Laws of Vietnam

Proceeding from the Law on Organization of the Government on the 30th of September, 1992;

To promote and renew the work on overseas Vietnamese;

At the proposals of the Chairman of the Central Commission for Vietnamese Residents Abroad and the Minister-Chairman of the Government Commission on Organization and Personnel,

Article 1.- To set up the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese in replacement of the Central Commission for Vietnamese Residents Abroad.

The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese is an agency attached to the Government which exercises the function of State management and guidance in affairs related to Vietnamese who have settled abroad.

Article 2.- The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has the following tasks and authority:

1. Studying and summing up the situation of the community of overseas Vietnamese and suggesting to the Government the line and policies towards this community.

2. Submitting to the Government draft laws and ordinances and other documents concerning overseas Vietnamese; issuing in accordance with its authority documents guiding the implementation of the Government's regulations; monitoring and inspecting the implementation of the documents already issued.

3. Cooperating with the public offices concerned to protect the legitimate rights of overseas Vietnamese on the basis of Vietnamese laws, the laws of the countries concerned, and international law; and empowered by the Government, negotiating and signing international treaties with the governments of those countries where Vietnamese have settled.

4. Working out policies and methods of encouraging overseas Vietnamese to raise their sense of community, unite with and help one another, promote their patriotic tradition, maintain the national character; creating favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to contribute to building the homeland and help their relatives in the country, and cooperate with mass organizations in mobilizing their relatives in the country.

5. Guiding and helping overseas Vietnamese in their contacts with the homeland; introducing to overseas Vietnamese the requirements for the econo-social development of the country and introducing to the people at home the potentials of overseas Vietnamese; together with State agencies, mass organizations, and economic and social organizations in the country, organizing cooperative relations in the fields of economy, science, technology, education and training, culture, etc., between overseas Vietnamese and the people at home.

6. Under its sponsorship and in cooperation with the agencies concerned to organize information and publicity aimed at meeting the overseas Vietnamese community's demand for keeping in touch with the situation at home, maintaining the national cultural character and learning the Vietnamese language, and at the same time, introducing to the people at home the cultural, scientific, technological and economic achievements of the Vietnamese community abroad.

7. Collaborating with the branches concerned in implementing the policy towards overseas Vietnamese.

8. Effecting international cooperation with other countries and international organizations in carrying out overseas Vietnamese work as stipulated by the Government.

9. Training cadres for the overseas Vietnamese work.

10. Managing and organizing the staff and personnel and the material facilities of the Committee in accordance with Government regulations.

Article 3.- The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese is directed by its Chairman who is assisted by a number of Vice-Chairman. The Chairman of the Committee is responsible before the Prime Minister for all the work assigned, and the Vice-Chairmen are responsible before the Chairman for the task assigned to each. The Chairman and Vice-Chairmen are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister.

Article 4.- The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese is composed of:

- The Office,

- The Departments for different areas,

- The Department of Information and Culture,

- The Department of Economic, Scientific and Technological Relations, and

- The Center of Information and Archives.

The Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese will specify the function, task and staff of each department of the Committee.

Article 5.- To set up the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese directly attached to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City in replacement of the Commission for Vietnamese Residents Abroad of Ho Chi Minh City. The establishment of Committees for Overseas Vietnamese in the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government is decided by the Prime Minister at the proposal of the Presidents of the People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, the Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, and with the approval of the Minister-Chairman of the Governmental Commission on Organization and Personnel. Where there is a large number of relatives of overseas Vietnamese and there is not yet a committee for overseas Vietnamese, a full-time official in charge of the overseas Vietnamese work would be set up at the Office of the People's Committee or at another office of the People's Committee of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government.

In foreign countries, the overseas Vietnamese work is undertaken by the Chief of Vietnam's diplomatic representation. In a number of vital areas, there will be full-time officials in charge of this work.

The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese is responsible for guiding the organizations in charge of the overseas Vietnamese work in various ministries, branches, provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and Vietnam's diplomatic representations in foreign countries in implementing the policy towards overseas Vietnamese as well as in carrying out their work.

Under its sponsorship, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese shall cooperate with various ministries, branches and mass organizations concerned in promulgating a statute that ensures cooperation of work and relations between them.

Article 6.- This Decree replaces Decree No. 3-CP on the 18th of January 1993 of the Government on the tasks, authority and organization of the Central Commission for Vietnamese Residents Abroad, and takes effect on the day of its issuance. All regulations made earlier which are contrary to this Decree are now annulled.

Article 7.- The Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, the ministers, the heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government, the presidents of the People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government are responsible for implementing this Decree.