On January 30, the Political Bureau adopted Resolution 36-NQ/TW on biotechnology development and application to serve the country’s sustainable development in the new situation. Vietnam Law & Legal Forum magazine would like to introduce to readers the full text of this Resolution.
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| Pham Quang Thang, one of 12 typical young citizens of Ho Chi Minh City in 2022, is working inside a lab of the Hi-Tech Agriculture Research and Development Center__Photo: Thu Huong/VNA |
SITUATION
In furtherance of Directive 50-CT/TW of the Secretariat of the 9th Party Central Committee and Conclusion 06-KL/TW of the Secretariat of the 12th Party Central Committee on biotechnology development and application in service of national industrialization and modernization, authorities at all levels and sectors have, over the past years, realized more and more clearly the position, role and importance of biotechnology. Biotechnology in our country has seen rapid development with numerous important achievements; has been applied more and more widely in social life, creating breakthroughs in the fields of agriculture, processing industry, medicine and pharmacy, and environment. Biotechnology industry has been formed; not a few enterprises have invested in research, manufacturing and commercialization of biotechnology products in many fields on a large scale, thus contributing to boosting socio-economic development, environmental protection as well as national defense and security maintenance. The contingent of biotechnology researchers has increased both quantitatively and qualitatively.
However, biotechnology development has not yet been commensurate with potential; biotechnology capacity has not yet met the socio-economic development requirements in the context of vigorous science-technology development; a number of important fields of biotechnology lag behind the region and the world; biotechnology has not yet become an important techno-economic sector; the training and employment of human resources for the biotechnology field still see many limitations and shortcomings.
The above-mentioned limitations and weaknesses are attributed mainly to the inadequate perception of not a few Party Committees and administrations at different levels about the role, position and importance of biotechnology; inappropriate mechanisms and policies which are not attractive to mobilize social resources for biotechnology development and application; inadequate investment in biotechnology development and application, failing to meet the socio-economic development requirements; and the inefficient and loose association between scientists, research institutes and enterprises in biotechnology development and application.
VIEWPOINTS
Biotechnology development is a trend in the world and an important driver for accelerating the process of renovating the growth model, restructuring the economy, ensuring social welfare and national defense and security, and improving the people’s living standards.
Biotechnology development and application must fully tap and bring into the fullest play the potential and advantages of the country, every region and every locality; and the advantages of a country going behind. Efforts should be concentrated on investment in developing a number of key and fundamental fields, especially taking advantage of our country’s biodiversity.
To develop biotechnology into an important techno-economic sector is a priority solution in the socio-economic development, taking enterprises as subjects, and applying outstanding mechanisms and policies to create the most favorable conditions for all economic sectors, particularly the private economic sector, to invest in biotechnology development.
OBJECTIVES
General objectives
To focus on development, striving for the target that our country will have a developed biotechnology in the world and become a top smart biotechnology production and service center in Asia. To build the biotechnology industry into an important techno-economic sector, actively contributing to the national GDP.
Specific objectives
By 2030
Vietnam’s biotechnology will attain the world’s advanced level in a number of important fields, bringing the country into the top 10 Asian nations in terms of biotechnology smart production and services; and will be applied widely in various sectors and fields, contributing to fast and sustainable socio-economic development.
To build the biotechnology with high-quality human resources and strong material and financial foundations to meet the biotechnology research, development and application requirements.
Biotechnology industry will become an important techno-economic sector; biotechnology enterprises will increase by 50 percent their investment and growth scale, substituting at least half of imported biotechnology products, making contributions at 7 percent to GDP, and meeting essential social demands.
Vision toward 2045
Vietnam will have a developed biotechnology in the world, becoming a smart production and service center and a leading biotechnology startup and innovation hub in Asia. The biotechnology industry will contribute 10-15 percent to GDP.
TASKS AND SOLUTIONS
Reaching unanimous perception of biotechnology development and application in the new situation
The Party Committees, organizations, officials and members will study and thoroughly understand the Party’s line and guidelines as well as the State’s policies and laws on biotechnology development and application. To step up public communication and education activities with a view to raising the awareness of the entire political system, the people and enterprises about the importance of biotechnology development and application in service of socio-economic development, national defense and security maintenance, and improvement of people’s living standards.
Biotechnology development and application constitute one of the contents and tasks set forth in socio-economic development programs and plans of localities, sectors and fields.
The press system shall attach importance to publicizing biotechnology achievements; actively disseminate stories on typical collectives and individuals in biotechnology research, development and application; and promptly commend and honor enterprises, organizations and individuals with efficient activities.
Further formulating and finalizing laws, mechanism and policies on biotechnology development and application
To build and complete the system of laws, mechanisms and policies on biotechnology development and application; to attract enterprises, organizations and individuals to research, apply and manufacture biotechnology products; to ensure bio-safety.
To work out premium and appropriate policies for biotechnology development and application, manufacturing of biotechnology products of high value in agriculture, industry, medicine and pharmacy, and national defense and security; to promote biotechnology investment, research and application in areas facing socio-economic difficulties, and mountainous, border and island areas; to promote the export of biotechnology products; to train, discover and employ biotechnology human resources.
