Decree No. 28/2025/NĐ-CP on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

DECREE

                                               Regulations on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

^__________

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law on February 18, 2025;

At the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

The Government issues this Decree to stipulate the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Article 1. Position and Functions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an agency of the Government, performing the function of unified state management in foreign affairs within the political system, including: Diplomatic work, border areas, national territory, work with overseas Vietnamese communities, international treaties, international agreements, management of agencies representing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam abroad (hereinafter referred to collectively as Vietnamese representative agencies abroad) and activities of foreign agencies in Vietnam; state management of public services in fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed by law; advising on strategic orientation and organizing the implementation of foreign policy and activities of the Party and State, directing people's diplomacy and local foreign affairs work as prescribed.

b) Draft five-year and annual socio-economic development plans for the province; major economic and social balances for the province; draft five-year and annual plans, programs, projects, measures to organize and implement tasks related to socio-economic development, finance-budget, planning-investment, and other tasks within the scope of state management of the Department of Finance as prescribed by law;

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs performs tasks and powers as prescribed in the Law on the Organization of the Government, regulations of the Government on functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and implements specific tasks and powers as follows:

1. Submitting draft laws, draft resolutions of the National Assembly, draft ordinances, draft resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, draft decrees of the Government according to the annual legislative program and plan of the Government and other resolutions, projects, programs assigned by the Government and Prime Minister, submitting other draft documents within its functional and task scope as prescribed to competent authorities for approval.

2. Submitting strategies, plans, long-term, medium-term, and annual development plans, important projects, and works in sectors and fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction to the Government and Prime Minister.

3. Submitting draft decisions, directives, and other documents concerning sectors and fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction or as assigned by the Government and Prime Minister to the Prime Minister.

4. Issuing circulars and other documents on state management over sectors and fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction.

5. Directing, guiding, inspecting, and organizing the implementation of legal normative documents, strategies, plans, national target programs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction after approval; organizing information dissemination, legal education, and monitoring the enforcement of laws in sectors and fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction.

6. Regarding unified management of foreign affairs activities as prescribed:

a) Summarizing, developing annual and mid-term plans for foreign affairs activities of Party and State leaders; organizing the implementation of foreign affairs activities of Party and State leaders as prescribed;

b) Taking the lead and coordinating in formulating policies on elections at international organizations and multilateral mechanisms; organizing significant international events and establishing offices of international organizations in Vietnam according to law, reporting to competent authorities for approval;

c) Summarizing plans, urging foreign affairs activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, related agencies, and localities; guiding the implementation and advising competent authorities to conduct inspections, supervision, requiring regular and ad hoc reports from ministries, ministerial-level agencies, related agencies, and localities on the implementation of foreign affairs activities; urging the implementation of commitments and agreements signed in high-level foreign affairs activities;

d) Developing plans and organizing training, capacity building, and guidance on foreign affairs and international integration as prescribed by law;

đ) Advising, standardizing, and unifying the management of the use of commonly used foreign languages in high-level political and diplomatic activities of the Party and State;

e) Reviewing or participating in reviewing proposals submitted to competent authorities regarding foreign affairs as prescribed.

7. Managing international conferences and seminars in Vietnam under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed by law; reporting annually as required.

8. Leading and coordinating research, summarization, and proposal of issues related to the protection of state sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests of organizations and citizens of Vietnam abroad as prescribed by Vietnamese law, international law, and as assigned bythe Prime Minister.

9. Regarding research, forecasting, and strategic advice:

a) Providing timely information and advice to Party and State leaders on issues related to the world situation and Vietnam's international relations;

b) Researching, summarizing, forecasting, and advising on strategic issues related to the world situation, international relations, international law, Vietnam's political, economic, cultural relations, overseas Vietnamese, global political party and people's movement situations, parliamentary situations in countries, global and regional inter-parliamentary organizations, and other fields under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed;

c) Preparing and drafting reports of the Government for National Assembly sessions on the international situation and foreign relations of the Party and State.

10. Regarding representation in foreign affairs activities of the Party and State:

a) Representing the Party and State in foreign relations and diplomacy with countries and intergovernmental international organizations; conducting foreign affairs activities of the Party and State as prescribed;

b) Submit to the Government the establishment, adjustment of levels, or suspension of diplomatic and consular relations with countries and intergovernmental international organizations; the establishment, temporary suspension, or termination of operations of Vietnamese representative offices abroad as prescribed;

c) Recommend to the Prime Minister to submit to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for approval the nomination or removal of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary; recommend to the Prime Minister to submit to the State President for decision the dispatching or recalling of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary and representatives of the State President at international organizations;

d) Appoint and recall permanent representatives of Vietnam at international organizations, except in cases prescribed in point c of this clause; heads of Vietnamese consular offices abroad; decide on the appointment or removal of honorary consuls of Vietnam abroad;

