Law on Youth No. 53/2005/QH11

Chapter 1:

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Youth

Youth as defined in this Law are Vietnamese citizens aged from sixteen to thirty years old.

Article 2. Scope of Application

1. This Law stipulates the rights and obligations of youth; the responsibilities of the State, family, and society towards youth; and youth organizations.

2. This Law applies to state agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations, economic organizations, public service units, people's armed forces units, and Vietnamese citizens (hereinafter referred to as agencies, organizations, and individuals).

3. Foreign agencies, organizations, and individuals, and overseas Vietnamese residing abroad who operate within the territory of Vietnam and are related to Vietnamese youth shall also be subject to the provisions of this Law; in cases where international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party provide otherwise, such treaties shall apply.

Article 3. Rights and Obligations of Youth

1. Youth have the rights and obligations of citizens as prescribed by the Constitution and laws, as well as the rights and obligations as prescribed by this Law.

2. Regardless of ethnicity, gender, social stratum, religious beliefs, cultural level, or profession, youth are respected and treated equally in terms of rights and obligations.

Article 4. Responsibilities of the State, Family, and Society towards Youth

1. Youth are the future of the country, a powerful social force with great potential, and a vanguard in the cause of building and defending the homeland. Training, nurturing, and promoting youth is the responsibility of the State, family, and society.

2. The State has policies to create favorable conditions for youth to study, work, entertain, develop physical and intellectual capabilities, nurture moral values, national traditions, civic consciousness, and the will to strive for the goal of a wealthy people, a strong country, a fair, democratic, and civilized society.

3. Agencies, organizations, families, and individuals have the responsibility to contribute positively to caring for, training, nurturing, and promoting the role of youth.

Article 5. State Management of Youth Work

1. The contents of state management of youth work include:

a) Issuing and implementing normative legal documents, strategies, policies, programs for youth development and youth work;

b) Training, nurturing, and building a cadre of personnel for youth work;

c) Inspecting, supervising, resolving complaints and denunciations, and handling violations in the implementation of policies and laws on youth and youth work;

d) Managing international cooperation activities in youth work.

2. The responsibilities of state management of youth work are specified as follows:

a) The Government exercises unified state management over youth work;

b) Ministries and ministerial-level agencies perform state management functions over youth work according to the division of labor by the Government;

c) People's Committees at all levels implement state management over youth work in their respective localities according to the delegation of authority by the Government.

Article 6. National Committee for Youth Affairs of Vietnam

The National Committee for Youth Affairs of Vietnam is an advisory body to the Prime Minister on youth work. The organization and operation of the National Committee for Youth Affairs of Vietnam are regulated by the Prime Minister.

Article 7. International Cooperation on Youth Work

1. International cooperation on youth work with other countries and international organizations shall be conducted on the principle of equality, respect for sovereignty, and in accordance with the laws of each country and international practices.

2. The contents of international cooperation on youth work include:

a) Building and implementing international cooperation programs and projects on youth work;

b) Participating in international organizations, signing, joining, and implementing international agreements on youth work;

c) Youth exchanges; exchanging information and experiences on youth work.

Article 8. Prohibited Acts

1. Strictly prohibit young people from engaging in the following acts:

a) Transporting, purchasing, selling, storing, and using narcotics illegally;

b) Engaging in prostitution, gambling, and other social evils;

c) Purchasing, selling, exchanging, storing, and using harmful cultural products;

d) Disrupting public order.

2. Strictly prohibit organizations and individuals from enticing, recruiting, or forcing young people to engage in the acts specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

Chapter 2:

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF YOUTH

Article 9. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Education

1. Right to education and equal opportunities for education.

2. Actively study to complete universal education programs and strive to pursue higher levels of education; continuously study to improve academic, professional, and vocational qualifications; participate in building a school cultural environment; be honest in studying.

3. Proactively participate in educational development programs and training, contributing to building a learning society.

Article 10. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Labor

1. Labor to establish oneself, build a career, earn legitimate wealth, and contribute to national construction.

2. Proactively access labor market information; choose employment and workplaces suitable for personal abilities and societal needs.

3. Cultivate industrial manners, management and business capabilities, comply with labor discipline; promote innovation and technological improvements; enhance vocational qualifications to meet scientific and technological development requirements.

4. Proactively implement economic and social development programs in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions and extremely difficult socio-economic conditions.

