LAW ON PROTECTING STATE SECRETS NUMBER 117/2025/QH15

LAW

PROTECTION OF STATE SECRETS

BASED ON THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AS AMENDED AND COMPLEMENTED BY RESOLUTION NO. 203/2025/QH15 has been amended and supplemented with some articles pursuant to Resolution No. 203/2025/QH15;

The National Assembly promulgates the Law on Protection of State Secrets.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Law stipulates state secrets, protection of state secrets, and the responsibilities of agencies, organizations, and individuals related thereto.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Law, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. State secrets are information containing important contents determined by persons authorized under this Law, not yet disclosed, if leaked or lost may cause harm to national interests and ethnic interests.

State secrets are contained in documents (including paper documents and electronic documents), objects, locations, speech, activities, or other forms.

2. Protection of state secrets is the act of agencies, organizations, and individuals using forces, means, and measures to prevent and combat the infringement of state secrets.

3. Disclosure of state secrets is the case where a person without responsibility knows state secrets.

4. Loss of state secrets is the case where documents or objects containing state secrets are no longer under the management of agencies, organizations, or individuals responsible for managing them.

5. Independent Local Area Network (LAN) is a local computer network established and limited within an agency or organization's premises, not connected to the Internet, telecommunications networks, or other computer networks that connect outside those premises, and equipped with security measures to prevent unauthorized connections, attacks, and illegal information collection.

6. Electronic document containing state secrets is a document containing state secrets in digital form determined by persons authorized under this Law.

Article 3. Principles of protecting state secrets

1. Placed under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, unified management by the State; serving the tasks of protecting the country, developing the economy and society, science and technology, and international integration; protecting national and ethnic interests, and the rights and legitimate interests of agencies, organizations, and individuals.

2. Protecting state secrets is the responsibility of all agencies, organizations, and individuals.

3. Management and use of state secrets must comply with the purposes, authority, procedures, and formalities prescribed by law.

4. Proactively prevent, promptly detect, stop, and strictly handle all violations of laws on protecting state secrets.

5. Protect state secrets according to the time limits prescribed by this Law, ensuring citizens' right to access information as provided by law.

Article 4. International cooperation in protecting state secrets

1. International cooperation in protecting state secrets shall be carried out based on the principles of respecting independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefit.

2. Contents of international cooperation in protecting state secrets include:

a) Signing and implementing international treaties, agreements on protecting state secrets;

b) Implementing programs and projects of international cooperation in protecting state secrets;

c) Training, research, transferring technology, applying science and technology to serve the work of protecting state secrets;

d) Preventing and combating violations of laws on protecting state secrets;

e) Other international cooperative activities in protecting state secrets.

Article 5. Acts prohibited in protecting state secrets

1. Determining state secrets for information not included in the list of state secrets.

2. Drafting, storing state secret documents on computers or other devices connected to computer networks (except independent LANs), the Internet, telecommunications networks, except when storing state secrets in accordance with the law on cryptographic matters and other relevant laws.

3. Disclosing, appropriating, buying, selling state secrets; distorting, damaging, losing documents or objects containing state secrets.

4. Collecting, exchanging, providing, transferring state secrets illegally; copying, photographing, storing, transporting, delivering, receiving, retrieving, destroying documents or objects containing state secrets illegally.

5. Taking documents or objects containing state secrets out of storage places illegally.

6. Abusing or misusing the protection of state secrets, using state secrets to commit, conceal acts violating laws, infringing upon rights and legitimate interests or hindering the activities of agencies, organizations, and individuals.

7. Transmitting state secrets over computer networks (except independent LANs), the Internet, telecommunications networks contrary to the provisions of the law on cryptographic matters or other relevant laws.

8. Using computers or other devices to draft, store state secret documents without ensuring security, preventing the infringement of state secrets.

9. Using equipment with signal reception and transmission, audio recording, video recording functions in meetings, seminars, or conferences containing state secrets in any form without permission from authorized persons.

10. Using artificial intelligence or new technologies to infringe upon state secrets; publishing state secrets on mass media; disseminating state secrets on the Internet or telecommunications networks.

Article 6. Funds and material resources for serving the protection of state secrets

1. Funds and material resources for serving the protection of state secrets shall be guaranteed by the State budget.

2. The management and use of funds and material resources for serving the protection of state secrets shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Chapter II

SCOPE AND CLASSIFICATION,

ISSUANCE OF THE LIST OF STATE SECRETS

- Prime Minister;7Scope of state secrets

The scope of state secrets is the limit of important information in the following fields that have not been made public, if disclosed or lost, may cause harm to national interests and the nation:

1. Information on politics:

a) The Party's and State's policies and guidelines on internal and external affairs;

b) Activities of the Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, key leaders, and high-ranking leaders of the Party and State;

c) Strategies, plans, projects related to ethnic groups, religions, and ethnic and religious work concerning national security protection and social order and safety;

d) Information having a negative impact on political conditions.

