national development.

With the mission of accompanying Viet Nam’s institutional reform and public service modernization, APAG not only assumes the responsibility of training and developing leadership, management, and policy implementation capacity but also focuses on building innovation capability, strategic thinking, and adaptability among public officials, civil servants, and administrative personnel in line with the comprehensive reform of the public service. At the same time, APAG plays an important role in research, consultancy, and policy recommendation, including at the macro level, thereby providing theoretical and practical foundations for the formulation, adjustment, and implementation of national development strategies, as well as contributing to the development of a professional, innovative, efficient, and citizen-oriented public service.

I am delighted to meet with reputable international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), the ASEAN Public Service Training Institutes Network (PSTI), the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG), the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. I firmly believe that this year’s Forum will offer meaningful policy insights and practical, applicable solutions that will enhance Viet Nam’s national and local governance capacity in this new period. The annual organization of this Forum demonstrates the long-term commitment of APAG, and, more broadly, HCMA, to fostering innovation, promoting international cooperation, and advancing the development of modern public governance knowledge. In the coming years, the Forum will continue to expand in scale and scope, with the participation of more experts, scholars, and policymakers.

On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the embassies, international organizations, academic and research institutions, and to the close, responsible, and effective coordination of ministries, agencies, and local authorities for making this Forum a success. We look forward to your continued support, cooperation, and companionship in future editions of the Annual International Forum on Public Governance and in the upcoming international cooperation activities of APAG.

Once again, I wish all delegates, international guests, and comrades good health, happiness, and success. May the 2025 Annual International Forum on Public Governance be a great success—spreading the spirit of innovation, awakening the aspiration for sustainable national development, strengthening state governance capacity, and enhancing public service effectiveness toward a modern, integrity-based, and excellent public service.

Thank you very much!