To formulate mechanisms to ensure the close association between organizations, individuals and enterprises in biotechnology research, development, transfer and application; to formulate and materialize key national science and technology programs on biotechnology research, development and application.
To complete the system of national standards and technical regulations on biotechnology products.
Focusing on development and efficient application of biotechnology in production and daily-life activities; developing biotechnology industry into an important techno-economic sector serving the national construction and defense
To attach importance to biotechnology research and application in agriculture, thereby creating new plant varieties and animal breeds adaptable to climate change, resistant to pests, and achieving high yield, quality and economic efficiency; vaccines and biologicals to prevent diseases for animals and crops, particularly emerging dangerous diseases, thus contributing to building a smart, safe and efficient agriculture, conserving and developing precious and rare genetic resources.
To develop, apply and modernize biotechnology in the processing of safe, efficient, high-value products from domestic raw materials.
To intensify the application of biotechnology in the health sector. To focus on research and manufacturing of medicines and vaccines, meeting medical examination and treatment as well as disease prevention and control demands; to research the stem-cell technology in pharmaceutical industry, gene technology, production of biological materials and drugs, and supplements of herbal origin.
To attach importance to biotechnology development and application in environmental protection; to minimize environmental degradation, restore the environment and improve environmental quality, conserve nature and biodiversity, and sustainably using natural resources, contributing to building a green economy and circular economy; to produce environmentally friendly biological fuels and materials, promoting the marine economy’s potential.
To concentrate on building the biotechnology industry into an important techno-economic sector to serve the national construction and defense. To early plan the development of biotechnology industry, bringing into full play regional advantages in order to produce key products serving socio-economic development; to connect enterprises in order to raise productivity and quality of their biotechnology products.
To support biotechnology enterprises in raising capacity to approach new technologies and intellectual property; to manufacture biotechnology products on an industrial scale; to build brands for and commercialize products; to efficiently tap and use high-value biotechnology inventions of the world and efficiently apply them in the biotechnology industry.
To proactively cope with the possible circumstances of bioterrorism and biological warfare; to treat toxic chemicals; to ensure biosecurity in research and production activities, and master technologies for manufacturing of particular biotechnology products to serve national defense and security, meeting the requirements of national defense in the new situation.
Building up human resources for biotechnology, and increasing investment in physical foundations to meet the biotechnology research, development and application requirements
To study the building of a model of training human resources for biotechnology from general education to graduate and post-graduate education. To intensify the association between enterprises, employers and human resource training institutions in the biotechnology field. To connect training with scientific research and practical demands, ensuring satisfaction of quantity and quality requirements of human resources.
To attach importance to building the contingent of top scientists, establish and develop prestigious research groups up to international level in biotechnology; to intensify international cooperation in training and export of highly qualified personnel in biotechnology.
To focus on investment in human resources with a view to raising the biotechnology development and application capacity, with state budget funds mainly allocated for raising research capacity to master the core technology, and develop biotechnology products in which Vietnam has strengths.
To further invest in the completion and early commissioning of national biotechnology centers in Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam regions; to modernize the system of biotechnology laboratories and assessment and inspection centers; to build a number of centers for disease control up to international standards, meeting the requirements of disease supervision, prevention and control.
To support and develop technology incubators, science-technology enterprise incubators, and biotechnology application enterprises. To support enterprises in raising their scientific-technological capacity, practicing innovation and modernizing technologies and equipment with a view to manufacturing technological products of international level; to raise the capacity of biotechnology research institutions in the field of national defense and security.
Intensifying international cooperation on biotechnology
To intensify international cooperation in the field of biotechnology, complying with biotechnology-related treaties to which Vietnam has acceded. To adopt policies on biotechnology purchase, transfer and exchange, paying attention to the research and transfer of new technologies and high-value technologies of the world into Vietnam; to cooperate with countries with developed biotechnology level in researching models of sustainable bio-economic development, resource management and socio-economic management.
ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION
Party Committees and organizations at all levels shall disseminate and thoroughly study this Resolution’s contents to cadres, Party members and people of all strata; and formulate action programs and plans to implement the Resolution.
The Party Committee of the National Assembly shall lead and direct the review, revision and improvement of laws; and enhance supervision of the biotechnology development and application activities.
The Government Caucus Committee will have to lead and direct the formulation of an action program to implement the Resolution; direct the formulation and finalization of policies related to biotechnology development and application; prioritize the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of this Resolution; and scrutinize, amend and supplement sub-law documents relevant to biotechnology development and application.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations will work out programs and plans on guiding, and mobilizing people to implement, this Resolution, bring into play the role of social criticism, participate in formulating laws, mechanisms and policies on biotechnology development and application.
The Party Central Committee’s Communication and Education Commission shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, organizing and guiding the implementation of this Resolution, and make reports on the implementation of this Resolution and send them to the Political Bureau.- (VNA/VLLF)
