Decision No. 04/2003/QĐ-BNV on approving the amended Statutes of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association

DECISION OF THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS

Regarding the approval of the Charter (amended) of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association

THE MINISTER OF THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

- Based on Law No. 102/SL-L004 dated May 20, 1957 on the right to establish associations;

- Pursuant to Decree 181CP dated November 9, 1994 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Civil Service Organization and Cadre Department (now the Ministry of Home Affairs);

- Pursuant to Decision No. 158/QĐ-TTg dated March 2, 1999 of the Prime Minister delegating the Minister of the Civil Service Organization and Cadre Department (now the Minister of Home Affairs) to approve the establishment of associations;

- Considering the proposal of the Chairman of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association and the Director of the Non-Governmental Organizations Department;

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approves the amended Charter of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association which was adopted at the Sixth National Congress on December 26, 2002.

Article 2. The Chairman of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association and the Director of the Non-Governmental Organizations Department shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.

 

 

CHARTER

VIETNAM ACUPUNCTURE ASSOCIATION
(Amended, Term VI: 2003 - 2008)

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association (hereinafter referred to as the Vietnam Acupuncture Association or the Association) is a social-professional organization of individuals engaged in researching, teaching, and treating diseases using acupuncture methods and other traditional medicine treatment and prevention methods without medication in both public and private health sectors, whether currently employed or retired, military or civilian medical personnel, who unite to contribute to the care and protection of the health of the military and civilians, and the construction of socialist-oriented Vietnamese medicine.

The Association has legal personality, operates independently financially and non-profit. The Association operates in accordance with the Constitution, laws of Vietnam, and this Charter, adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the state management of the Ministry of Health. The Association is a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association maintains close relations with the Vietnam Acupuncture Institute, the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Institute, the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Association, the Vietnam Medical and Pharmaceutical Association, the Vietnam Association for Science and Technology, and other relevant organizations and units.

The Association engages in relations and cooperates with social organizations in the region and worldwide based on equality, mutual respect, compliance with Vietnamese laws and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party, and in accordance with international customs and practices.

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association is a member of the World Federation of Acupuncture Societies (WFAS) in the field of acupuncture expertise and international relations.

Chapter 1.
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1: Name of the Association:

The Association is named VIETNAM ACUPUNCTURE ASSOCIATION

Article 2:

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association is a social-professional organization of individuals engaged in researching, teaching, and treating diseases using acupuncture methods and other traditional medicine treatment and prevention methods without medication in both public and private health sectors, whether currently employed or retired, military or civilian medical personnel, who unite to contribute to the care and protection of the health of the military and civilians, and the construction of socialist-oriented Vietnamese medicine.

Article 3:

- The Vietnam Acupuncture Association operates throughout the country.

- The Association has legal personality, its own seal, and a separate bank account.

- The headquarters of the Association is located in Hanoi, the capital city.

Chapter II
PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 4: Principles of operation and organization of the Association

1. Principles of operation:

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association operates on the following principles:

- Voluntary

- Self-management

- Financial independence

2. Organization of the Association:

The Association is organized at the central level and locally;

Local acupuncture associations are organized and operate within the scope of provinces, centrally-administered cities, or districts, counties, towns (or centrally-administered provincial cities).

Local acupuncture associations are established by the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city according to legal procedures and regulations.

Local acupuncture associations have their own seals, separate bank accounts, and working premises as stipulated by law.

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association and local acupuncture associations may establish subordinate units in accordance with legal provisions and bear responsibility for all activities of these units.

Article 5:

The General Assembly or the Full Assembly is the highest governing body of the Association.

The Vietnam Acupuncture Association and local acupuncture associations have a Board of Directors (BOD) elected by the General Assembly. The number of BOD members varies depending on the total number of members.

Article 6:

The election of the Board of Directors is conducted through democratic negotiation and approved by the General Assembly. If more than 50% of the delegates attending the assembly do not approve, negotiations must be held again.

Article 7:

The National General Assembly of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association is the highest governing body of the Association, serving a five-year term. In case two-thirds of the BOD members or more than half of the affiliated branches request it, an extraordinary assembly can be convened.

Extending the term of office must be agreed upon by two-thirds of the BOD members and cannot exceed six months.

The Congress has the following tasks:

- Approving the work report of the current term and the direction for the next term.

- Electing the Central BOD.

- Amending and supplementing the Association's Charter.

Article 8:

The Central BOD is the executive body of the Association, responsible for implementing the resolutions of the General Assembly.

The BOD elects a Standing Committee to manage the Association's regular operations, with the number of Standing Committee members not exceeding one-third of the BOD members. The Standing Committee consists of:

- President

- Vice Presidents

- Secretary-General

- Deputy Secretaries-General

- And some other Standing Committee members.

The Standing Committee appoints a Permanent Committee consisting of three to seven people to handle the Association's regular business.

The Central BOD convenes once every one to two years. If there is no meeting, the reasons must be clearly communicated.

The Standing Committee convenes once every three to six months.

Article 9:

Provincial and centrally-administered city acupuncture associations hold a congress every five years and are voluntary members of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association.

Chapter III
TASKS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 10:The Vietnam Acupuncture Association has the following responsibilities:

1. Supporting members in improving medical ethics, continuously enhancing professional skills, promoting scientific research to jointly strive for the development and modernization of the Vietnamese acupuncture sector towards socialization.

