Decision No. 03/1998/QĐ-TTg on the issuance of the plan to implement legal awareness and education activities from 1998 to 2002 and the establishment of the Coordination Council for Legal Awareness and Education Work.

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the issuance of the Plan to implement legal awareness and education activities from 1998 to 2002 and the establishment of the Steering Committee for Legal Awareness and Education Activities

 and the establishment of the Steering Committee for Legal Awareness and Education Activities

coordinating legal awareness and education activities

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

To promote legal awareness and education activities;

At the proposal of the Minister of Justice,

DECISION:

Article 1. Issuance of the Plan to implement legal awareness and education activities during the period from 1998 to 2002.

Article 2. Establishment of the Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities, chaired by the Minister of Justice, consisting of the following members:

1. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

2. Deputy Director of the Government Office

3. Deputy Minister of Education and Training

4. Deputy Minister of National Defense

5. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs

6. Deputy Head of the Organization and Cadre Department of the Government

7. Deputy Director of the Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas Commission

9. Deputy Director of the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Commission

10. General Director of Vietnam Television

11. General Director of Voice of Vietnam Radio

12. General Director of Vietnam News Agency.

Invite representatives from the Central Internal Affairs Commission, the Central Propaganda and Ideology Commission, the Central Science and Technology Commission, the People's Newspaper, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the National Assembly Office, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Communist Youth Central Committee, the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee, the Vietnam Farmers' Union Central Committee, and the Vietnam Bar Association to participate in the Steering Committee.

The Ministry of Justice is the permanent body of the Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities.

Article 3. The Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities shall have the following tasks:

1. Proposing quarterly and annual coordination plans for legal awareness and education for sectors and levels to implement based on the Plan to implement legal awareness and education activities issued with this Decision;

2. Regularly hearing reports and continuously supervising and urging levels and sectors to implement legal awareness and education plans in their assigned fields;

3. Cooperating to build a force of legal educators from various sectors, mobilizing funds from sources outside the legal awareness and education budget allocated from the state budget to support legal awareness and education activities;

4. Cooperating to organize the dissemination of important legal documents according to the Prime Minister's decision;

5. Regularly summarizing and concluding, and reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation of legal awareness and education activities nationwide and proposing measures to enhance such activities.

Article 4. Based on the composition and tasks of the Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities stipulated in this Decision, the Chairperson of the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-administered cities decides to establish the Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities at the provincial level to promote legal awareness and education activities in accordance with the Plan to implement legal awareness and education activities issued with this Decision.

Article 5. Based on the Plan to implement legal awareness and education activities issued with this Decision and the quarterly and annual plans of the Steering Committee for Coordinating Legal Awareness and Education Activities at the central level, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall develop their own quarterly and annual plans for legal awareness and education activities.

Article 6. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of signature.

The Ministry of Justice shall be responsible for guiding the implementation of this Decision.

Article 7. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of provincial people's committees under the central government, and members of the Steering Committee for Popularizing and Promoting Legal Education are responsible for implementing this Decision.

PLAN

Implementation of legal education and popularization activities from 1998 to 2002
(Attached to Decision No. 03/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 7, 1998 of the Government Prime Minister)

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A- OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLAN TO IMPLEMENT LEGAL EDUCATION AND POPULARIZATION ACTIVITIES:

I. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN ARE:

1. To disseminate basic knowledge about laws to those subject to the law; to publicize legal provisions related to various fields affecting the lives of different social strata; to implement a regular legal education program in schools.

2. To enhance the awareness of law compliance among cadres and the people, contributing to strengthening order and discipline, effectively preventing law violations; to raise the legal literacy and legal culture.

3. To establish an effective mechanism for coordinating legal education and popularization activities, promoting the responsibility of various sectors and levels, mobilizing the comprehensive strength of the political system and the whole society to institutionalize and make legal education and popularization activities regular and effective.