2. Information on national defense, security, and cryptology:

a) Strategies, plans, schemes, activities for protecting the country, national defense, national security protection, and social order and safety; special important programs, projects, and plans;

b) Organization and activities of the people's armed forces and cryptology forces;

c) National defense, security, and cryptology facilities, targets; types of weapons, equipment, means, and logistics materials determining the country's defense capability, national security protection, and social order and safety; cryptology products and cryptology communication networks;

d) Information on planning systems of national defense, cryptology facilities, military zones, ammunition depots, logistics material depots, national defense industry, and security.

3. Information on constitutional, legislative, and judicial matters:

a) Constitutional, legislative, supervisory, and decision-making activities related to national defense and security;

b) Information on prosecution; investigation work, prosecution activities, judicial supervision, trial, and criminal enforcement;

c) Information on judicial assistance, administrative justice, state compensation affecting national security and social order and safety; international investment dispute resolution.

4. Information on foreign relations and international integration:

a) Strategies, plans, projects for developing relations with foreign countries, international organizations, or other subjects of international law; situations, schemes, plans, and programs of foreign activities of key and high-level leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front, and foreign activities of Party and State agencies;

b) International treaties and agreements exchanged and signed between Vietnam and foreign countries, international organizations, or other subjects of international law;

c) Confidential information transferred from foreign countries, international organizations, or other subjects of international law under international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member and relevant international agreements.

5. Information on economy:

a) Investment strategies, plans; national reserve plans, figures; bidding for national security protection; quantities and values of national reserves managed by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense;

b) Financial and banking information; state budget figures on national defense and security; plans and schemes for currency issuance, exchange, and circulation; design, manufacture, printing, and minting technology of money and valuable securities;

c) Information on industry, trade, agriculture directly related to national defense, security, and foreign relations;

d) Transportation plans with significant political, socio-economic, national defense, security, and foreign relations implications;

đ) Information on the process of formulating overall national planning, regional planning, provincial planning, special administrative-economic zone planning, urban and rural planning; information on the overall system planning of national reserve warehouses and detailed network planning of national reserve warehouses managed by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security;

e) Information having a negative impact on socio-economic conditions.

6. Information on natural resources and environment including water resources, environment, geology, minerals, meteorology and hydrology, land, sea, islands, surveying, and maps.

7. Information on science and technology:

a) Inventions and new technologies serving national defense, security, or having particular significance for socio-economic development;

b) Information on atomic energy, radiation, and nuclear safety related to national defense, security, and foreign relations;

c) Special scientific and technological tasks and national-level scientific and technological tasks related to national defense, security, and cryptology;

d) Scientific and technological research tasks on rare and precious specimens and genetic resources with particular significance for health care and socio-economic development;

đ) Strategies, plans, and projects for developing science and technology, postal services, telecommunications, and the Internet, radio frequency, information technology, digital industry, electronics, national information infrastructure, and communication services for national defense, security, and foreign relations;

e) Important information systems for national security and dedicated information networks serving Party and State agencies.

8. Information on education and training:

a) National examination questions, answers, and related information on organizing national examinations;

b) Information on personnel from the People's Army, Public Security, and Cryptology sent for training within and outside the country.

9. Information on culture:

a) Plans and schemes ensuring the security and safety of museums and libraries storing limited or non-circulated documents, objects, and documentary heritage;

b) Plans and schemes ensuring the security and safety of historical sites with disputes over national sovereignty;

c) Strategies, plans, and projects for developing press, publishing, printing, distribution, broadcasting, television, electronic information, news agencies, foreign information, grassroots information services for national defense, security, and foreign relations;

d) Press and public opinion information having a negative impact on politics, foreign relations, national security, and social order and safety.

10. Information on healthcare:

a) Information on the health protection of key and high-level leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front;

b) Information about newly discovered dangerous infectious diseases for which preventive and control measures have not yet been determined and which pose a risk to human health and lives, and have a negative impact on economic and social development;

c) The situation of people migrating freely that has a negative impact on politics, diplomacy, national security, public order, and social safety;

11. Information about organizations and cadres:

a) Strategies, plans, and projects regarding organizational work and cadre management of Party agencies, state agencies, political-social organizations; strategies and projects on salary policy reform, social insurance;

b) Procedures for preparing and implementing organizational work and cadre management for civil servants, public officials, armed forces personnel, and individuals working in confidential organizations at the bureau level and above;

c) Information on internal political protection work;

d) Examination questions and answers for selecting leaders and managers and recruiting civil servants and public officials;

