Proper attention needed to develop Vietnamese culture in major national programme

Minister Hùng said the programme aims to draw in resources for the development of culture and arts, which have suffered many challenges and limitations when it was not placed in the same regard as socio-economic development.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on Wednesday listened to a report on the progress of drafting the National Target Programme on Cultural Development and Human Resource Development in Việt Nam from 2026 to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Deputy PM Hà stressed that cultural development and human resource development are the focal points highlighted at the 13th National Party Congress, as well as in resolutions, conclusions of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, and opinions of Party and State leaders.

Cultural development and human resource development are important, ongoing tasks that have been implemented through many programmes, projects, plans, and strategies for each specialised field, according to the Government official.

However, a comprehensive programme has not yet been formulated to calculate resources and set goals for each phase.

To truly give the appropriate level of attention to culture, Deputy PM Hà said the draft programme needs to be built on the basis of summarising "what has and has not been achieved" when implementing target programmes, strategies, and plans related to culture, and clearly identifying limitations, challenges, and emerging issues.

At the same time, the draft programme needs to seek input from administrators, scientists, and practitioners in culture and arts to determine priority issues in a transparent and open manner.

The programme also needs to address its relationship with other national target programmes in terms of coverage and integration of cultural programmes, plans, and strategies in each cultural sector to ensure no overlap.

The programme's output products can be cultural values and heritage (tangible and intangible); cultural environments, institutions, creative spaces, or mechanisms and policies, he said.

Regarding solutions, Deputy PM Hà said there is a need to build and perfect policies and regulations to fundamentally change the perception and management of sectors and levels in cultural development and human resource development, clearly defining the role of the State, society, and people, diversifying investment resources for the programme from public investment, and promoting digital transformation to serve management, promotion, and communication activities.

The Deputy PM also outlined several urgent and prioritised goals, such as protecting and preserving cultural heritage and values (tangible and intangible) that are in a state of decline, being seriously degraded, or may be lost altogether; as well as building a cultural environment that includes cultural products, activities, designs, landscapes, behaviours, and lifestyles in public places, offices, organisations, families, and schools; and developing creative and cultural industrial spaces.

"The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism must be the 'conductor' to build the outline and framework of the Programme," Deputy PM Hà suggested, while also requesting a scientific approach to the programme that is appropriate for each specialised cultural field.

Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng said the most essential part of the programme is the nine projects that include the development of Vietnamese people's characteristics and culture, promoting the development of literature and arts, the development of cultural industries, international integration, and others.

Minister Hùng said the programme aims to draw in resources for the development of culture and arts, which have suffered many challenges and limitations when it was not placed in the same regard as socio-economic development.

He also suggested a review of the budget that the National Assembly allocated for this programme because the cost, calculated based on other small-scale programmes, "would be mere drops in the ocean" and won't be able to enable impactful changes.