4. To社会化普及法律教育工作；发挥政治和社会组织、社会组织、行业组织、经济组织、基层社区、家庭和每个公民在开展法律宣传教育活动中的主动性、创新性和共同责任。

II. THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLAN TO IMPLEMENT LEGAL EDUCATION AND POPULARIZATION ACTIVITIES:

1. Focus on propaganda on urgent and current issues according to each topic suitable for each target group to serve the political, economic, and social requirements and tasks in each period, each sector, and each locality, primarily disseminating normative legal documents, while studying and surveying practical situations to develop measures to address fundamental and long-term issues such as overall and long-term plans, guiding the construction and organization of the team for legal education and popularization work, and providing legal advice.

2. Regularly, continuously, and widely disseminate legal education to all target groups, prioritizing cadres, civil servants, students, and citizens in urban and rural areas, mountainous regions.

3. The contents, forms, and methods of legal education and popularization must be specific, appropriate for each target group, feasible, and ensure effectiveness within a certain period.

4. Link legal education and popularization with the implementation and promotion of the effectiveness of laws in life. Combine legal education with political ideology education, moral education, traditional cultural education, focusing on directing the implementation of laws in key regions and areas.

B. CONTENTS, MEASURES, SCHEDULE, AND ASSIGNMENT FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN TO IMPLEMENT LEGAL EDUCATION AND POPULARIZATION ACTIVITIES

I. LEGAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CADRES AND CIVIL SERVANTS

1. Legal education and training work must help cadres and civil servants

a) Master the basic theories about state and law in general and knowledge about administrative law in particular; basic knowledge about economic law.

b) Systematically grasp and update legal documents related to management and professional activities according to their official positions; understand information about the implementation of laws.

c) Enhance the ability to apply and enforce laws in their positions and duties, build confidence in the rule of law, conscientiously and voluntarily enforce laws, comply with procedures for issuing normative legal documents and applying laws, have a firm spirit to uphold national discipline, protect the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of citizens generally, and resolve complaints and petitions specifically.

2. The content of legal education and training must be suitable for each target group

a) For administrative cadres and civil servants and grassroots administrative officials, it is necessary to disseminate administrative law, the tasks and powers of state management agencies, civil service systems, complaint and petition resolution procedures, and the relationship between state agencies and political organizations and political-social organizations.

b) For cadres and civil servants in economic management departments, they also need to be informed about economic management laws, commercial and civil laws, international treaties on economic cooperation between Vietnam and other countries, especially ASEAN countries, and international and regional organizations that Vietnam participates in.

c) For cadres and civil servants in legal protection agencies, they also need to be informed about laws ensuring citizens' freedoms and democratic rights, procedural laws, inspection and audit procedures; closely combine with organizing and enforcing laws, applying laws, resolving citizens' complaints and petitions, and conducting inspections, investigations, trials, and enforcement of judgments.

3. Measures, assignment of responsibilities, and schedule for implementation

a) Specialized legal knowledge training with short duration:

- Priority targets: civil servants who frequently interact and handle citizens' affairs; economic management civil servants; grassroots administrative officials.

- Implementing agency: the Government Personnel Department leads, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, the National Academy of Public Administration, relevant ministries, and provincial people's committees.

- Schedule for implementation:

- In 1998 - Prioritize implementation for grassroots officials.

- From 1999 onwards - Implement for other target groups.

b) Effectively utilize the system of updated normative legal documents stored on the wide-area computer network of the Government.

- Implementing agency: the Government Office leads, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, directing the offices of ministries, provincial people's committees, and provincial Departments of Justice to implement.

- Schedule for implementation:

- In 1998 - Implement in ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and provincial people's committees.

- From 1999 onwards - Gradually expand to district and commune levels.

c) Establish and operate legal bookcases effectively in agencies and units:

- Priority objects: Economic management agencies, grassroots administrative authorities.

- Implementing agency: Each agency and unit shall proactively implement according to the guidance of the Ministry of Justice.

- Implementation timeline: From 1998 - All agencies and units shall simultaneously implement and gradually supplement.

d) Continue incorporating legal content into recruitment examinations, rank promotions, grade transfers, and civil servant appointments:

- Priority objects: Specialists, senior specialists.