đ) The situation of labor that has a negative impact on politics, national defense, security, and diplomacy;

12. Information on inspection, examination, supervision, handling violations, addressing complaints, and preventing and combating corruption, waste, and negativity:

a) Strategies, plans, and projects on inspection, examination, supervision, complaint resolution, and anti-corruption, anti-waste, and anti-negativity efforts;

b) Information on activities related to inspection, examination, supervision, handling violations, complaint resolution, and anti-corruption, anti-waste, and anti-negativity efforts;

13. Information on state auditing:

a) Strategies, plans, and projects on state auditing;

b) Auditing information on public finance and state assets;

Article 8. Classification of State Secrets

Based on the nature of the importance of the content of the information and the degree of harm if disclosed or lost, state secrets are classified into three levels of confidentiality, including:

1. Top Secret State Secrets are state secrets related to politics, national defense, security, foreign affairs, confidential communications, science, and technology, if disclosed or lost may cause particularly serious harm to national interests and the nation's interests.

2. Secret State Secrets are important information within the fields specified in Article 7 of this Law, if disclosed or lost may cause very serious harm to national interests and the nation's interests.

3. Confidential State Secrets are important information within the fields specified in Article 7 of this Law, if disclosed or lost may cause serious harm to national interests and the nation's interests.

Article 9. Issuance of the List of State Secrets

1. Based on the provisions of Articles 7 and 8 of this Law, the Prime Minister decides the list of state secrets.

2. Those responsible for compiling the list of state secrets include:

a) Ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies compile the list of state secrets of their respective sectors and areas of management;

b) The Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party compiles the list of state secrets of the Party;

c) The Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee compiles the list of state secrets of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and political-social organizations;

d) The Secretary-General of the National Assembly - Head of the National Assembly Office compiles the list of state secrets of the National Assembly, its agencies, the Secretary-General of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Office, and the Delegation of National Assembly Members;

đ) The Head of the President's Office compiles the list of state secrets of the President and the President's Office;

e) The Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and the Auditor-General compile the list of state secrets of their respective sectors and areas of management.

3. Those responsible for compiling the list of state secrets as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article must submit the dossier to the Ministry of Public Security for review, except in cases provided for in Clause 5 of this Article.

The dossier submitted to the Ministry of Public Security includes: the document submitted to the Prime Minister; the draft decision on issuing the list of state secrets; a comprehensive report, explanation, and incorporation of opinions from relevant agencies and organizations; copies of participating opinions.

The review document of the Ministry of Public Security must be sent to those responsible for compiling the list of state secrets no later than thirty days from the date of receiving the complete dossier.

4. After receiving the review document from the Ministry of Public Security, those responsible for compiling the list of state secrets as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article must submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision on the list of state secrets.

5. The Minister of Defense and the Minister of Public Security submit to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision on the list of state secrets within their scope of management.

Chapter III

STATE SECRET PROTECTION ACTIVITIES

Article 10. Identification of State Secrets and Levels of Confidentiality

1. The identification of state secrets and levels of confidentiality of state secrets must be based on the list of state secrets and the provisions of this Law.

2. Heads and deputy heads of agencies and organizations are responsible for identifying state secrets, levels of confidentiality of state secrets, and the circulation scope of state secrets.

3. In cases where state secrets of other agencies and organizations are used, the corresponding level of confidentiality must be determined according to the list of state secrets decided by the Prime Minister within the sector and area. If the information in the same document or object containing state secrets belongs to different lists of state secrets with different levels of confidentiality, the highest level of confidentiality shall apply.

4. The level of confidentiality of state secrets is indicated by a confidentiality mark, a document determining the level of confidentiality, or another appropriate form.

5. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this matter.

Article 11. Copying and photographing state secrets

1. The persons authorized to permit copying and photographing of documents and objects containing Top Secret state secrets include:

a) The head of central agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam; the head of organizations under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam;

b) The head of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;

c) The head of the National Assembly agency; Secretary-General of the National Assembly - Chairman of the National Assembly Office;

d) Chairman of the President's Office;

đ) Minister, Head of an agency at the ministerial level;

e) Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuracy;

g) State Auditor General;

h) The head of government agencies;

i) Provincial Party Secretary, City Party Secretary of provinces and cities;

k) Chairperson of the Delegation of National Assembly Members, Chairperson of the People's Council, Chairperson of the People's Committee of provinces and cities;

l) The immediate superior of those persons specified in points a, c, d, đ and h of this clause;

m) Chief Justice of the People's Court of province, Procurator-General of the People's Procuracy of province;

n) The head of departments, bureaus, committees, political-social organizations at the central level and equivalent under the agencies specified in points a, b, c, d, đ, e, and g of this clause, except for the head of public service units under the agencies specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, and g of this clause;

o) The head of the State Audit Office Office, units within the State Audit Office management system, specialized State Audit Office, regional State Audit Office;

p) The head of representative agencies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad;

q) Deputy and equivalent of the persons specified in points a, b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, k, l, m, n, and p of this clause;

r) The head and deputy of the head of the party organization of the agencies and organizations specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, k, m, n, and o of this clause.

