Decision No. 37/2008/QD-TTg Approves the Popularization and Legal Education Program from 2008 to 2012

Pursuant to …;

Approve the Program on Popularizing and Educating Law from 2008 to 2012

_________________________

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Justice,

DECISION:

Article 1. This Decision promulgates the Program on Popularizing and Educating Law from 2008 to 2012.

Article 2. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 3. The Minister of Justice shall be responsible for guiding, inspecting, and urging the implementation of the Program on Popularizing and Educating Law issued together with this Decision.

The Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to ministries, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.

PROGRAM

Popularizing and Educating Law from 2008 to 2012

____________________

(Issued together with Decision No. 37/2008/QĐ-TTg dated March 12, 2008 of the Government Prime Minister)

A. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS

I. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

Continue to create a strong shift in awareness regarding respect for and compliance with laws among cadres, officials, and citizens; innovate methods of organizing and implementing programs on popularizing and educating law, and improve the quality of human resources involved in these activities; promptly and regularly disseminate legal content suitable for different groups and regions; effectively organize nationwide work on popularizing and educating law, contributing to the establishment and improvement of a socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam by the people, for the people.

2. Specific objectives

By the end of 2012, the work on popularizing and educating law aims to achieve the following specific goals:

a) From 80 to 90 percent of the population nationwide will be informed about general laws and specialized legal documents relevant to each community group according to different areas and target groups;

b) At least 95 percent of cadres, civil servants, and public employees will be equipped with legal knowledge related to their professional fields;

c) 95 percent of employers will be informed about legal regulations related to business operations; 70 percent of workers will be informed about laws concerning citizens' rights and obligations and labor rights;

d) 100 percent of military personnel will be provided with legal knowledge on national security, defense, and other relevant legal provisions directly related to their duties;

đ) At least 95 percent of young people will be informed about and educated on laws directly related to them;

e) From 95 to 100 percent of legal documents directly related to overseas Vietnamese and foreigners residing in Vietnam will be disseminated through appropriate forms.

II. REQUIREMENTS

1. Work on popularizing and educating law is part of political and ideological education, a task of the entire political system under the leadership of the Party.

2. Inherit results, ensure continuity, and develop in the implementation of contents, forms, and measures for disseminating laws to target groups proposed in the Program on Popularizing and Educating Law from 2003 to 2007.

3. Continue to diversify forms of popularizing and educating law, ensuring a harmonious combination between traditional forms and new forms that are effectively applied in practice; select legal content suitable for each target group and area.

4. Dissemination, popularization, and education on law must ensure comprehensiveness, appropriateness, effectiveness, and synchronization. The program not only provides information and educates on law but also includes mobilizing cadres and citizens to comply with laws to enhance their awareness of law compliance and reduce violations.

5. Link legal education with moral education, cultural tradition education, and cultivate voluntary and self-disciplined awareness in cadres, civil servants, and citizens to seek and comply with laws. Work on popularizing and educating law must be conducted in conjunction with the implementation of laws and the movement "Learning and Practicing the Virtues of President Ho Chi Minh" throughout the Party, the whole people, and the entire military.

6. Reasonably invest in facilities, conditions, and forms of popularizing and educating law, especially in areas where many law violations occur and in regions with difficult socio-economic conditions. Mobilize community resources and support from foreign organizations to participate in work on popularizing and educating law and mobilizing citizens to comply with laws.

B. MAIN CONTENTS

1. Focus on disseminating and educating law to six target groups: cadres, civil servants, public employees; urban residents, rural residents, ethnic minority groups; military personnel; young people; employers and workers in enterprises; foreigners residing in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese.

Legal content selected for dissemination should be suitable for each target group and area. Focus on disseminating legal documents directly related to the lives of cadres and citizens and those legal norms issued by the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, and other competent state agencies. Emphasize the dissemination and popularization of legal provisions related to international economic integration; anti-corruption; thrift and anti-waste; prevention and control of social evils; traffic safety; food hygiene and safety; implementation of grassroots democracy regulations...

2. Improve the quality of human resources engaged in work on popularizing and educating law from central to local levels. Invest in material infrastructure, equipment, modern technology, and means to meet the requirements of work on popularizing and educating law in the current situation.

3. Innovate and enhance the effectiveness of existing forms and measures for popularizing and educating law; widely implement new forms of popularizing and educating law that are proving effective in practice. Intensify work on popularizing and educating law at the grassroots level.

4. Establish and gradually improve the institutional framework for the dissemination and education of laws in accordance with economic and social conditions, meeting the requirements of political and ideological education work. Draft and submit to the National Assembly for promulgation the Law on Dissemination and Education of Laws.

