Decree No. 41/2025/NĐ-CP stipulates the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion.

DECREE

Regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religion

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

At the proposal of the Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religion;

The Government promulgates this Decree to regulate the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religion.

Article 1. Position and Functions

The Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religion is an agency of the Government responsible for managing state affairs in the fields of ethnic affairs; beliefs and religions, and managing state services under its jurisdiction according to the provisions of the law.

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 Ethnic Minorities and Religion performs the tasks and powers as prescribed in the Law on the Organization of the Government, the Government's regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and implements specific tasks and powers as follows:

1. Submit to the Government 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, and programs assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

2. Submit to the Government and the Prime Minister for submission to the National Assembly to issue policies on ethnic affairs and religious beliefs within the scope of the Ministry’s management.

3. Submit to the Government and the Prime Minister strategic plans, planning, long-term, medium-term, and annual development plans, and important national projects and works within the scope of the Ministry’s management.

4. Submit to the Prime Minister draft decisions, directives, national target programs, and other documents within the scope of the Ministry’s management or as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

5. Issue circulars, decisions, directives, and other documents within the scope of the Ministry’s management.

6. Regarding ethnic affairs

a) Submit to the Government and the Prime Minister for issuance of special policies, programs, projects, and proposals for economic and social development in communes, villages, and mountainous areas with difficult socio-economic conditions, particularly those inhabited by ethnic minorities; investment and support policies to stabilize the lives of ethnic minority people; support policies and projects for people living in extremely difficult areas; conservation and development policies for very small ethnic groups and ethnic minorities facing significant difficulties; special policies for cadres and civil servants working in ethnic minority regions.

b) Submit to the Government and the Prime Minister for issuance of policies for respected individuals among ethnic minorities; submit to competent authorities for issuance of policies to develop human resources, attract, and strengthen cadres, civil servants, and public officials working in ethnic minority regions; policies to improve literacy, training, and utilization of ethnic minority cadres; special policies for cadres and civil servants in ethnic affairs agencies; policies to enable ethnic minorities to exercise their right to use their language, script, maintain their ethnic identity, customs, traditions, and culture; investment and development policies for educational institutions to meet the needs of education and training in ethnic minority regions.

c) Submit to competent authorities for issuance or issue according to authority criteria for defining ethnic minority and mountainous regions based on levels of development, lists of communes and villages classified as ethnic minority and mountainous regions based on levels of development; criteria for identifying ethnic minorities facing significant difficulties and having special difficulties.

d) Coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies in planning the allocation of resources for economic and social development and other resources for ethnic minority and mountainous regions; propose and participate in the review of programs, projects, proposals, and policies related to ethnic minority and mountainous regions as provided by law.

e) Carry out management responsibilities for specialized schools and other educational institutions when authorized by competent authorities according to the provisions of the law.

g) Conduct surveys, research, and compile information on the socio-economic development of ethnic groups, ethnic components, names, customs, and traditions of ethnic minorities, and other issues related to ethnicity.

7. Regarding beliefs and religions

a) Assist the Government in unified state management over beliefs and religions according to the provisions of the law.

b) Organize the implementation of the Party's guidelines, state policies and laws, strategies, plans, programs, proposals, and projects on beliefs and religions or related to beliefs and religions after they have been issued or approved by competent authorities.

c) Serve as the liaison point with domestic and international religious organizations, engage in religious diplomacy, and promote unity among religious communities in Vietnam.

d) Guide communities of belief and religious organizations and individuals in their activities according to the provisions of the law.

đ) Take the lead and coordinate with ministries, sectors, localities, central agencies of political-social organizations, and related organizations in disseminating information, propaganda, and mobilizing the masses to implement the Party's guidelines and state policies on beliefs and religions.

e) Uniformly manage the publication of publications, scriptures, works, teaching materials, and purely religious cultural products of communities of belief and religious organizations permitted by the State to operate.

8. Direct, guide the construction of exemplary models as outstanding collectives, individuals, and persons of influence among ethnic minority groups; commend according to authority or propose competent authorities to commend outstanding collectives and individuals with remarkable achievements in labor, production, economic and social development, maintaining security and order, and serving as role models in implementing the Party's policies and State laws in ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas; commend according to authority or propose competent authorities to commend and apply systems and policies for organizations and individuals participating in belief and religious activities.

9. Direct, guide, and be responsible for organizing the implementation of normative legal documents, strategies, plans, policies, programs, projects, proposals, national target programs, important national works, decisions, and directives issued or approved within the scope of the Ministry’s management.

10. Inspect normative legal documents issued by ministries, provincial People's Councils, and municipal People's Committees under the central government related to ethnic affairs, beliefs, and religions; participate in drafting normative legal documents related to ethnic policies, beliefs, and religions as prescribed by law.