2. The persons authorized to permit copying and photographing of documents and objects containing Confidential state secrets include:

a) Those persons specified in Clause 1 of this Article;

b) The head of units under government agencies;

c) The head of public service units directly under the agencies specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, and k of Clause 1 of this Article;

d) The head of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at provincial level;

đ) The head of departments, bureaus, and equivalent at provincial level;

e) The head of units directly under the People's Court of province, People's Procuracy of province; Chief Justice of the Regional People's Court, Procurator-General of the Regional People's Procuracy;

g) The head of Tax, Statistics, Social Insurance at provincial and city level; the head of State Treasury region, Customs Branch region, State Reserve Branch region;

h) Party Committee Secretary, People's Council Chairperson, People's Committee Chairperson at district level;

i) Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Chairperson of the Board of Members, Chairperson of the company, Director, General Director of state-owned enterprises;

k) Deputy of the persons specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, and i of this clause;

l) The head and deputy of the head of the party organization of the agencies and organizations specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, g, and i of this clause.

3. The persons authorized to permit copying and photographing of documents and objects containing Secret state secrets include:

a) The persons specified in Clause 2 of this Article;

b) The head of department-level units under departments, bureaus, committees, political-social organizations at the central level and equivalent under the agencies specified in points a, b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, k, m, n, and o of Clause 1 of this Article; the head of department-level and equivalent units under the agencies specified in points c, g of Clause 2 of this Article; the head of units under the agencies specified in point i of Clause 2 of this Article;

c) The head of department-level, bureau-level and equivalent units under departments, bureaus, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, political-social organizations at provincial level and equivalent; the head of specialized advisory and assisting agencies of the District Party Committee; head of committee of the People's Council, head of department of the People's Committee at district level.

4. The Minister of Defense, the Minister of Public Security shall specify the authority to permit copying and photographing of documents and objects containing state secrets for entities under their jurisdiction.

5. The persons authorized as specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this Article may only permit copying and photographing of documents and objects containing state secrets within their jurisdiction.

6. The person assigned to carry out the copying and photographing of documents and objects containing state secrets must be an officer, civil servant, cadre, non-commissioned officer, professional soldier, worker, or staff member working in the people's armed forces, or a person working in a key confidential organization directly related to state secrets, or a person engaged in work related to state secrets.

7. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this matter.

Article 12. Statistics, storage, preservation of state secrets documents and carriers

1. State secrets documents and carriers upon receipt and issuance must be recorded according to chronological order and level of confidentiality.

2. State secrets contained in devices with storage and copying functions must be protected by appropriate measures to ensure safety.

3. State secrets documents and carriers must be stored and preserved in safe places and have protection plans.

Article 13. Transporting, handing over, receiving state secrets documents and carriers

1. Transporting, handing over, receiving state secrets documents and carriers within the country shall be carried out by persons involved in state secrets work, liaison personnel, or clerical staff of agencies and organizations.

2. Transporting, handing over, receiving state secrets documents and carriers between domestic agencies and organizations and Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad, or among Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad shall be conducted by diplomatic liaisons or persons assigned to carry out such tasks.

3. Transporting, handing over, receiving state secrets documents and carriers must be conducted under the principle of confidentiality and sealing.

4. During the transportation of state secrets documents and carriers, appropriate measures for preservation and ensuring safety must be taken; in necessary cases, security forces must be present.

5. Transporting state secrets documents and carriers through postal services shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Postal Law.

6. The sending and receiving locations of state secrets documents and carriers must check and compare to promptly detect errors and take corrective measures; the handover and receipt must be fully recorded in tracking logs, and the recipient must sign for receipt.

7. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this matter.

Article 14. Carryingstate secrets documents and carriersout of storage location

1. Carrying state secrets documents and carriers out of the storage location for domestic work purposes must be directly related to the assigned tasks.

2. Carrying state secrets documents and carriers out of the storage location for overseas work purposes must be permitted by the head or deputy head of the agency or organization authorized under points a, b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, k, and l of Clause 1, Article 11 of this Law, and must be reported to the Head of the Working Delegation.

3. During the process of carrying state secrets documents and carriers out of the storage location, appropriate measures for preservation and ensuring safety must be taken.