5. Enhance the effectiveness of the organization and implementation of ministries, sectors, People's Committees at all levels, and the active participation of mass organizations and political-social organizations in the work of disseminating and educating laws.

6. Key projects of the Program

a) The first project: Propaganda and dissemination of laws to rural residents and ethnic minority groups

- Lead agency: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

- Coordinating agencies: Ministry of Justice, Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Vietnam Farmers' Union, Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union.

b) The second project: Consolidate, improve, and enhance the quality of human resources in the work of disseminating and educating laws to meet the requirements of reform and development of the country

- Lead agency: Ministry of Justice;

- Coordinating agencies: Ministry of Home Affairs, Central Propaganda Department.

c) The third project: Enhance the quality of the work of disseminating and educating laws in schools

- Lead agency: Ministry of Education and Training;

- Coordinating agencies: Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, National Academy of Political Administration and Public Administration.

d) The fourth project: Propaganda and dissemination of laws to workers and employers in various types of enterprises

- Lead agency: Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

- Coordinating agencies: Ministry of Justice, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

7. Develop and implement key projects of the Program. Link the implementation of the Program with the Projects under the National Program on Dissemination and Education of Laws and Enhancing Legal Compliance Awareness among Cadres and People in Communes, Wards, and Towns from 2005 to 2010 (annexed to Decision No. 212/2004/QĐ-TTg dated December 16, 2004 of the Government Prime Minister) and integrate it with other Programs for economic and social development.

C. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES OF THE PROGRAM

1. Strengthening, developing, and enhancing the quality of human resources for the work of disseminating and educating laws

a) Strengthen and improve the cadre team working on the dissemination and education of laws at all levels, legal officers, civil servants of law enforcement agencies. Regularly organize courses on theoretical political training, training in knowledge and skills for the dissemination and education of laws, and competitions for outstanding personnel in the dissemination and education of laws to encourage and create favorable conditions for cadres and civil servants to continuously improve their professional knowledge and skills, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and quality of their work. Promote the role of the cadre team of propaganda and education reporters at all levels in the dissemination and education of laws;

b) Build, train, provide legal materials and other necessary support conditions to enhance the quality of the cadre team of reporters, propagandists, journalists, editors in law in news agencies, publishing houses, teachers of civic education and law subjects, ensuring sufficient quantity, good moral character, appropriate qualifications, professional expertise, and practical experience. Pay attention to training and improving foreign language and ethnic language skills for cadres working on the dissemination and education of laws in relevant areas;

c) Leverage the roles of lawyers, trade union officials, Young Communist League cadres, volunteer youth teams, cadres of political-social organizations, social organizations, and occupational social organizations to carry out the dissemination and education of laws.

2. Reform and enhance the quality and effectiveness of methods and measures for the dissemination and education of laws

Depending on the target audience for the dissemination and education of laws and the specific conditions of ministries, sectors, and localities, the following main forms and methods will be implemented:

a) Strengthen oral introduction of legal provisions through propaganda activities

Effectively implement Directive No. 17-CT/TW dated October 15, 2007 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on continuing to innovate and enhance the quality and effectiveness of oral propaganda in new circumstances. Train and introduce new legal documents and those related to the professional duties and daily lives of cadres and people. Emphasize organizing propaganda and dissemination down to the grassroots level and individual citizens. Innovate the method of introducing legal documents towards increasing dialogue, discussion, and answering questions from the audience to enhance their initiative in receiving legal knowledge.

b) Enhance the quality of teaching and learning laws in schools at all educational levels and training programs

- Develop, perfect, and strictly implement curricula for legal education suitable for each educational level and training program; reform teaching and learning methods towards enhancing students' and trainees' initiative and practicality in lectures;

- Increase extracurricular activities, creating opportunities for students and trainees to participate in political and legal activities, and law students need to be exposed to legislative and law enforcement activities;

- Research, develop, and apply tools to support teaching and learning civic education and law subjects, including textbooks, reference materials, video discs, visual aids;

- Establish research and legal advisory centers at law undergraduate training institutions to provide opportunities for students to hone their theoretical knowledge and practical application skills;

- Organize competitions for excellent teachers and students in civic education and law subjects.

c) Enhance the effectiveness of propaganda, dissemination, and education of laws through mass media

- Actively mobilize the strength and advantages of mass media in disseminating and educating the law; launch new columns, increase broadcasting time, ensure accuracy in content, and diversify forms to make them attractive. Enhance guidance and direction for public opinion when disseminating and informing about laws. Pay attention to propaganda and dissemination of laws through ethnic minority languages and foreign languages in the press.