11. Regarding state protocol work:

a) Implement state management over foreign ceremonial practices and diplomatic privileges and immunities as prescribed by law; guide and manage the implementation of diplomatic privileges and immunities and foreign ceremonial practices for foreign representative offices in Vietnam and Vietnamese representative offices abroad in accordance with Vietnamese law, international law, and international practice;

b) Implement the approval of diplomatic representatives of countries and international organizations in Vietnam and Vietnamese diplomatic representatives abroad;

c) Prepare and serve high-level delegations of the Party and State visiting other countries or attending international conferences; organize receptions for high-level delegations from other countries and international organizations visiting Vietnam as prescribed;

d) Issue identification cards for members of foreign diplomatic and consular offices, honorary consuls, and their families, and members of international organization representative offices in Vietnam as prescribed;

12. Regarding economic diplomacy work:

a) Build political foreign relations and bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks suitable to promote Vietnam's external economic relations and international economic integration;

b) Study, forecast, and provide information on global economic issues and international economic relations; coordinate advisory services and policy development to serve economic and social development and international economic integration, handle emerging issues related to external economic relations, and mobilize political and diplomatic support for external economic activities as assigned by the Government, Prime Minister, and competent authorities;

c) Advise on the development of policies, plans, and strategies for economic diplomacy to serve development and consolidation of foreign political relations; support ministries, sectors, localities, businesses, and citizens in building and implementing programs and plans for economic diplomacy activities, expanding and enhancing the effectiveness of international economic cooperation as prescribed;

13. Regarding cultural diplomacy work:

a) Develop legal foundations and policies for cultural diplomacy work; advise on handling issues related to cultural diplomacy as assigned by the Government;

b) Develop and implement domestic and international cultural diplomacy programs within the scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' state management;

c) Perform the duties of Chairman and Secretariat of the National Committee for UNESCO of Vietnam; act as the permanent body of the National Committee for UNESCO of Vietnam;

14. Regarding external information work:

a) Promote information about external activities of Party and State leaders;

b) Monitor, study, and compile foreign press opinions to serve external information work;

c) Announce Vietnam's official stance on international and external issues; organize international press conferences within the scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' authority and as prescribed by law; lead the preparation of content for interviews with Party and State leaders related to international and external issues;

d) Manage and grant permission for foreign press activities in Vietnam and accompanying foreign delegations visiting Vietnam within the scope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' authority and as prescribed;

đ) Manage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' electronic portal and Vietnamese representative offices abroad to serve external information work;

15. Regarding consular work:

a) Protect the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities abroad as prescribed;

b) Carry out consular legalization, certification, judicial delegation, civil status, nationality, adoption, entry, and exit procedures for Vietnamese citizens and foreigners under the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as prescribed;

c) Manage and direct consular work of Vietnamese representative offices abroad, honorary consulates of Vietnam abroad, and foreign affairs agencies of central provinces and cities as prescribed;

d) Carry out other consular work as prescribed by law, assignments by the Government, Prime Minister, and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party; 16. Regarding the activities of Vietnamese citizens emigrating abroad:

a) Develop policies and measures to promote legal, safe, and orderly international migration consistent with Vietnam's conditions and international practice;

b) Guide and inspect work related to the activities of Vietnamese citizens emigrating abroad;

17. Regarding Vietnamese people abroad:

a) Study, compile situations, propose and implement policies, laws concerning Vietnamese people abroad;

b) Implement national solidarity work for Vietnamese people abroad, care for and create favorable conditions to attract resources from Vietnamese people abroad; organize, support, advise, and guide overseas Vietnamese individuals and organizations in their connections with the homeland and vice versa, contributing to the country's development;

c) Support Vietnamese people abroad to stabilize their lives, integrate into the host society, preserve and promote their cultural identity, language, and fine traditions of the Vietnamese nation;

18. Regarding borders and national territory: Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies of equivalent status, and localities as prescribed:

18. Regarding the border and national territory: To take the lead and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, relevant agencies, and localities as prescribed:

a) Propose guidelines, policies, strategies, and measures, and conduct research, synthesis, and evaluation of the situation regarding land borders, territorial boundaries on land, islands, airspace, and maritime zones of Vietnam; resolve legal disputes over borders and territories; engage in political, diplomatic, legal, and public opinion struggles to protect borders, territorial integrity, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdictional rights of Vietnam on land, islands, airspace, and maritime zones;

b) Advise and propose the determination of national borders, the scope of sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdictional rights of Vietnam on land, islands, airspace, and maritime zones;

c) Advise, propose, and organize negotiations for border demarcation and territorial delimitation; determine the boundaries of airspace and maritime zones of Vietnam with neighboring countries; sign, cooperate, and organize the implementation of international treaties related to national borders and territories with relevant countries; request ministries, equivalent agencies, and related localities to report periodically or urgently on border management and protection work;

d) Advise and propose the development and implementation of guidelines, policies, strategies, planning, and development of land border gateways nationwide; advise the Government on the opening and upgrading of land border gates and measures to be implemented to protect the stability and clarity of the border line and national boundary markers; establish a national database on borders and territories;