4. During the period of carrying state secrets documents and carriers out of the storage location, if state secrets are discovered to be exposed or lost, the person carrying the state secrets documents and carriers must immediately report to the head of the agency or organization directly managing them, and the Head of the Working Delegation to take measures to address and mitigate consequences.

5. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this matter.

Article 15. Provision and transfer of state secrets to agencies, organizations, and Vietnamese individuals

1. Persons authorized under Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of Article 11 of this Law decide on the provision and transfer of state secrets within their respective management scope corresponding to the level of confidentiality of the state secrets documents and carriers they are authorized to copy or photograph.

2. The Minister of National Defense and the Minister of Public Security shall stipulate the authority for the provision and transfer of state secrets within their respective management scopes.

Agencies, organizations, and Vietnamese individuals tasked with duties directly related to state secrets may request the provision and transfer of state secrets.

4. Agencies and organizations requesting the provision and transfer of state secrets must submit a written request to the authorized decision-maker for the provision and transfer of state secrets. The request must clearly state the name of the agency or organization; the representative of the agency or organization; the state secrets requested for provision and transfer; the purpose of use and commitment to protect state secrets.

5. Individuals requesting the provision and transfer of state secrets must submit a written request to the authorized decision-maker for the provision and transfer of state secrets. The request must clearly state the full name; personal identification number, passport number, People's Police Identity Card number, or People's Army Identity Card number; contact address; job position; state secrets requested for provision and transfer; purpose of use and commitment to protect state secrets.

6. In cases where the supply and transfer of state secrets are refused, the person authorized to decide on the supply and transfer of state secrets must respond in writing and provide clear reasons.

Article 16. Supplying and transferring state secrets to foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals

1. The authority to decide on supplying and transferring state secrets to foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals shall be as follows:

a) The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the President, the Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the National Assembly decide on supplying and transferring state secrets classified as Top Secret;

b) The head of the agency or organization, or the deputy head of the agency or organization authorized under points a, b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, and k of Clause 1 of Article 11 of this Law decides on supplying and transferring state secrets classified as Confidential and Secret within their scope of management;

c) The Minister, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of National Defense, the Minister, and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Security decide on supplying and transferring state secrets classified as Confidential and Secret within their scope of management.

2. State secrets may only be supplied and transferred to foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals participating in international cooperation programs or performing duties related to state secrets.

3. Foreign agencies and organizations requesting the supply and transfer of state secrets must submit a written request to the Vietnamese agency or organization responsible for the international cooperation program or the execution of official duties related to state secrets. The request must clearly specify the name of the agency or organization, the representative's name, nationality, passport number, position, the state secrets requested to be supplied or transferred, the purpose of use, commitment to protect state secrets, and not to supply or transfer to a third party without the consent of the supplier or transferrer.

4. Foreign individuals requesting the supply and transfer of state secrets must submit a written request to the Vietnamese agency or organization responsible for the international cooperation program or the execution of official duties related to state secrets. The request must clearly specify the full name, nationality, passport number, contact address, the state secrets requested to be supplied or transferred, the purpose of use, commitment to protect state secrets, and not to supply or transfer to a third party without the consent of the supplier or transferrer.

5. The Vietnamese agency or organization responsible for the international cooperation program or the execution of official duties related to state secrets has the responsibility to forward the requests from foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals specified in Article 16, paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Law to the person authorized to decide on the supply and transfer of state secrets.

6. In cases where the supply and transfer of state secrets are refused, the person authorized to decide on the supply and transfer of state secrets must respond in writing and provide clear reasons.

Article 17. Conferences, seminars, meetings of Vietnamese agencies and organizations containing state secrets

1. Organizing conferences, seminars, and meetings of Vietnamese agencies and organizations containing state secrets must ensure the following requirements:

a) Approval from the authorized person specified in Article 15, paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Law regarding the use of state secrets;

b) Participants are representatives of agencies, organizations, or persons assigned to perform tasks related to state secrets;

c) The venue must ensure safety and prevent the leakage or loss of state secrets;

d) Use means and equipment that meet the requirements for protecting state secrets;

đ) Have a security plan for the conference, seminar, or meeting.

2. The head of the agency or organization, or the deputy head of the agency or organization deciding to organize a conference, seminar, or meeting containing state secrets shall be responsible for ensuring the requirements stipulated in paragraph 1 of this Article and deciding on the recovery of documents and items containing state secrets after the conference, seminar, or meeting.

3. Participants in conferences, seminars, and meetings containing state secrets shall be responsible for protecting and using state secrets according to the provisions of this Law and the requirements of the conference, seminar, or meeting chairperson; the chairperson of a conference, seminar, or meeting containing state secrets shall be accountable to the head or deputy head of the agency or organization for the protection of state secrets at the conference, seminar, or meeting.

4. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on points c, d, and đ of paragraph 1 of this Article.

