Nguyen Duy Ngoc: Officials Must Ask, ‘If It Is Within Your Authority, Why Have You Not Acted?’

Nguyen Duy Ngoc, head of Vietnam’s Central Organization Commission, delivered a blunt message to officials at a national conference on September 3: responsibility cannot be avoided simply because a decision carries risk.

The conference, organized by the Politburo and the Secretariat, focused on studying and implementing several party resolutions and directives. Ngoc presented the main points of Politburo Resolution 24, which calls for officials and party members to lead by example, embrace innovation, act decisively and accept responsibility for the common interest.

He said leadership means more than understanding an issue ahead of others or avoiding violations. It means taking on difficult assignments, making decisions within one’s authority and accepting responsibility for both the decision and its results. The resolution identifies these actions as concrete expressions of leadership and exemplary conduct, especially for managers and those in charge.

Ngoc said the resolution openly identifies a pattern of officials working cautiously, fearing mistakes, passing responsibility to others and avoiding difficult tasks. In some places, he said, officials blame shortcomings in the law as a reason not to decide.

The answer, he argued, is not to demand that every official produce a major initiative or breakthrough plan. But passivity and stagnation cannot be accepted. "Matters within your authority must be decided; matters within your responsibility must be handled; difficulties must be addressed proactively; matters beyond your authority must be reported with a proposed solution," he said.

Resolution 24, Ngoc said, moves beyond protecting officials after risks occur. It seeks to create conditions for them to act responsibly from the outset, rather than creating a safe zone where officials can avoid accountability.

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Matters within your authority must be decided; matters within your responsibility must be handled; difficulties must be addressed proactively; matters beyond your authority must be reported with a proposed solution.