- Implementing agency: The Government's Personnel Organization Board shall take the lead in coordinating with the National Academy of Public Administration and the Ministry of Justice.

- Schedule for implementation:

- In 1998 - Organize general legal knowledge checks, compile guiding materials on specialized legal subjects.

- From 1999 onwards - Organize exams with legal content tailored to each type of object.

đ) Compile self-study materials on law according to the content of legal popularization and education suitable for each object.

- Priority objects: Mid-level and senior officials.

- Implementing agency: The National Academy of Public Administration shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Justice and the Government's Personnel Organization Board.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Compile materials.

. From 1999 onwards - Widespread distribution.

e) Develop standard training programs to educate and enhance legal knowledge for cadres and civil servants at the National Academy of Public Administration, provincial political schools:

- Priority objects: Specialists and senior specialists.

- Implementing agency: The National Academy of Public Administration shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Justice and the Government's Personnel Organization Board.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Develop programs.

. From 1999 onwards - Compile textbooks, conduct pilot teaching and integrate into regular teaching.

II. LEGAL EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

1. Legal education content should be determined according to each student and college student category

a) For elementary school students (grades 1-5), initially conduct research and surveys to develop appropriate legal content for elementary education, closely linked to moral education; popularize basic legal knowledge related to daily life, study, family norms, street behavior, school environment...

b) For lower secondary school students (grades 6-9), continue to popularize existing general legal knowledge in the curriculum. Conduct research and surveys to modify and supplement content to suit age groups and current laws.

c) For upper secondary school students (grades 10-12), continue to popularize basic and practical legal knowledge currently in the curriculum. Prepare for research and surveys to modify and supplement content, focusing on providing fundamental legal knowledge about the state and law, citizens' rights and obligations, key legal relations in essential areas such as civil, criminal, labor, economic, marriage and family law, while linking to current legal issues like crime prevention, social evils, environmental protection...

d) For vocational high school and technical school students, continue researching and supplementing programs to suit their needs, focusing on systematically providing general legal knowledge beyond the current secondary school curriculum, relevant to their specialized fields and professions, enabling them to apply it in real life.

e) For university and college students, in addition to the current general curriculum, the compilation and supplementation of textbooks will depend on the content requirements of each institution or group of institutions. This includes basic theoretical components on the state, general principles of law, and the relationship between the state and law. Specialized legal components delve into the basic concepts, subjects, and methods of regulation of certain branches of law, laying the groundwork for in-depth study and application in related professional legal fields.

2. Measures, responsibility allocation, and implementation timeline

a) Develop and implement legal education programs

- In 1998:

- Survey, research, and develop integrated legal content programs within the ethics subject to popularize legal education for elementary school students.

- Continue implementing existing legal programs embedded in the citizenship education subject (grades 8, 9, 12); research and develop plans to modify current programs, adding legal education programs for grades 6, 7, 10, 11 through embedding legal content within the citizenship education subject.

- Continue implementing existing legal courses for vocational high school and technical school students.

- From 1999 onwards:

- Survey and research the implementation of the "general law" course in non-law universities and colleges.

- Survey and research to develop specialized legal courses for students in humanities and teacher training universities to enable them to teach law in universities upon graduation.

- Research and develop plans to incorporate legal dissemination, education, and promotion courses into the training programs of law universities and faculties, supplementing the teaching staff for vocational high schools and technical schools, and equipping future lawyers with legal dissemination and education knowledge.

- Pilot and gradually implement comprehensive final exams in citizenship education at the secondary level and law courses in vocational high schools and technical schools.

- Pilot and eventually fully implement standardized legal education programs for all educational levels.

- Research and develop a unified general law course program for all universities and colleges (non-specialized).

- Research and develop specialized legal education programs in vocational high schools and technical schools, universities, and colleges.

b) Develop and strengthen the teaching staff

- In 1998:

- Conduct surveys and basic investigations on the current status of teachers teaching civics and law subjects in general secondary schools, vocational high schools, universities, and colleges.

- Develop and implement in-service training plans; organize specialized legal training sessions and issue certificates for teachers currently teaching law and ethics at primary school levels.

