Vietnam - National Digital Transformation (57-NQ/TW)

Overview

Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, adopted by the Politburo and signed on 22 December 2024, declares science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation as the top strategic breakthrough for Vietnam. The Resolution frames these themes as the primary drivers to achieve long-term national socio‑economic objectives, establishes quantified national targets for 2030 and a vision to 2045, mandates rapid institutional and policy reform, requires allocation and mobilization of public and non‑public resources, and directs the Government to produce and implement an Action Program to operationalize the Politburo's directions. Following issuance of the Resolution, the Government issued an Action Program (Nghị quyết 03/NQ-CP) on 09 January 2025 to operationalize near‑term steps and assign responsibilities to ministries and localities.

Definitions

The Resolution defines its core policy fields to include science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. Digital transformation is described to encompass digital infrastructure, the data economy and strategic digital technologies. Strategic and core technologies specifically referenced include: artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data, blockchain, semiconductors, quantum technologies and mobile communications. The Resolution frames data as a production factor and emphasizes progressive mastery of strategic technologies over time. Where the Resolution uses terms such as “breakthrough solutions”, “priority tasks”, “institutional reforms” and “strategic technologies”, these are to be read in the context of the above definitions and the accompanying implementing documents produced by the Government and ministries.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The Resolution mandates creation of an overarching governance architecture to steer and oversee implementation across Party and State bodies, public sector entities, local governments and other stakeholders. Key institutional measures include:

• Establishment of a Central Steering Committee on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, to be chaired by the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee, tasked with high‑level direction and coordination across the Party and State apparatus.
• Creation of a National Advisory Council composed of domestic and foreign experts to provide technical advice, international perspectives and strategic recommendations on priorities and implementation approaches.
• Assignment of explicit roles to the Party’s central offices, the Party’s Economic Commission, the Government, ministries, provincial/municipal People’s Committees, state agencies, public institutions and state‑owned enterprises for planning, resource allocation, legislation review and implementation monitoring.
• Direction that central ministries and provincial/municipal authorities integrate the Resolution’s tasks into their annual plans and performance evaluation systems; heads of agencies are to assume direct responsibility for integrating tasks and reporting progress.

These governance measures are supplemented by implementing instruments issued by the Government (for example, Nghị quyết 03/NQ-CP dated 09 January 2025) that operationalize responsibilities, timelines and inter‑agency coordination mechanisms.

Key Focus Areas

• Strategic technologies: Priority development and progressive mastery of AI, IoT, cloud computing, big data, blockchain, semiconductors, quantum technologies and advanced mobile communications.
• Digital infrastructure: Expansion and modernization of nationwide digital infrastructure to support public services, enterprise digitalization, research and development, and resilient networks.
• Data economy: Recognition of data as an economic production factor, facilitation of data sharing frameworks, data governance, data marketplaces and responsible use of data for innovation.
• Human resources and talent: Strengthening STEM education, research capacity, talent attraction and retention policies, and upskilling of the workforce for digital industries and research activities.
• Legal and institutional reform: Comprehensive review and reform of legal frameworks (public investment, procurement, budget management, intellectual property, taxation, state asset management, data protection and cybersecurity) to remove institutional bottlenecks and enable innovation.
• Finance and resource mobilization: Increasing R&D expenditure, mobilizing public and private financing (including incentives), and granting greater autonomy in the use of research funds to accelerate innovation.
• State governance and public services: Digitalization of public administration and public service delivery, use of technology to improve state capacity and citizen access to services.
• Security and trust: Strengthening cybersecurity, data protection, and legal compliance to ensure trustworthy digital transformation and national security considerations are met.
• International cooperation: Active engagement with international partners for technology cooperation, standards alignment, investment and joint research.