Article 18. International conferences, seminars, meetings held in Vietnam with state secrets content

1. The organization of international conferences, seminars, meetings held in Vietnam with state secrets content must ensure the following requirements:

a) Organized by Vietnamese agencies or organizations;

b) Obtained written approval from the authority specified in Clause 1, Article 16 of this Law regarding the use of state secrets content;

c) Participants in accordance with the provisions set out in Point b, Clause 1, Article 17 of this Law; representatives of foreign agencies, organizations, or individuals related to state secrets;

d) Documents and carriers containing state secrets must be collected after the conference, seminar, meeting and ensure the requirements stipulated in Points c, d, and đ, Clause 1, Article 17 of this Law.

2. The head or deputy head of the agency or organization deciding to organize a conference, seminar, or meeting with state secrets content shall be responsible for ensuring the requirements prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Participants in conferences, seminars, or meetings with state secrets content shall be responsible for protecting and using state secrets in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the requirements of the chairperson of the conference, seminar, or meeting; they may not provide or transfer to third parties. The chairperson of the conference, seminar, or meeting with state secrets content shall be responsible to the head or deputy head of the agency or organization regarding the protection of state secrets at such conferences, seminars, or meetings.

Article 19. Duration of Protection of State Secrets

1. The duration of protection of state secrets is the period calculated from the date of determining the level of state secrets to the end of the following time periods:

a) 30 years for state secrets classified as Top Secret;

b) 20 years for state secrets classified as Confidential;

c) 10 years for state secrets classified as Secret.

2. The duration of protection of state secrets may be shorter than the duration prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article and must be determined on the document or carrier containing state secrets by marking "Duration of Protection of State Secrets" or another appropriate form when determining the level of secrecy.

3. The duration of protection of state secrets for draft documents or other documents that do not indicate the date of determining the level of secrecy shall be marked "Duration of Protection of State Secrets."

4. In cases where state secrets of other agencies or organizations are used, the duration of protection of state secrets is calculated from the date when the other agency or organization determines the state secret and is implemented by marking "Duration of Protection of State Secrets."

5. The duration of protection of state secrets concerning locations ends when the authorized agency or organization ceases to use the location for state secrets.

Article 20. Extension of the Duration of Protection of State Secrets

1. State secrets when the duration of protection of state secrets expires, if declassification could cause harm to national interests, shall be extended for the duration of protection of state secrets.

2. The extension of the duration of protection of state secrets for the case prescribed in Clause 1 of Article 19 of this Law is regulated as follows:

a) At least 60 days before the expiration of the duration of protection of state secrets, the authority determining the state secrets decides to extend the duration of protection of state secrets;

b) Each extension shall not exceed the duration prescribed in Clause 1 of Article 19 of this Law;

c) Within 15 days from the date of extension, the agency or organization extending the duration must notify in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, or individuals.

3. The extension of the duration of protection of state secrets for the provision in Clause 2 of Article 19 of this Law is carried out as follows:

a) Before or upon the expiration of the duration of protection of state secrets, the authority determining the state secrets decides to extend the duration of protection of state secrets if declassification could cause harm to national interests;

b) The agency or organization extending the duration must notify in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, or individuals.

4. After extension, state secrets must be stamped, have a document or another appropriate form indicating the extension.

5. Agencies, organizations, or individuals related to the receipt of notification about the extension shall be responsible for stamping, having a document or another appropriate form indicating the extension for state secrets within their management scope.

6. The Government shall regulate the extension of the duration of protection of state secrets for electronic documents containing state secrets.

 Article 21. Adjustment of Confidentiality Level

1. Adjusting classification levels involves increasing or decreasing the classification level already determined for state secrets.

2. The adjustment of confidentiality level must be based on the list of state secrets.

3. The person authorized to determine the confidentiality level of state secrets has the authority to decide on the adjustment of the confidentiality level.

4. State secrets after the adjustment of the confidentiality level must be stamped and have a document or other appropriate form indicating the increase or decrease in the confidentiality level.

5. Within no more than 15 days from the date of adjusting the confidentiality level, the agency or organization that adjusts the confidentiality level must notify in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Agencies, organizations, and individuals related upon receiving notification about the adjustment of the confidentiality level shall be responsible for stamping, having a document or other appropriate form indicating the adjustment of the confidentiality level corresponding to the state secrets within their management scope.

6. The Government shall stipulate the adjustment of the confidentiality level for electronic secret documents.

Article 22. Declassification

1. State secrets are declassified in the following cases:

a) State secrets are automatically declassified when the protection period of state secrets prescribed in Article 19 of this Law and the extension period of state secrets protection prescribed in Article 20 of this Law expire;

b) No longer included in the list of state secrets;

c) State secrets are declassified ahead of schedule to serve the need to protect national interests, ethnic interests, economic and social development, integration, and international cooperation.