- Establish reward systems and policies to encourage teachers to remain committed to teaching legal education. Implement preferential regulations for law teachers in remote, mountainous areas, and ethnic minority regions.

- From 1999 onwards:

- Gradually standardize the team of law teachers in general secondary schools, vocational high schools, universities, and colleges.

- Organize competitions for excellent law and civics teachers, and moral education teachers at both regional and national levels.

c) Provide complete textbooks and reference materials for teachers and students.

- In 1998:

- Study the establishment of a cross-sectoral Judicial-Education Training Council to compile legal education textbooks.

- Organize the revision of the current civics and legal education textbook series.

- Develop a standardized framework for legal education textbooks.

- Pilot the compilation of some reference books.

- From 1999 onwards:

- Compile standardized legal education textbooks.

- Continuously improve the content of textbooks and reference materials for teaching and learning law.

d) Extracurricular legal education activities

- In 1998:

- Pilot socialized legal education programs through cultural, artistic, traditional group activities in student and youth clubs.

- Organize legal knowledge quizzes at school, class, and community levels.

- Present special topics on law to enhance awareness of law compliance and prevent law violations among students and young people.

- From 1999 onwards:

- Institutionalize extracurricular legal education activities.

- Organize campaigns to maintain public security and order, and protect the law through Youth League and Team activities.

3. Implementing agencies: The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Justice.

III. SPREADING AND EDUCATING THE LAW TO DIFFERENT SOCIAL GROUPS

1. On the content of law dissemination

a) For all subjects, it is necessary to disseminate laws regarding participation in state management; supervision of state agency and civil servant activities; electoral rights; labor rights and freedom of business; obligations to comply with the Constitution and laws; obligations to respect and protect the common property and interests of the community; tax obligations, public service work, and other fundamental rights and duties of citizens.

b) For young people, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: marriage and family; loyalty to the country and military service obligations; prevention of social evils; traffic safety; criminal offenses, preventive measures against crime; administrative responsibility and preventive measures against administrative violations.

c) For women, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: marriage and family; gender equality in all political, economic, cultural, social, and family fields; workplace safety and hygiene; protection, care, and education of children.

d) For farmers, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: land use rights; agricultural taxes; civil interactions in community life; marriage and family registration; preventing gambling and outdated customs.

e) For urban residents, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: community living rules in cities; environmental protection; business rights and management of business activities; traffic safety; public order and safety; construction rules, housing ownership and usage rights; residential land use rights; protection of public works and embankments.

g) For workers in enterprises, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: labor contracts, collective labor agreements; workplace safety and hygiene; social insurance; labor discipline and labor insurance; material responsibility for violating labor discipline; organization and activities of trade unions; procedures for resolving labor disputes.

h) For mountainous ethnic groups, it is necessary to disseminate additional legal knowledge about: forest protection and development; drug prevention; eradication of outdated customs and promotion of good traditions; civil interactions in community life combined with good traditions; laws on marriage, family, and household registration.

2. On methods, division of responsibilities, and implementation schedule

a) Establish a network of legal lecturers, incorporate legal content into the activities of cultural propaganda teams, combine legal propaganda with humanitarian, charitable, poverty alleviation, and hunger reduction activities.

- Priority target: Rural and mountainous areas.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Justice shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Culture and Information to direct judicial and local cultural agencies to implement.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Complete the training of lecturers and propagandists, pilot implementation.

. From 1999 onwards - Regularly implement in all localities.

b) Compile concise pamphlets on legal content and distribute them among the people.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Justice compiles the content, while local People's Committees print and distribute.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Compile and distribute pamphlets on land use, forest protection, community living rules in cities, construction rules, protection of public works, and embankments, and other urgent contents.

. From 1999 onwards - Compile and distribute pamphlets on other contents.

c) Develop radio broadcasting and bulletin systems in residential clusters to integrate legal information.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Culture and Information shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Justice to direct implementation.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Increase legal information on existing radio networks, bulletins, and information stations.

