Hanoi (VNA) – The fifth World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) is scheduled to take place in Hanoi this December, aiming to turn the global Vietnamese network into a more connected, contribution-ready resource for the country’s next development phase.
On the occasion, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has penned an article to push a policy reset: less outreach and gathering, more partnership and institutional building. The goal is to move the OV community from being a policy beneficiary to a substantive participant in national construction and development.
A 6.5 million-strong OV community still tied to home
Hang wrote that OVs are not scattered fragments abroad. Wherever they live, they remain an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community and one of its resources.
The OV community has scaled up in both size and quality. Its ranks of intellectuals, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs and highly skilled workers are growing, with many holding firm professional standing in their host societies and plugging into global sci-tech and business networks. They also send home capital, knowledge, charitable support and cultural commitment, while preserving the Vietnamese language and acting as friendship bridges between Vietnam and the world. That flow matters for national construction, defence and development.
Their circumstances differ, but the common thread is patriotism, national pride and the ambition to see Vietnam become more prosperous and happy. The Vietnamese Party and State treat that potential and commitment as an invaluable asset to activate more strongly in the new development period.
Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW signals policy shift
In the article, the deputy minister said more than 6.5 million OVs represent knowledge, experience, economic capacity and valuable international networks.
The Politburo’s Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW, dated August 2, 2026, marks a strategic shift from rallying and caring for OVs to partnering with them, building mechanisms and pooling their resources. The OV is no longer just a beneficiary of policies, but a participant, a partner and a strategic national asset.
Execution now depends on better policies, administrative reform, digitalisation and a more favourable environment for long-term cooperation and investment. But the harder task is designing connection mechanisms that convert OV potential into measurable results. Ministries, localities, research institutes and companies must define their needs and issue concrete cooperation briefs so the right experts, resources and sectors are matched, according to Hang.
The OV database and resource map are meant to accelerate that matching, especially in science – technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, innovation, digital transformation, green transition and quality manpower development. Meanwhile, methods of contribution should also be flexible, creating opportunities for OV experts, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs to engage in policy consulting, research, teaching, technology transfer, human resources training and investment networking, including through remote participation.
The long-term goal is a sustainable ecosystem linking the OV community to domestic agencies, localities, companies and research institutes, he noted, adding that Resolution 23-NQ/TW’s partnership, institution-building and resource mobilisation agenda is supposed to facilitate practical networks, initiatives and projects that add to national comprehensive strength.
The fifth conference as a policy platform
With Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW already defining the OV community as an important strategic resource, Hang said the fifth conference is meant to turn the policy into practice, widen the space for OV contributions and tighten the bond among Vietnamese at home and abroad.
Building on four previous conferences, this edition is positioned for deep-dive discussions and direct matchmaking between OVs and domestic ministries, localities, research institutes and businesses. The target is substantive OV involvement in national goals, especially those critical to Vietnam's future such as science – technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, quality workforce, investment and international market expansion.
The durability test comes after the event. Organisers want long-term mechanisms so contacts, ideas and cooperation proposals do not die when the conference ends. Expected outputs include networks of OV experts, intellectuals and entrepreneurs; lists of initiatives and cooperation projects with domestic partners; policy recommendations, and clear coordination focal points. Done right, that would form a global OV ecosystem and convert wisdom, experience, capital and international relationships into results for national development.
Success will be judged on deliverables and follow-through: a common action plan, policy recommendations, connection networks, a feasible project pipeline and a post-conference coordination and monitoring mechanism. The political payoff is trust and motivation, making each OV see a clearer role, opportunity and pathway to contribute to the homeland, the deputy minister added./.
