The GIMP should offer Vector Layers - as the application stands today, that 
would be a vector (or a collection of vectors), associated with stroke and filling 
preferences, that would be automatically updated when the vector(s) changes. 
 
It's behavior on the UI would be the same as the existing text layers. 
 
Drawing on it could be made with the current bezier tool, that would have an 
option of displaying the vector outline and nodes (as it works today), or just 
displaying the rendered vector. 
 
There must be a decision on wether to keep "independent"  vectors as they are 
today. I believe so, and in their context menu, there could be an option for 
them to be copied into a new or pre-existing vector layer. 
 
Once this is working, it will be also easier to implement a shapes tool, with a 
modification of the current bezier tool, and thus resolve bug 65197.