. From 1999 onwards - Expand radio networks, establish bulletins, and information stations throughout residential areas to integrate legal information.

d) Increase broadcast time on television and radio and write more articles in mass media to explain legal provisions related to each subject.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Culture and Information shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to direct newspapers and radio stations to implement.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Focus on explaining the most relevant legal normative documents for each subject.

. From 1999 onwards - Gradually expand the scope of legal normative documents that need to be disseminated.

e) Provide legal knowledge and information to village judicial boards, village chiefs, headmen, village elders, and mediators so they can effectively participate in legal dissemination and education work.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Justice shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture and Information.

- Implementation timeline:

. In 1998 - Compile legal information materials to distribute to judicial boards, village chiefs, headmen, village elders, and mediators; conduct training sessions at the district and commune levels; pilot the integration of law into traditional activities in some localities.

. From 1999 onwards - Ensure comprehensive information on all legal norms related to the daily life and activities of people in each region for the aforementioned subjects.

g) Vigorously promote free legal advisory services for the poor and other policy beneficiaries.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Justice shall direct provincial justice departments to implement.

- Schedule for implementation:

- In 1998 - Establish legal aid centers in 50% of centrally governed provinces and cities.

- From 1999 onwards - Establish legal aid centers in the remaining centrally governed provinces and cities; expand the network of legal aid volunteers to the district and commune levels.

h) Widespread distribution of judicial newsletters from judicial agencies.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Justice and local judicial agencies.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Consolidate existing newsletters, issue judicial newsletters in mountainous provinces and the Mekong Delta, and distribute them down to the commune level.

. From 1999 onwards - Issue newsletters in all provinces and cities, distributing them down to villages, hamlets, and community clusters.

IV. LEGAL DISSEMINATION AND EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS, MANAGERS, AND LABOR UNION OFFICERS IN ENTERPRISES

1. Regarding content, apart from disseminating general legal knowledge, business entrepreneurs, managers, and labor union officers in enterprises of all economic sectors must also be informed about specialized laws related to their management of production and business activities.

a) For state-owned enterprises, focus on disseminating laws concerning: state ownership and the rights and obligations of state-owned enterprises; foreign investment; civil contracts, labor contracts, collective labor agreements, and skills in applying them; labor, preventive measures against labor law violations; taxation, finance, banking, and preventive measures; prevention of economic crimes, protection of socialist property, administrative penalties, and criminal proceedings in business operations; organization and activities of the Labor Union; procedures for resolving labor disputes.

b) For non-state-owned enterprises, focus on disseminating laws concerning: procedures for establishment and registration of enterprises; foreign investment in Vietnam; international trade activities and international commercial practices; bilateral and multilateral international treaties on economic cooperation; taxation, finance, banking; organization and activities of the Labor Union; labor (labor contracts, collective labor agreements); procedures for resolving labor disputes; economic crimes, preventive measures; administrative penalties and criminal proceedings in business operations.

2. Measures, timelines, and responsibility allocation for implementation

a) Conduct short-term legal knowledge training courses.

- Priority target: State-owned enterprises.

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice and relevant ministries and sectors.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Conduct courses for large enterprises and those with foreign business relations.

. From 1999 onwards - Continue to conduct courses for management staff of other enterprises.

b) Provide necessary inspection results and the situation of law enforcement by enterprises.

- Priority target: State-owned enterprises.

- Implementing agency: State Inspectorate.

- Schedule for implementation:

. In 1998 - Provide information on inspection results in key areas such as taxation, banking, import and export.

. From 1999 onwards - Expand the scope of necessary information provision.

V. LEGAL DISSEMINATION AND EDUCATION IN THE PEOPLE'S ARMED FORCES

The content, methods, and measures for legal dissemination and education in the armed forces shall be unified by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security under the guidance of the Ministry of Justice.

C- IMPLEMENTATION:

The plan for implementing legal dissemination and education work during the government's term from 1998 to 2002 is a comprehensive plan and may be adjusted and supplemented as appropriate for each period.

Based on the content, methods, and timelines for legal dissemination and education stipulated in this Plan, ministries, sectors, and local authorities at all levels shall develop specific plans to intensify legal dissemination and education work./.