2. Contributing to healthcare services for the people, uniting with other medical and pharmaceutical organizations to build socialist-oriented Vietnamese medicine.

3. Strictly adhering to the policies and guidelines of the Party, laws of the State, and regulations of the health sector.

4. Participate in providing opinions to the Health sector on aspects of work related to the construction and development of the acupuncture industry such as disease prevention, treatment, scientific research on acupuncture, training of specialized acupuncture staff, publishing books, posters, statues... on acupuncture, and international relations regarding acupuncture.

5. Join with health sectors at all levels in reviewing registration and inspecting the practice of acupuncture for units and individuals.

6. Contribute to the development of the specialized acupuncture workforce, making it increasingly strong.

7. Summarize and disseminate experiences on treatment results, scientific research, enriching the acupuncture method, contributing valuable experiences to the Vietnamese medical field through forms such as seminars, scientific activities, the Acupuncture Journal of the Association, and medical and scientific press at the central level and localities.

8. Exchange experiences with other Medical and Pharmaceutical Associations to consolidate and develop the acupuncture industry.

9. Expand scientific and technical cooperation in acupuncture, exchange experiences with the Acupuncture Associations of countries within the World Federation of Acupuncture Societies (WFAS) and other countries without acupuncture associations - mainly Southeast Asian countries, in accordance with state laws.

10. Host international scientific and technical conferences on acupuncture.

11. Participate in teaching acupuncture courses from basic to postgraduate levels abroad upon request of the Acupuncture Association or health agencies and universities of those countries.

12. Participate in organizing acupuncture centers abroad according to agreements signed between the two countries, dispatching Vietnamese acupuncture expert teams to help friendly countries with medical examinations and treatments, and provide vocational guidance at these centers in accordance with the law.

13. Organize delegations of the Vietnamese Acupuncture Association to attend international conferences on acupuncture or visit and work in countries invited by the host country's Acupuncture Association.

14. Organize international acupuncture certification exams in the region assigned by WFAS to the Vietnamese Acupuncture Association.

Chapter IV
Members

Article 11:

Individuals meeting the following criteria may join the Vietnamese Acupuncture Association: doctors, traditional doctors, medical technicians, nurses, acupuncture technicians, and scientists engaged in teaching, researching, treating diseases with acupuncture methods and other Traditional Chinese Medicine methods not using drugs, currently working in state health agencies (military and civilian), social health organizations, retired, or permitted to practice by local health authorities, enthusiastic about the development of acupuncture, agreeing with the Charter of the Association, voluntarily applying to join the Association.

Article 12:Honorary Member

Individuals who do not meet the criteria of Article 11 or foreigners who have contributed to the Association may be recognized as Honorary Members of the Association.

Honorary Members can participate in Association activities but do not have the right to vote on resolutions of the Association, nor can they run for or be elected to leadership positions in the Association.

Article 13: Rights of members:

1. Participate in Association activities.

2. Be eligible for election or nomination to leadership bodies of the Association, discuss and vote on matters of the Association.

3. Be eligible to participate or receive support from the Association to resolve living difficulties, enhance knowledge, protect their legitimate rights and interests; Have access to services provided by the Association under preferential conditions.

4. Propose opinions and suggestions, and request the Association to petition relevant authorities regarding issues of concern.

5. Propose to leave the Association when there is no desire to continue participating in the Association.

Article 14: Obligations of Members:

1. Participate in Association activities at the registered branch.

2. Strictly comply with the Charter of the Association, resolutions of the Congress, as well as other decisions of the Association.

3. Participate in activities and fulfill tasks assigned by the Association.

4. Unite and cooperate with other members to strive together to achieve the objectives of the Association; participate in promoting and developing the Association.

Article 15: Joining the Association.

Any individual meeting the conditions stipulated in Article 11 of this Charter may submit an application to join the Association at a unit suitable for their personal circumstances. In cases where there is a need to change the location of participation in Association activities, members must complete the registration procedures for transferring activities.

Chapter V
ASSOCIATION FINANCES

Article 16:

1/ The financial resources of the Association include:

- State support funds

- Sponsorship from agencies, organizations, and individuals both domestically and internationally.

- Membership fees

- Income from other fund-building activities permitted by the State.

- Each member pays the membership fee once a year (as prescribed by the Central Committee of the Association).

2/ Expenditure:

- Expenses for the Association's activities

- Awards expenses

- Administrative fees

3/ The Executive Board of the Association appoints accountants and treasurers to oversee income and expenditure in accordance with principles and regulations of the Ministry of Finance, ensuring annual settlement and finalization are completed accurately and promptly.

Chapter VI

REWARD AND DISCIPLINE

Article 17:

Units and individual members who achieve outstanding results in Association work will be awarded by the Association or may be recommended for awards by relevant authorities.

Article 18:

Members acting contrary to the objectives, purposes, Charter, and Resolutions of the Association, or damaging the reputation and credibility of the Association, shall be criticized, warned, or expelled from the Association depending on the severity of the fault.

Members disciplined by the authorities, found to no longer meet the qualifications and standards of membership, shall have their names removed from the membership list.

Chapter VII
AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER

Article 19:

Only the National Congress of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association has the authority to amend this Charter.

This Charter consists of 7 (seven) Chapters and 19 Articles, which were approved by the Sixth National Congress of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association on December 26, 2002.

This Charter takes effect from the date it is recognized by the Ministry of Home Affairs./.