- Maximize the use of local radio and television means in disseminating and educating the law; invest in equipping material and technical facilities for propaganda, dissemination, and education activities; increase the quantity and quality of various types of legal materials to support the dissemination and education of laws through the grassroots loudspeaker system.

d) Diversify types of propaganda, dissemination, and education materials, including: books, pamphlets, tapes, video discs, audio discs, calendars, posters. General legal publications need to be distributed free to the people. Focus on bilingual materials for ethnic minorities, foreigners in Vietnam, and overseas Vietnamese.

đ) Improve the efficiency of management, exploitation, and utilization of legal materials from village, town, ward legal libraries and legal libraries at agencies, units, enterprises, and schools.

- Based on the list of legal documents that have expired announced by competent authorities, People's Committees at commune, town, ward levels, agencies, units, enterprises, and schools shall review, update, and supplement new legal books suitable for the needs of cadres and the public, focusing on general legal books and legal question-and-answer books. Exploit effectively the Official Gazette and legal materials in the legal library. Build a movement of reading legal books among the people.

 - Diversify types of legal libraries. Move towards combining traditional legal libraries with electronic legal libraries. Promote the circulation of legal books between village, town, ward legal libraries and post offices, community houses, neighborhood cultural houses, legal libraries, and legal bookcases at agencies, units, enterprises, and schools. Maintain, consolidate, and develop special legal libraries for regions and areas.

e) Leverage the role of grassroots mediation activities in the dissemination, promotion, and education of laws.

- Strengthen and consolidate the cadre team managing mediation work from central to grassroots levels.

- Reform training programs on legal knowledge and mediation skills for grassroots mediators, focusing on judicial officers at commune, town, and ward levels, and mediators who are ethnic minorities.

- Regularly provide materials, organize exchanges, and competitions to facilitate meetings, exchanges, and learning experiences for mediators.

g) Enhance the dissemination and education of laws through the activities of various types of legal clubs.

- Improve the effectiveness of legal club activities. Focus on reforming legal propaganda activities at clubs towards specialized legal discussions, exchanging, and answering practical legal situations; ensuring funding partly from the state budget and based on contributions from organizations and individuals to maintain club activities.

- Continue to integrate legal content into the activities of other types of clubs. Leverage the effectiveness of enterprise legal system clubs to attract participation and promptly meet the needs of enterprises to understand and apply laws.

- Encourage cadres, civil servants, and employees trained in law to participate in organizing and engaging in legal club activities.

h) Reform and diversify legal knowledge quiz formats, cultural and artistic activities incorporating legal content.

Leverage the effectiveness of writing contests, staged legal quizzes, and legal quizzes on television; organize online legal quizzes; focus on integrating legal content into exchange and cultural activities. Develop film and stage works, hold literary creation camps on legal topics.

i) Vigorously develop legal counseling, legal aid, provision of legal texts, and fully utilize information technology in the dissemination and education of laws, testing online legal consultation forms on the Internet.

- Strengthen the combination of legal dissemination and education with mobile legal aid for particularly difficult mountainous, remote, and ethnic minority areas to address the public's need for legal consultations. Expand and improve the quality of various types of legal aid, legal counseling centers, and legal advisory groups under political and social organizations.

- Test online legal consultation forms via email, sending responses through postal services, and conducting online exchanges on the Internet.

- Establish websites providing free legal texts.

k) Strengthen the dissemination, promotion, and education of laws through the enforcement activities of state agencies.

- Implement the integration of legal dissemination and education through investigation, prosecution, trial activities, and the enforcement of duties by inspection, market management, forestry, customs, tax agencies...

- Develop and implement training and capacity-building programs on laws and legal dissemination and education skills for specific target groups.

l) Organize the dissemination, promotion, and education of laws through the establishment and implementation of village, town, ward regulations, organizational rules, and social group charters; integrate with ongoing economic and social programs; launch high-point campaigns and months of high-point implementation and compliance with laws. Implement family commitments not to have members violating laws. Build bright spots on law compliance in communities.

m) Conduct public opinion surveys to collect feedback from officials and citizens on the effectiveness of law enforcement, information dissemination needs, and legal education requirements, thereby adjusting the content, form, and methods of legal dissemination and education to meet practical demands.

Public opinion surveys should be conducted through various methods: soliciting opinions on draft laws; conducting direct surveys via interviews, questionnaires, suggestion boxes; establishing special sections on information needs and legal dissemination and education on mass media platforms; collecting requests for legal dissemination and education from the public through Bar Associations, Law Societies, legal consulting companies, Legal Aid Centers, and other social organizations.

