Political, economic, and sociocultural measures adopted each year bring Brunei Darussalam closer to the long-term goal embodied in the Wawasan (Vision) 2035: to turn Brunei into a developed country, one that is well regarded internationally. Brunei is at the mid-point of its first five-year development plan (2007–12) under the Wawasan. It continues to implement policies to reach its targets for education and human resource development, economic and business development, institutional and infrastructure development, and environmental protection and national security. Two issue areas that will continue to be in focus during the next two to three years will be food security, especially through an effort to increase rice production, and energy security, including conservation of existing supplies and the search for new sources of energy.

Domestically, there are no major concerns in governance or administration. Brunei's head of state and of government, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, has ensured that the appointees in place at the head of the various state institutions will work toward fulfilling expected responsibilities. The Sultan himself also heads the Ministries of Defence and Finance, and holds the top positions in the armed forces and police. Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, the second most important person in the political hierarchy and future head of state and government, is now well established in his roles as Senior Minister, a general in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and as Deputy Inspector General of Police.

The Council of Cabinet ranks as another important state institution. A reshuffle of the ministers took place in June 2010; the new members will serve for the next five years. There will be no major policy shift, as the majority in the cabinet constitute familiar faces.