She was speaking at a conference to examine a joint mass mobilisation programme conducted in 2011-2015 and outline the programme tasks in 2016-2020 between the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation and the Party delegation to the Committee for Ethnic Affairs in Hanoi on August 17.

In the coming time, mechanisms and policies should be made to fit the reality of socio-economic and cultural life in areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups, especially the northwest, the Central Highlands, and the Southwest, Mai said.

Education, human resources training, and the development of a contingent of competent ethnic officials should be prioritised, she told participants.

The implementation of the Party and State guidelines and policies pertaining to ethnic affairs at all levels should be inspected constantly to fight against any racial discrimination that may arise, and strictly deal with activities targeted to undermine the national unity bloc, the official stressed.

Over the past five years, the two units have worked closely in developing policies together with implementation measures for ethnic minority groups and encouraging people to realise the Party and State guidelines and policies in the field to create a consensus in society.

They have consulted relevant agencies in the training of key officials and intellectuals, who come from ethnic minority groups, promptly joined hands in handling problems emerging in ethnic minority-inhabited areas, and increased the exchange of information relating to mass mobilisation and ethnic and religious affairs at localities, among others.

The government’s progammes and projects have worked to spur socio-economic development, reduce poverty, improve the living conditions, maintain political security and social order, and strengthen the national unity bloc in ethnic minority-inhabited areas, thus solidifying ethnic groups' trust in the Party and State.

Localities have coordinated in executing the Party and State guidelines and policies on socio-economic development, contributing to reinforcing the political system, translating Party resolutions into life, developing rural mountainous areas positively, and reaffirming the Party’s guidelines on the nation’s comprehensive reform.