Article 11. Rights and Obligations of Youth in National Defense

1. National defense is a sacred duty and noble right of young people.

2. Right to undergo national defense education programs; fulfill military service obligations, and join armed forces as prescribed by law.

3. Participate in building a people's national defense system; maintain state secrets; proactively combat actions that harm national security and public order and safety.

Article 12. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Scientific and Technological Activities and Environmental Protection 1. Right to conduct scientific and technological research and apply technical progress to production and daily life.

2. Be honest and cooperative in scientific and technological research.

3. Participate in environmental protection activities; use natural resources rationally; combat actions that destroy natural resources and the environment.

Article 13. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Cultural, Artistic, Recreational, and Entertainment Activities

1. Right to participate in healthy cultural, artistic, recreational, and entertainment activities.

2. Continuously cultivate moral character, cultural manners, and appropriate behavior; practice civilized lifestyles.

3. Preserve and promote national cultural identity; protect cultural heritage; actively participate in building community cultural life.

3. Preserve and promote the national cultural identity, protect cultural heritage; actively participate in building community cultural life.

Article 14. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Protecting Health and Engaging in Physical Exercise and Sports Activities

1. To be protected, cared for, guided to enhance health, develop healthy living skills, and prevent diseases.

2. To be cared for in physical development; actively participate in physical exercise and sports activities, and physical training.

3. To prevent and combat HIV/AIDS; prevent and combat drug abuse and other social evils.

Article 15. Rights and Obligations of Youth in Marriage and Family

1. To be educated on knowledge about marriage and family, to voluntarily and progressively implement monogamous marriage, gender equality, and build happy families.

2. To maintain and promote the fine traditions of the Vietnamese family; respect grandparents, parents, and elders; care for and educate children and younger siblings within the family.

3. To serve as role models in implementing laws on marriage and family, population, and family planning.

Article 16. Rights and Obligations of Youth in State Administration and Society

1. To enhance civic awareness, comply with the law, and contribute to building a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people.

2. To be eligible for nomination and election to the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels as prescribed by law; to express opinions, aspirations, and proposals to agencies and organizations regarding issues of concern; to participate in providing feedback on policies and laws related to youth and other policies and laws.

3. To participate in propaganda and mobilization of the people to implement state policies and laws.

Chapter 3:

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STATE, FAMILY, AND SOCIETY TOWARDS YOUTH

Article 17. In Education and Scientific and Technological Activities

1. The State shall have policies to create favorable conditions for youth to complete universal education programs, to acquire vocational training, and to have opportunities to advance to higher levels of study; to exempt, reduce tuition fees, and provide scholarships; to provide loans for youth to pursue studies; to supply textbooks and support living expenses for poor households' youth to complete universal education programs; to create conditions for youth to participate in scientific and technological activities, apply technical progress to production and daily life, and support the implementation of innovative ideas in scientific and technological activities; to encourage the contributions of organizations and individuals in assisting youth in their studies and scientific research., 2. Schools shall have the responsibility to implement comprehensive educational goals on morality, intellect, physical fitness, and aesthetics; to provide vocational guidance, enhance self-study capabilities, practical skills, and scientific thinking methods for youth.

3. Families shall have the responsibility to care for youth in their studies, to help them complete universal education programs, and to develop their talents; to cooperate with schools in educating correct attitudes towards learning, cultivating good study habits, and guiding youth in career orientation.

Article 18. In Labor

1. The State shall have policies to encourage organizations and individuals to address employment for youth; to offer tax incentives, credit, and land benefits to develop vocational education to meet diverse vocational training needs of youth; to develop a system of advisory services to help youth access the labor market; to prioritize vocational training and job placement for rural youth, youth after completing military service, and voluntary youth after completing economic and social development programs; poor household youth shall be eligible for loans from the National Employment Fund, poverty alleviation fund, and preferential credit to develop production, business, services, and self-employment.

2. The State shall establish mechanisms and policies to enable youth organizations to mobilize youth to implement economic and social development programs in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions, extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, and other programs to provide youth with opportunities to strive, train, establish themselves, and start businesses.

3. The State shall have policies to offer tax incentives, credit, and land benefits to encourage enterprises to provide accommodation for young workers, and for individuals to construct rental housing and sell housing to youth on installment terms with reasonable duration and prices in areas with concentrated young workers.

4. Families shall have the responsibility to educate youth on work ethics, respect their career and job choices; to create conditions for youth to secure employment.

