President Ho Chi Minh's testament remains intact in value

“Absolutely confidential” will

According to information from the Central Propaganda Department, President Ho Chi Minh's Will was first hand-typed by himself on May 10, 1965, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. This Will was titled "Absolutely Secret", consisting of 3 pages and dated May 15, 1965, with the signatures of Uncle Ho and comrade Le Duan - First Secretary of the Party Central Committee. In 1968, President Ho Chi Minh added 6 hand-written pages to the 1965 Will, edited the opening paragraph, the "personal matters" section and added content about things to do after victory such as Party rectification, caring for families of martyrs, wounded soldiers, improving people's lives, exempting agricultural taxes, rebuilding the country, restoring and developing the economy and culture, strengthening national defense and preparing for national reunification.

On May 10, 1969, Uncle Ho rewrote the entire opening paragraph of the Will, including 1 handwritten page. From May 11 to 19, 1969, Uncle Ho continued to edit the Wills of 1965, 1968 and 1969. At 10:00 a.m. on May 19, 1969, on the occasion of his 79th birthday, Uncle Ho reread all the Wills, put them in an envelope and kept them. President Ho Chi Minh's Will was first announced in September 1969 at his funeral, including 4 pages printed in size 14.5cm x 22cm. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Party (term VI) announced all the written versions of his Will. The will expressed Uncle Ho's burning wish: "My whole life I have devoted myself to the Fatherland, to the revolution, to the People. Now, when I have to leave this world, I have no regrets, except that I cannot continue to serve longer and more."

Still intact value

President Ho Chi Minh's testament is not only his personal thoughts and feelings but also contains important instructions for the nation's revolutionary cause. He emphasized the importance of solidarity: "Our entire Party and people unite and strive to build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam." This is the solid foundation for the country's sustainable development.

In the current context, Vietnam has achieved many remarkable achievements. From a poor and backward country, Vietnam has now become one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. In 2023, GDP reached about 430 billion USD, becoming the 5th largest economy in ASEAN and 35th among the 40 largest economies in the world. Thanks to the implementation of the renovation policy, Vietnam's economy has grown continuously at an average rate of nearly 7% per year. The scale of GDP has been constantly expanded, and GDP per capita has increased to about 4,300 USD in 2023. Vietnam has escaped the group of low-income countries and is on track to become an upper middle-income country by 2030.

Vietnam, which used to face frequent food shortages, has now not only achieved food security but also become one of the world's leading exporters of rice and many other agricultural products. Industry and services have grown rapidly, now accounting for about 88% of GDP.

Nearly 80% of Vietnam's population is using the Internet, putting the country among the countries with the highest rate of information technology development in the world. The United Nations has recognized Vietnam as one of the pioneers in implementing the Millennium Development Goals. Vietnam completed the eradication of illiteracy and universal primary education in 2000, as well as universal lower secondary education in 2014. The number of university and college students has increased nearly 20 times in the past 40 years, with nearly 99% of adults being literate. The rate of compulsory and voluntary health insurance now reaches 93.35% (compared to only 5.4% in 1993). Preventive health measures, disease prevention and support for disadvantaged groups have also been strengthened.

In the first months of 2024, the socio-economic situation continued to have positive changes, with many more positive results than the same period in 2023. FDI reached 6.28 billion USD, up 7.4%, the highest level in the past 5 years. The tourism industry is recovering strongly. Foreign affairs and international integration activities are also being implemented synchronously and comprehensively, creating impressive highlights.

In addition, the Testament also mentioned the Party's responsibility in caring for the people's lives, especially the families of martyrs and wounded soldiers. Uncle Ho affirmed: "Caring for the lives of all classes of people" is one of the top tasks after the country's reunification and the Human Development Index (HDI) has increased sharply in recent years.

In 2022, Vietnam's HDI index reached 0.737, placing it among the countries with high HDI in the world, especially compared to more developed countries. Vietnam's happiness index in 2023 was ranked 65/137 countries in the rankings. Vietnam's human development index increased 8 places, ranking 107/193, while the happiness index increased 11 places, ranking 54/143.

In addition, Vietnam has also achieved many successes in social fields. Education, health care, and human development have made great strides. This not only reflects economic development but also the continuous efforts of the Party and State in improving the quality of life of the people.

President Ho Chi Minh's Testament is a valuable historical document, containing the quintessence of morality and noble soul, along with the core contents of Ho Chi Minh's thought, indicating the development direction for the Vietnamese revolution at present and in the future. After 55 years of implementing the Testament (1969-2024), the lessons still retain their value and continue to be promoted in the new revolutionary period. This includes lessons on the Party's optimism and revolutionary mettle; lessons on solidarity and unity within the Party; lessons on practicing democracy widely and regularly, along with criticism and self-criticism; lessons on paying close attention to the younger generation, who will inherit the country's future; lessons on caring for and improving the people's lives; and lessons on the spirit of dedication to revolutionary ideals.

President Ho Chi Minh's testament has instilled in our entire Party, people and army the iron determination, strong belief and great strength of the Vietnamese nation. His teachings have always been a source of inspiration for the next generations: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom", which has always been the driving force for us in the work of building, protecting and developing the Fatherland.