3. Improve the institutional framework for legal dissemination and education work

a) Draft the Law on Legal Dissemination and Education to be submitted to the National Assembly's XIIth session; promptly issue guiding documents upon the law's passage;

b) Review, amend, and supplement regulations on managing and using funds to ensure timely and adequate support for legal dissemination and education work;

Study and develop support systems for legal dissemination and education staff, including lecturers and propagandists.

4. Invest in funding and physical infrastructure for legal dissemination and education work

- Invest in physical infrastructure, enhance the application of modern technology and equipment to improve the effectiveness of legal dissemination and education work;

- Mobilize voluntary participation and contributions from agencies, organizations, and enterprises for legal dissemination and education activities.

D. FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM

1. Funding for the implementation of the legal dissemination and education program will be allocated annually in the state budget plan for ministries, sectors, central agencies, and localities according to current state budget classification, and mobilized from voluntary contributions of organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally as stipulated by law.

2. Funds for implementing the Program must be managed and utilized effectively and in accordance with the law.

D. ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

I. TIMEFRAME FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM

1. In 2008: Ministries, sectors, and localities shall develop plans to implement the Program; ministries and sectors assigned to lead projects shall be responsible for drafting detailed projects and submitting them to the Prime Minister for approval.

2. From 2009 to 2012: Implement the Program's contents and key projects. In 2010, conduct a mid-term review and evaluation, and propose solutions to achieve the Program's objectives.

3. In 2012: Conduct a final review and evaluation of the Program's implementation results, affirm suitable models of legal dissemination and education, draw necessary lessons and experiences to effectively carry out legal dissemination and education work in the next phase.

II. ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ministry of Justice:

a) Direct, guide, urge, and monitor all levels and sectors to effectively implement the Program; annually compile and report implementation results to the Prime Minister, and propose main solutions to effectively implement the Program;

b) Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to draft detailed key projects of the Program to submit to the Prime Minister for approval;

c) Develop and perfect mechanisms and policies for managing and directing the implementation of the Program; lead in proposing solutions to strengthen the cadre working in legal dissemination and education at central and local levels;

d) Serve as the permanent body of the Government's Coordination Council for Legal Dissemination and Education, responsible for directing and guiding the activities of the Coordination Council for Legal Dissemination and Education in ministries, sectors, and localities;

đ) Direct and guide the Department of Justice to advise provincial People's Committees on issuing documents on legal dissemination and education work and organizing their implementation locally;

e) Provide legal information, compile and distribute materials to serve the implementation of the Program. Direct, guide, and inspect the construction, management, and utilization of legal libraries at communes, wards, towns, agencies, enterprises, and schools. Lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to implement the circulation of legal books between village post offices and commune libraries to enrich the types of books and make them more relevant to people's needs;

g) Inspect, evaluate, and implement reward systems or propose rewards for outstanding achievements in implementing the legal dissemination and education program;

h) Lead in building and implementing the project: Consolidating, improving, and enhancing the quality of human resources in legal dissemination and education work to meet the requirements of national reform and development.

2. Ministry of Education and Training:

a) Direct legal education in schools, incorporating appropriate legal education content into all levels of education and training programs. Coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to complete curricula, textbooks, and teaching materials for civic education and law courses that combine theory and practice seamlessly, emphasizing learning and doing. Select reasonable, systematic, and effective legal content;

b) Supplement the number and improve the quality of teachers for civic education and law lecturers. Develop policies for supplementary training, upgrading, standardization, and appropriate remuneration for civic education and law teachers and lecturers;

c) Develop and apply tools to support teaching and learning in civic education and law courses;

d) Regularly inspect and evaluate the teaching of civic education and law courses in schools;

đ) Lead in building and effectively implementing the project: Improving the quality of legal dissemination and education work in schools.

3. The Ministry of Information and Communications:

a) Direct the establishment, consolidation, maintenance, and improvement of the quality of specialized pages and columns on legal information and dissemination serving officials and the public on newspapers, radio stations, and online news sites;

b) Direct the consolidation and development of specialized journalists and editors for legal affairs at central and local mass media agencies. Regularly provide legal knowledge and journalism training to ensure accurate propaganda in line with the Party's policies and State laws.

4. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism:

a) Guide and direct the construction, consolidation, and improvement of grassroots cultural-information systems to disseminate legal content to the people through cultural, artistic, festival, competition, performance activities, community house, club, exhibition activities, and integrate legal propaganda through cultural, sports, and tourism activities on major national holidays;

b) Propagate exemplary models of good people and deeds, advanced examples in compliance with the law; combat superstition, outdated customs, domestic violence, social evils, and violent, obscene cultural products, unhealthy phenomena in lifestyle and cultural activities.

5. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs:

a) Direct and guide the dissemination and education of laws in areas such as employment, vocational training, labor, wages, social insurance, occupational safety and health for enterprises and policies and laws for persons with meritorious service, social assistance, child protection and care, gender equality, prevention and control of social evils;

b) Take the lead in building and effectively implementing the project: legal propaganda and dissemination to workers and employers in various types of enterprises.

6. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a) Direct and guide the dissemination and education of laws for subjects under its management as approved by the Program;

b) Take the lead in building and effectively implementing the project: legal propaganda and dissemination to rural residents and ethnic minority groups.

7. The Ministry of Finance:

a) Allocate the annual budget for Ministries, sectors, and localities to effectively implement the Program and projects issued along with this Program in accordance with the State Budget Law;

b) Organize reviews, amendments, and supplements to regulations on the management and use of funds to ensure timely and adequate support for legal dissemination and education work;

c) Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to study and promulgate legal provisions on support policies for legal dissemination and education staff.

8. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to carry out legal propaganda, dissemination, and education for foreigners in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese.

9. The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, direct and guide the dissemination and education of laws within armed forces.

10. Mass media agencies, especially Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam Radio, continue to consolidate, build, and maintain special sections and columns for legal information dissemination to serve cadres and the public; increase broadcasting time on legal propaganda, dissemination, and education; Vietnam Television take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to research the possibility of establishing a public television channel on law.

11. Ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries, and government-affiliated agencies

a) Based on the Program and actual conditions, ministries and sectors proactively develop long-term and annual programs and plans for legal dissemination and education to be implemented within their respective sectors; bear primary responsibility for disseminating, informing, and guiding the implementation of legal documents issued or primarily drafted by their sectors for submission to competent authorities; coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, central-level organizations, and local authorities to implement legal propaganda, dissemination, and education for cadres, the public, members, and affiliates; allocate legal professionals to oversee and implement legal dissemination and education work; improve and enhance the effectiveness of the Legal Dissemination and Education Coordination Councils at ministries and sectors;

b) Ensure financial resources from the state budget to implement legal dissemination and education work according to current financial regulations;

c) Conduct quarterly and annual inspections, summaries, and evaluations of the implementation of legal dissemination and education work; report results to the Ministry of Justice for compilation and reporting to the Government;

d) Ministries and sectors assigned to lead projects have the responsibility to coordinate with related ministries and sectors and provincial People's Committees to effectively organize and implement approved projects by the Prime Minister;

đ) Ministries and sectors assigned to lead the implementation of Projects, based on the detailed objectives and contents of the Projects, prepare budget estimates to submit to the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and submission to competent state authorities for approval and inclusion in the annual state budget estimate.

12. Request the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy to direct and guide the dissemination and education of laws to cadres and the public through investigative, prosecution, and trial activities; train and enhance the skills of prosecutors, judges, and people's assessors in methods and techniques for legal dissemination and education.

13. Request the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and its member organizations to proactively and cooperatively engage with state agencies to actively mobilize the public to voluntarily seek knowledge of laws, strictly comply with laws, intensify supervision over the enforcement of laws by state agencies and civil servants; propose to functional agencies to handle violations of laws seriously.

14. People's Committees at all levels

a) Based on this Program, guidance from ministries and sectors, the Government's Legal Dissemination and Education Coordination Council, and local realities, People's Committees proactively develop and implement programs and plans for legal dissemination and education;

b) Enhance the quality of human resources engaged in legal dissemination and education at the local level;

c) Ensure funding from the state budget to effectively implement the Popularization and Legal Education Program; integrate activities of this Program with other related programs and projects in the same locality;

Issue guidelines for managing and using funds for popularizing and educating the law at the local level. Provide support mechanisms for the team of legal reporters, propagandists, mediators, and those involved in legal propaganda, popularization, and education work.

d) Direct the consolidation and improvement of the organization and operation of the Popularization and Legal Education Coordination Council at all levels;

The consolidation and improvement of the Council's organization must ensure enhanced operational effectiveness, be appropriate to specific characteristics and circumstances, adhere to practical and effective principles, and be carried out strictly.

Regularly conduct mid-term reviews, evaluations, and report annually to the Ministry of Justice on the results of implementing the Program. Implement reward systems for collectives and individuals who achieve outstanding results in this work.

15. Within their scope of functions and responsibilities, the Popularization and Legal Education Coordination Councils at all levels shall be responsible for organizing and implementing this Program./.