4. The family has the responsibility to educate labor awareness, respect the career and job choices of young people; create conditions for young people to have employment.

Article 19. In national defense

1. The State shall have the responsibility to ensure that young people are educated and trained in national defense knowledge, patriotic traditions, and awareness of building and defending the socialist Fatherland.

            2. Agencies, organizations, individuals within their respective functions, and families shall have the responsibility to encourage, educate, and create conditions for young people to complete general military training programs, fulfill their military service obligations, reserve forces, and participate in self-defense militia units as prescribed by law.

Article 20. In cultural, artistic, recreational, and entertainment activities

1. The State shall adopt policies to develop and encourage organizations and individuals to invest in and build cultural, artistic, recreational, and entertainment facilities to meet the spiritual cultural needs of young people; support young people in creative cultural and artistic activities; create conditions for young people to preserve and promote national cultural values and absorb the finest cultural achievements of humanity.

2. People's Committees at all levels shall be responsible for building cultural, artistic, recreational, and entertainment facilities for young people.

Such cultural, artistic, recreational, and entertainment facilities for young people shall not be used for other purposes that would affect the interests of young people.

3. Families shall have the responsibility to educate personality, build a civilized lifestyle, and guide young people in preventing and combating social evils.

Article 21. In health protection and physical education and sports activities

1. The State shall adopt policies to invest and encourage organizations and individuals to build healthcare facilities and physical education and sports venues; improve the quality of health care for young people; organize counseling for young people on nutrition, mental health, reproductive health, life skills, drug prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and other social diseases.

2. Families shall have the responsibility to enhance the health and physical development of young people; encourage young people to engage in physical exercise and sports; maintain healthy living habits.

3. Youth organizations shall have the responsibility to mobilize young people not to become addicted to alcohol, not to get drunk, and not to smoke cigarettes.

Article 22. In marriage and family

1. Families shall have the responsibility to respect the rights of young people in marriage and family; educate friendship, love, and necessary skills for young people to organize family life.

2. The State shall adopt policies to encourage organizations and individuals to participate in developing counseling activities on love, marriage, family, and family planning for young people.

3. The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and other youth organizations shall cooperate with schools and families to promote and mobilize young people to practice progressive marriage and build happy families.

Article 23. In participating in state administration and social management

1. The State shall adopt policies to plan, train, and develop young people to build a cadre of young managers and leaders; create conditions for young people to participate in state administration and social management.

2. Agencies and organizations shall have the responsibility to seek the opinions of young people or youth organizations before deciding on policies and guidelines related to young people.

3. The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and other youth organizations shall have the responsibility to study the needs and aspirations of young people to make recommendations to state agencies for resolution and to create conditions for young people to develop.

Article 24. State policy towards ethnic minority youth

1. Enhance the quality of education at boarding schools for ethnic minorities, half-board schools for ethnic minorities, and preparatory universities; implement preferential policies to ensure that the right candidates are selected for training in required fields and professions; waive or reduce tuition fees, provide textbooks, and other preferential policies as stipulated by law to create conditions for ethnic minority youth in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to have opportunities to study and access information.

2. Encourage and support ethnic minority youth in preserving and promoting their ethnic cultural identity, building civilized lifestyles, and struggling against outdated customs and practices.

3. Prioritize vocational training, employment, and loans for production development, applying technological progress to production and daily life, and enhancing the dynamism of ethnic minority youth in labor and production to improve their quality of life.

4. Train and develop outstanding ethnic minority youth to become sources of management and leadership cadres.

Article 25. State policy towards voluntary youth

1. The State has mechanisms and policies to promote the vanguard role of voluntary youth forces in implementing economic and social development programs and projects in difficult regions and sectors, urgent tasks of the State; ensure conditions for voluntary youth forces to complete assigned tasks.

2. The State implements the following policies for voluntary youth cadres and members:

a) Exempt from performing public service duties; defer conscription during peacetime when working in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions or particularly difficult socio-economic conditions;

b) Recognize them as martyrs and enjoy benefits equivalent to those of war invalids if they sacrifice or get injured while on duty according to the law;

c) Create conditions for them to study to enhance educational and vocational qualifications, engage in cultural and artistic activities, recreation, sports, health protection; give priority to job placement after completing their tasks.

Article 26. State policy towards talented youth

1. The State has mechanisms and policies to identify, train, develop, and utilize young people with talents and outstanding achievements in studies, scientific and technological activities, labor, production, business management, national defense and security, culture, arts, sports to become talents.