11. Chair the mid-term review, final evaluation, and assessment of the implementation of the Party's guidelines, policies, and State laws related to the Ministry’s management scope; report to the Government and Prime Minister regularly and urgently as prescribed; serve as the unified focal point for monitoring, consolidating ethnic policies, belief, and religion policies; review and urge the implementation of ethnic policies and belief-religion policies in ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, and localities; propose competent authorities to issue, amend, supplement, and perfect ethnic policies and belief-religion policies to suit practical situations and requirements of ethnic work, belief, and religion.

12. Direct and organize propaganda and mobilization of ethnic minorities, communities with beliefs and religions, religious organizations, and individuals to implement the Party's guidelines, policies, and State laws, promote customs, traditions, and good practices of ethnic groups; disseminate, popularize, and educate laws within the Ministry’s management scope, ensuring freedom of belief and religion for organizations and individuals, equality among religions as prescribed by law; build and implement projects and programs to strengthen communication work, provide information to ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas, broadcast radio and television channels for ethnic minorities on the Internet; implement legal assistance policies for ethnic minorities.

13. Organize and direct scientific research on strategic, fundamental, and urgent issues concerning ethnic minorities and ethnic policies, beliefs, and religions; study theoretical and practical aspects of ethnic work, beliefs, and religions; apply, transfer science and technology, and protect the environment in ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas; activities to implement information technology applications and digital transformation; build infrastructure for information sharing and data within the scope of ethnic work, beliefs, and religions both inside and outside the Ministry.

14. International cooperation in fields under the Ministry’s management as prescribed by law; attract resources to support investment and development in ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas, regions with difficult socio-economic conditions, and extremely difficult conditions as prescribed by law; manage, direct, or participate in implementing programs and projects funded or invested by foreign countries and international organizations in ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas as prescribed by law.

15. Build a statistical index system and a database on ethnic work, beliefs, and religions, a database on Vietnamese ethnic minorities within the scope of the Ministry’s management.

16. Conduct inspections and checks on the implementation of policies and laws; resolve complaints, denunciations, and citizen recommendations; prevent and combat corruption, wastefulness, and illegal acts in fields under the Ministry’s management as prescribed by law.

17. Monitor, inspect, and consolidate the situation in ethnic minority regions and mountainous areas, the implementation of ethnic work, belief, and religion tasks in ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, government agencies, and localities; propose and recommend competent authorities to consider and resolve issues related to ethnic work, belief, and religion and ethnic minorities, people with beliefs and religions.

18. Receive, visit, and coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to address the wishes of ethnic minorities and people with beliefs and religions according to policies, regulations, and laws.

19. Train, enhance, and conduct specialized and vocational guidance in fields under the Ministry’s management as prescribed by law.

20. Decide and implement administrative reform plans, publicize various types of administrative procedures within the Ministry’s management scope; perform other administrative reform tasks as prescribed by law.

21. Manage state services and implement public services within the Ministry’s management scope as prescribed by law.

22. Manage organizational structure, civil servant quotas, the number of staff members, job positions, civil service grade structures, staff member structures by occupational titles; decide on appointments, reappointments, transfers, rotations, special assignments, resignations, dismissals, commendations, disciplinary actions, retirements, salary systems, and incentive policies, training, and enhancement of cadres, civil servants, staff members, and workers within the Ministry as prescribed.

23. Establish the annual state budget estimate; coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to prepare and consolidate revenue and expenditure estimates for the state budget according to sectors and fields under its management to submit to the Government; manage, organize the implementation, and settle the state budget; perform other tasks related to state budget management, finance, and assets as prescribed by law.

24. Perform other duties and powers assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister, and as prescribed by law.

Article 3. Organizational Structure

1. Department of Planning and Finance.

2. Cadre and Civil Servant Department;

3. Legal Affairs Department.

4. International Cooperation Department.

5. Inspectorate.

6. Office.

7. Government Committee on Religion.

8. Department of Ethnicity and Religion Propaganda.

9. Policy Department.

10. Digital Transformation Center.

11. Nationalities Academy.

13. Journal of Ethnicity and Religion Research.

In this Article, units specified from Clause 1 to Clause 9 are units assisting the Minister of Ethnic Affairs and Religion in performing state management functions; units specified from Clause 10 to Clause 13 are public service institutions serving the state management functions of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion.

The Government Committee on Religion is an agency at the directorate level, with organizational structure comprising seven department-level units; the Office of the Ministry and the Inspectorate of the Ministry have department-level units as prescribed.

The Department of Ethnicity and Religion Propaganda has two branches located in Dak Lak Province and Can Tho City.

The Minister of Ethnic Affairs and Religion shall submit to the Prime Minister for issuance the list of other public service institutions directly subordinate to the Ministry as prescribed.

Article 4. Effective date

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

2. This Decree replaces Decree No. 66/2022/NĐ-CP dated September 20, 2022 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs; abolishes Clause 14, Article 2 of Decree No. 63/2022/NĐ-CP dated September 12, 2022 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Article 5. Responsibilities for Implementation

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