Implementation Framework

The Resolution is directive and strategic; it requires the Government to prepare and implement a detailed Action Program that translates Politburo directions into concrete tasks, responsibilities, timelines and resource allocations. The Government’s Action Program (Nghị quyết 03/NQ-CP, 09 January 2025) operationalizes near‑term steps and assigns responsibilities to ministries, agencies and localities. The implementation framework includes:

• Integration of Resolution tasks into annual and multi‑year plans of Party bodies, the National Assembly entities, the Government, ministries and provincial/municipal People’s Committees.
• Legal and institutional reform tasks to amend or create enforceable law and regulations (public investment, procurement, budget, intellectual property, taxation, state asset management, data protection, cybersecurity and other sectoral regulations).
• Resource mobilization plans to increase R&D spending and leverage public and private finance, state investment and incentives for enterprise innovation.
• Administrative simplification measures to streamline procedures, grant greater autonomy in research fund use, and accelerate licensing and investment processes for priority technology sectors.
• Assignment of clear leadership and accountability: heads of ministries and localities are required to incorporate targets into performance evaluations and report on progress according to the central monitoring schedule.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Resolution establishes regular monitoring and reporting requirements to track progress, enable corrective action and ensure accountability. Primary monitoring arrangements include periodic central and provincial monitoring, six‑monthly reporting cycles and oversight by Party and State supervisory bodies. Specific features are:

• Six‑monthly reporting by ministries, agencies and provincial authorities to central Party and Government offices to update progress on assigned tasks and milestones.
• Centralized monitoring mechanisms under the Central Steering Committee and the Government to review implementation, identify bottlenecks and recommend corrective measures.
• Use of performance indicators and quantified national targets (short‑term, medium‑term and long‑term) to measure progress — including R&D spending levels, digital economy share of GDP and infrastructure targets described in the Resolution.
• Periodic review and adjustment of the Action Program and implementing documents to address emerging issues, technological developments and international changes.

These monitoring arrangements are complemented by enhanced inspection and supervision tasks assigned to Party oversight bodies and state inspection authorities to ensure implementation integrity and responsiveness.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

The Resolution is primarily strategic and directive in nature and does not create a new bespoke penalty regime. Instead, it requires periodic supervision, reporting and enhanced inspection; where violations of applicable law occur, administrative or legal penalties are to be applied under existing legal frameworks. Implementing documents and subsequent regulations specify enforcement mechanisms and corrective measures. Key points:

• Enforcement actions for non‑compliance are to be pursued under existing laws and administrative regulations (e.g., public administration law, inspection and oversight statutes, and sectoral legal provisions).
• Heads of agencies and localities bear direct responsibility for implementation and may face administrative or managerial accountability under established Party and State disciplinary frameworks for failure to discharge assigned duties.
• Specific procedures for appeals, review and dispute resolution concerning administrative penalties or enforcement measures remain governed by the current legal framework; the Resolution instructs relevant authorities to ensure implementing documents clarify enforcement processes.

Relationship to Other Instruments

The Resolution requires coordination with existing and forthcoming legal instruments and mandates accelerated legislative review and enactment where necessary so institutional changes can be supported by law and executive measures. It explicitly references the need to align and coordinate with:

• Budget law and public investment law to ensure financing and investment mechanisms support R&D and digital infrastructure.
• Public procurement law and procurement procedures to enable procurement practices that facilitate innovation, experimentation and technology procurement.
• Intellectual property law and related regulations to protect innovation, incentivize research and ensure technology transfer mechanisms.
• Taxation, state asset management and other fiscal instruments to provide incentives and ensure efficient use of state resources.
• Data protection, cybersecurity and sectoral regulations to ensure secure, lawful and trustworthy digital transformation.

The Resolution also foresees linkage to subsequent Government resolutions, sectoral action plans and provincial implementation plans to ensure coherence across instruments and levels of government.

International Alignment

The Resolution emphasizes international cooperation and alignment with global practices to attract investment, access advanced knowledge and participate in international research and standards bodies. It calls for:

• Strengthening international collaboration on R&D, cross‑border investment in strategic technologies, and participation in multilateral and bilateral initiatives related to digital economy and technology governance.
• Alignment of national standards and regulatory approaches with international norms where appropriate, to facilitate trade, interoperability and technology transfer.
• Engagement of foreign experts via the National Advisory Council and bilateral/multilateral partnerships to accelerate knowledge transfer and benchmark Vietnam’s progress against global innovation indicators.

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References