2. In the case prescribed in point b, Clause 1 of this Article, the agency or organization determining state secrets must stamp, have a document or other appropriate form indicating the declassification and notify in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

3. In the case prescribed in point c, Clause 1 of this Article, it is regulated as follows:

a) The person authorized to determine state secrets has the authority to decide on declassification and establish a declassification council;

b) The declassification council includes: the representative of the leadership of the agency or organization determining state secrets serving as the Chairman of the declassification council, the representative of the agency or organization directly drafting or creating state secrets, and other members determined by the person authorized under point a, Clause 3 of this Article;

c) The declassification council is responsible for examining the declassification of the entire state secret or part thereof, reporting to the person authorized under point a, Clause 3 of this Article to decide on declassification in writing;

d) State secrets after declassification must be stamped and have a document or other appropriate form indicating the declassification; in the case of partial declassification, the decision on declassification must fully reflect the content of the information being declassified;

đ) Within no more than 15 days from the date of the declassification decision, the agency or organization deciding on declassification must notify in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals;

e) The declassification file must be stored including: Decision on establishing the declassification council; state secrets proposed for declassification; minutes of the declassification council meeting; declassification decision and related documents.

4. Agencies, organizations, and individuals receiving notifications about declassification have the following responsibilities:

a) Stamping, having a document or other appropriate form indicating the declassification for received state secrets;

b) Stamping, having a document or other appropriate form indicating the declassification for newly created state secrets using declassified state secrets sent by agencies, organizations, and individuals and notifying in writing to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

5. For state secrets stored by Historical Archives, if the agency determining state secrets cannot be identified, Historical Archives shall decide on declassification according to the laws on archives.

6. The Government shall stipulate the declassification of electronic secret documents.

Article 23. Destruction of state secrets documents and carriers

1. State secrets documents and carriers shall be destroyed in the following cases:

a) When it is not necessary to retain them and the destruction does not cause harm to national interests;

b) If immediate destruction is required to prevent harm to national interests.

2. The destruction of State Secrets documents and carriers must meet the following requirements:

a) Ensuring that State Secrets are not exposed or lost;

b) The destruction process must affect the state secrets documents and carriers to change their form, features, functions, and content;

c) After destruction, state secrets documents and carriers cannot be restored to their original form, features, functions, and content.

3. Competence to destroy state secrets documents and carriers in the cases specified in point a, Clause 1 of this Article is regulated as follows:

a) Persons with competence as stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 11 of this Law have the authority to decide on the destruction of state secrets documents and carriers;

b) The Minister of National Defense and the Minister of Public Security shall specify the competence to destroy state secrets documents and carriers within their respective areas of management.

4. Procedures for destroying state secrets documents and carriers classified as Top Secret in the cases specified in point a, Clause 1 of this Article are regulated as follows:

a) The person with competence as stipulated in point a or point b, Clause 3 of this Article decides to establish a committee for the destruction of state secrets documents and carriers;

b) The committee for the destruction of state secrets documents and carriers includes representatives from the leadership of the agency or organization directly storing the state secrets documents and carriers as the chairman of the committee; persons directly storing the state secrets documents and carriers and representatives from related agencies or organizations;

c) The committee for the destruction of state secrets documents and carriers is responsible for reviewing the state secrets documents and carriers proposed for destruction and reporting to the person with competence as stipulated in point a or point b, Clause 3 of this Article to make a decision;

d) The destruction file must be stored including: Decision to establish the destruction committee; list of state secrets documents and carriers proposed for destruction; minutes of the committee meeting; decision on destruction, minutes of destruction, and other relevant documents.

5. In the case of destroying state secrets documents and carriers as specified in point b, Clause 1 of this Article, the person currently managing the state secrets documents and carriers has the right to immediately decide on destruction and report in writing about the destruction to the head of the agency or organization.

6. The destruction of state secrets documents and carriers in the field of official communications shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on official communications; the destruction of state secrets documents and carriers stored by the Historical Archives shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on archives.

7. The Government shall regulate the procedures for destroying state secrets documents and carriers classified as Confidential and Secret.