19. Regarding the management of Vietnamese representative offices abroad:

a) Be responsible before the Government for state management of Vietnamese representative offices abroad; direct and inspect the implementation of foreign policy guidelines and state policies and the performance of functions and duties of Vietnamese representative offices abroad and their members as prescribed;

b) Organize the implementation of legal provisions on the organization and staffing of Vietnamese representative offices abroad;

c) Appoint, relieve from office, dispatch, and recall members of Vietnamese representative offices abroad according to the law, except for members of representative offices specified in point c, Clause 10, Article 10 of this Law;

d) Manage and organize financial, state asset, material, technical infrastructure, and basic construction investment work of Vietnamese representative offices abroad as prescribed;

20. Regarding the management of external activities of representatives of Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad (hereinafter referred to collectively as Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad):

a) Guide and inspect the implementation of state policies, tasks, and authorities of Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad as prescribed;

b) Support and create conditions for Vietnamese agencies and organizations abroad to perform their functions, tasks, and authorities as prescribed;

21. Manage the activities of foreign diplomatic representative offices, consular representative offices, honorary consulates, and representative offices of intergovernmental international organizations located in Vietnam as prescribed;

22. Manage non-governmental organizations from abroad in Vietnam; issue, extend, amend, supplement, and revoke registration certificates of non-governmental organizations from abroad in Vietnam as prescribed;

23. Regarding treaty and international agreement work:

a) Implement state management over treaty and international agreement work;

b) Inspect proposals for signing and joining international treaties submitted by ministries, equivalent agencies, and related agencies before submitting them to the Government, and provide opinions on international agreements proposed by other ministries, equivalent agencies, and related agencies as prescribed;

c) Advise, study, and propose negotiation strategies for international treaties related to war, peace, national sovereignty, and international treaties and agreements within the scope of functions and responsibilities as prescribed;

d) Review and compare the final texts of international treaties, coordinate with foreign parties to organize the signing ceremony of international treaties during high-level visits to foreign countries or to Vietnam, except where there are different agreements with foreign signatories or decisions made by competent authorities;

đ) Provide comments and evaluate the compatibility of draft laws and regulations with relevant international treaties that Vietnam is a member of as prescribed;

e) Establish and operate a database on international treaties of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

24. Develop and implement Vietnam's policies at multilateral forums on international law development as prescribed;

25. Manage organizational structure, staffing, job positions, salary systems, training, commendation, rewards, disciplinary actions, and other systems and policies for civil servants, public officials, and employees under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed;

26. Inspect compliance with legal provisions in areas under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' state management; organize citizen reception, complaints, and accusations; prevent and combat corruption, waste, and handle violations of law in areas under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' state management as prescribed;

27. Manage and organize financial, state asset, and basic construction investment work under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed;

28. Manage and organize administrative reform, digital transformation, technology application for electronic government and digital government, diplomatic cryptic work, information security, and safety within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction as prescribed in resolutions, programs, and plans approved by the Government and the Prime Minister; 29. Implement public service activities in areas under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' state management as prescribed;

30. Perform other tasks and powers assigned by the Government,

the Prime Minister, and authorized bodies as prescribed;1. European Department.

Article 3. Organizational Structure

2. American Department.

3. Northeast Asia Department.

3. The Northeast Asia Division.

4. Southeast Asia - South Asia - South Pacific Department.

5. Middle East - Africa Department.

6. Foreign Policy Department.

7. Economic Diplomacy Department.

8. ASEAN Department.

9. International Organizations Department.

10. Law and International Treaties Department.

11. Press Information Department.

12. Cadre Organization Department.

13. Office of the Ministry.

14. Ministry Inspectorate.

15. Cryptographic Technology and Information Technology Bureau.

16. Consular Affairs Bureau.

17. State Reception and Foreign Language Interpretation Bureau.

18. External Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy Bureau.

19. Administrative Finance Bureau.

20. Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs.

21. National Border Commission.

22. State Committee for Vietnamese Overseas.

23. Diplomatic Academy.

24. World and Vietnam Newspaper.

25. Vietnamese representative offices abroad.

The organizations specified from Clause 1 to Clause 22 of this Article are organizations assisting the Minister of Foreign Affairs in performing state management functions; the organizations specified from Clause 23 to Clause 24 of this Article are public service units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The organizations prescribed in Clause 25 of this Article are Vietnamese representative offices abroad established by the Government and directly managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The European Department is organized into five divisions; the Departments of Cadre Organization and Law and International Treaties are organized into four divisions; the Departments of Americas, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia - South Asia - South Pacific, and Middle East - Africa are organized into three divisions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall submit to the Prime Minister for approval the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Diplomatic Academy and issue a list of other public service units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall prescribe the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the organizations under the Ministry, except for the organization prescribed in Clause 23 of this Article.

Article 4. Transitional Provisions

The National Border Commission and the State Committee for Vietnamese Overseas shall continue to use seals with the National Emblem.

Article 5. Effectiveness and Responsibility for Implementation

1. This Decree shall take effect from March 1, 2025.

2. This Decree replaces Decree No. 81/2022/NĐ-CP dated October 14, 2022 of the Government prescribing the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees, and related agencies and organizations are responsible for implementing this Decree./.