2. Honor and create conditions for talented youth to develop and work to fully utilize their contributions to the country.

Article 27. State policy towards disabled youth, severely disabled youth, youth infected with HIV/AIDS, youth after drug rehabilitation, after reform

1. Implement policies for disabled youth and severely disabled youth to study culture, learn trades, find suitable jobs, and enjoy healthcare services; be exempted or reduced in tuition fees at public educational institutions; be exempted or reduced in medical fees when seeking treatment at state healthcare facilities; participate in social activities, cultural and sports activities.

2. Youth infected with HIV/AIDS, youth after drug rehabilitation, and youth after reform are provided with conditions for treatment, care, recovery of health, studying culture, learning trades, finding jobs, and overcoming stigma to integrate into society.

Youth infected with HIV/AIDS without a place to stay or whose families cannot afford to care for them will be cared for at facilities established by the State, organizations, or individuals in accordance with the law.

3. Encourage agencies, organizations, families, and individuals to participate in caring for and assisting disabled youth, severely disabled youth, youth infected with HIV/AIDS, youth after drug rehabilitation, and youth after reform to integrate into society.

Chapter 4:

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STATE, FAMILY, AND SOCIETY IN PROTECTING AND DEVELOPING YOUTH FROM AGE SIXTEEN TO UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD

Article 28. State Responsibility

1. Implement policies to ensure that young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old complete the universal education program; create conditions for them to learn trades, choose jobs, engage in recreational activities, cultural, artistic, physical exercise, and sports activities suitable to their abilities and age; exempt or reduce fees for visiting museums, historical, cultural, revolutionary sites.

2. Protect young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old from sexual abuse and excessive labor exploitation.

3. Ensure the implementation of criminal, administrative, and civil policies for young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old in accordance with the law to protect and provide favorable conditions for these young people to develop healthily.

Article 29. Family Responsibility

1. Care for, protect, nurture, and create conditions for young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old to complete the universal education program, learn trades, career orientation, engage in recreational activities, cultural, artistic, physical exercise, and sports activities suitable to their age.

2. Parents and other older family members have the responsibility to build a warm, happy, equal, progressive family environment, creating a healthy atmosphere for the comprehensive development of the personality of young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old.

3. Have the responsibility to manage and educate young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old not to leave school or home without permission, live vagrantly; not to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or beverages containing more than 14% alcohol; prevent social evils and not violate the law.

Article 30. School Responsibility

1. Create a healthy educational environment to encourage young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old to be enthusiastic about learning, eager to understand, actively cultivate morals and lifestyle.

2. Improve the quality of implementing physical education and aesthetic education programs; guide health care, reproductive health, friendship, love, skills to prevent school-related diseases and social evils for young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old.

3. Coordinate with agencies, organizations, and families to create conditions for students to participate in cultural, sports, recreational, and extracurricular activities.

Article 31. Application of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child for Young People Aged Sixteen Years Old and Above but Under Eighteen Years Old eighteen years old

The State implements the International Convention on the Rights of the Child that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has ratified, applicable to young people aged sixteen years old and above but under eighteen years old, in accordance with Vietnam's conditions.

Chapter 5:

ORGANIZATION OF YOUTH

Article 32. Youth Organization

1. Youth organization is a voluntary organization of youth aimed at uniting and gathering youth, protecting the rights and legitimate interests of youth; promoting the role of youth in building and defending the Socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

2. Youth organizations include the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Youth Federation, the Vietnam Student Association, and other youth organizations established and operating according to the regulations of the organization and within the framework of the Constitution and laws.

Article 33. Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is a political-social organization of Vietnamese youth, playing a core role in the youth movement; organizing and guiding activities for children and teenagers, responsible for the Ho Chi Minh Pioneer Team.

Article 34. Vietnam Federation of Youth Unions

The Vietnam Federation of Youth Unions is a broad social organization of Vietnamese youth and youth organizations, aiming to unite and mobilize all strata of Vietnamese youth to strive for the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, protecting the rights and legitimate interests of youth.

Chapter 6:

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 35. Effective Date

This Law takes effect from July 1, 2006.

Article 36. Guidance on Implementation

The Government shall provide detailed regulations and guidance on the implementation of this Law.

This Law was passed by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the eleventh session, eighth meeting, on November 29, 2005.