Chapter IV

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PROTECTING STATE SECRETS 

"d) Within no more than one working day from the date of receiving the dossier submitted for administrative procedures by the specialized agency assigned by the Provincial People's Committee, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shall issue a notification of the result of the inspection of plant-based food exports or a certificate at the request of the importing country.".Responsibilities for protecting state secretsof agencies and organizations

1. The Government exercises unified state management over the protection of state secrets.

2. The Ministry of Public Security is responsible before the Government for implementing state management over the protection of state secrets and has the following tasks and powers:

a) To develop, propose policies, plans, and measures for protecting state secrets;

b) To take the lead in drafting and submitting to competent authorities for promulgation or promulgating within their authority normative legal documents on protecting state secrets; to guide the implementation of state secret protection work;

c) To organize training in state secret protection business and knowledge;

d) Preventing and combating violations of laws on protecting state secrets;

d) To inspect, audit, handle complaints and denunciations, and deal with violations of laws on protecting state secrets;

e) To implement international cooperation on protecting state secrets according to the division of labor by the Government.

3. The Central Party Office and central-level Party bodies, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ethnic Council, Committees of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Office; the President's Office; provincial party committees, city party committees, Delegations of the National Assembly, Provincial People's Councils, and municipal people's councils within their respective duties and powers, shall have the following responsibilities:

a) To organize the implementation of state secret protection work;

b) To take the lead in drafting and submitting to competent authorities for promulgation or promulgating within their authority regulations related to protecting state secrets within their management scope in accordance with the provisions of this Law;

c) To issue and organize the implementation of state secret protection regulations of agencies, organizations, and localities;

d) To assign personnel to perform state secret protection tasks, implement reporting systems on state secret protection work as prescribed by the Government;

e) To decide on measures to ensure security and safety, prevent breaches of state secrets for independent local area networks under their management and in the following cases: using computers and equipment previously used to draft and store state secrets to connect to computer networks (excluding independent local area networks), the Internet, telecommunications networks; using computers and equipment with a history of connection to computer networks (excluding independent local area networks), the Internet, telecommunications networks to draft and store state secrets;

f) To deploy and use artificial intelligence systems or new technologies in state secret protection activities as prescribed by this Law and other relevant laws.

4. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies; Supreme People's Court; Supreme People's Procuracy; State Audit of Vietnam; Provincial People's Councils, municipal people's councils shall have the following responsibilities:

a) To fulfill the responsibilities as stipulated in Clause 3 of this Article;

b) To inspect, audit, handle complaints and denunciations, and deal with violations of laws on protecting state secrets against agencies, organizations, and individuals within their management scope as prescribed by law;

c) To conduct international cooperation on protecting state secrets within their management scope.

5. The Ministry of National Defense is responsible before the Government for implementing state management over protecting state secrets within its management scope as stipulated in points a, b, c, d, and e of Clause 2 of this Article; to carry out tasks as prescribed in Clause 3 and point c of Clause 4 of this Article.

6. The Government Official Communications Department shall have the following responsibilities:

a) To assist the Minister of National Defense in implementing state management over protecting state secrets as stipulated in points a, b, c, d, and e of Clause 2 of this Article in the field of official communications;

b) To assist the Minister of National Defense in advising the Government to build and develop the national cryptographic information system; to manage research, production, supply, and use of cryptographic products to protect state secret information;

c) To fulfill the responsibilities as stipulated in Clause 4 of this Article.

Article 25. Responsibilities of the head of agencies and organizations directly managing state secrets

1. Directing, inspecting, urging the implementation of legal provisions and regulations on protecting state secrets within their managed agencies and organizations.

2. Directing, handling within their authority, and promptly reporting to competent authorities when state secrets under their management are leaked or lost.

3. Organizing the recovery of documents and objects containing state secrets when individuals assigned to manage state secrets cease work, transfer jobs, retire, die, or for other reasons are not assigned to continue managing state secrets.

Article 26. Responsibilities of persons accessing and directly managing state secrets

1. Persons accessing state secrets have the following responsibilities:

a) Adhering to legal provisions and regulations of agencies and organizations regarding the protection of state secrets;

b) Implementing measures to protect state secrets;

c) Using state secrets for their intended purpose;

d) Fulfilling requirements and guidance from agencies and organizations directly managing state secrets.

2. Persons directly managing state secrets have the following responsibilities:

"a) To implement the responsibilities prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article;"

b) Proposing authorized persons to decide on applying measures to protect state secrets they directly manage;

c) In cases where violations in the protection of state secrets are discovered, persons directly managing state secrets must take measures to address them and report to responsible persons for resolution, informing agencies and organizations determining state secrets to take corrective actions;

d) Before ceasing work, transferring jobs, retiring, or for other reasons not being assigned to continue managing state secrets, they must hand over state secrets to authorized agencies and organizations for management and commit to protecting state secrets they have managed.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS 

Article 27. Effective Date

1. This Law shall take effect from March 1, 2026.

2. The Law on Protecting State Secrets No. 29/2018/QH14, amended and supplemented by Law No. 81/2025/QH15, ceases to be effective from the date this Law comes into force.

Article 28. Transitional Provisions

This Law was passed by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the 15th term, at its tenth session on December 10, 2025.