Attending the event were Tong Thi Phong, former Politburo member, former Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly, and former Secretary of the Son La provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Huu Dong, member of the Party Central Committee, deputy head of its Commission for Internal Affairs and former Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Nong Thi Ha, Deputy Minister, Vice Chairwoman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Affairs; Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Lo Minh Hung, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; and Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee.

The congress also saw the presence of 246 delegates representing the 11 ethnic minority groups residing in the province; and representatives from the Boards for Ethnic Affairs of Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces.

Currently, Son La has a population of over 1.3 million, belonging to 12 ethnic groups of them over 83% ethnic minorities, namely Thai, Mong, Muong, Dao, Kho Mu, Xinh Mun, Khang, Lao, La Ha, Tay and Hoa. After the 5-year implementation of the Resolution of the third Congress adopted in 2019, the ethnic minority areas have achieved important results. Programmes and projects in various fields have been implemented in these areas, proving effective.

As of October, the province had supported over 404 billion VND (15.9 million) to do away with 8,657 temporary houses for ethnic minority households, with 10 out of the 12 districts and city completing the replacement of makeshift houses. Particularly, the National Target Programme for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas has invested in the construction of 269 traffic works, 94 centralised water works, 115 educational works, two commune headquarters, two commune health stations; and repaired 203 cultural houses and 51 irrigation works since 2022. The province has three districts recognised as getting rid of poverty, and the poverty rate has decreased from 21.6% in 2019 to 11.1% in 2024.

In her speech at the Congress, Deputy Minister Ha congratulated the achievements gained by the Party Committee, authorities and people of all ethnic groups in Son La province over the past time. She requested local Party committees, Party organisations and authorities to continue paying attention to fundamentally solving urgent problems in practice, creating livelihoods, improving people's income and living conditions, and effectively implementing three national target programmes, especially the National Target Programme for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period of 2021-2030.

On behalf of the provincial leaders, Khanh asked local ethnic minorities to continue promoting the tradition of great solidarity among ethnic groups, and maintaining their faith in the Party and the State. Local Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations were required to encourage ethnic minorities to well implement the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws; and proactively fight against the plots and activities of hostile forces to incite others and divide the great national unity bloc.

On this occasion, the Minister and Chairman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Affairs awarded the certificates of merit to one collective and five individuals; and the insignia "For the development cause of ethnic groups" to one individual. The Chairman of the provincial People's Committee presented the certificates of merit to nine collectives and 42 individuals with outstanding achievements in ethnic work in the 2019-2024 period.

The Congress also launched an emulation movement on ethnic work and great national unity in the 2024-2029 period and approved the Resolution of the Congress.