Brian Jeffrey
The Foreign Affairs Committee is being eliminated as part of a restructuring of Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA), which will see a reduction in the number of committees from ten to eight. This reorganization aims to optimize the roles within the assembly. The NA Standing Committee is preparing these restructuring plans for review in the next parliamentary session.
In a significant move, Vietnam’s NA will streamline its framework to include the Ethnic Council and seven key committees, enhancing overall efficiency by merging existing committees. The goal is to create a more effective governance structure.
On February 6, discussions took place regarding the proposed amendments to the Law on Organization of the National Assembly, focusing on internal restructuring.
According to Hoang Thanh Tung, Chairman of the NA’s Legal Committee, the majority of members are in favor of these organizational changes, reducing the total number of committees will lead to a more streamlined process.
The Central Committee has decided to dissolve the Foreign Affairs Committee. Its functions will now fall under the National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee, along with the NA Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As part of this, the National Defense and Security Committee will adopt the new name as well.
Furthermore, there will be other committee changes:
The Legal and Judiciary Committees will unite to form the Legal and Judicial Committee.
The Economic and Finance Committees are combining into the Economic and Financial Committee.
The Social and Cultural Committees will merge into the Culture and Social Committee.
The People’s Petitions Committee will be upgraded to the People’s Petitions and Oversight Committee.
The Deputies’ Affairs Committee will become the Deputies’ Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.
The Ethnic Council and the Science, Technology, and Environment Committee will remain as they are.
After these changes, the NA will consist of:
Ethnic Council
Legal and Judicial Committee
Economic and Financial Committee
Culture and Social Committee
National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Committee
Science, Technology, and Environment Committee
People’s Petitions and Oversight Committee
Deputies’ Affairs Committee
This revised structure, which sees the elimination of two committees, aims to create a more streamlined operational framework.
Some lawmakers have suggested that the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly should clearly state the specific number and titles of the committees to ensure legal clarity.
In response, the drafting committee indicated that retaining some flexibility allows the NA to adapt its structure in the future without losing alignment with its core functions.
Hoang Thanh Tung pointed out that this strategy has the backing of the Politburo, which has sanctioned the proposed changes.
The draft amendments also detail the composition of the NA’s committees:
The Ethnic Council will include a Chairman, Vice Chairmen, and Members.
Similarly, each committee will have a Chairman, Vice Chairmen, and Members.
Committee Chairmen are elected by the NA, while Vice Chairmen and Members receive approval from the Standing Committee.
The NA Office will continue to function as the support system for NA operations. The Secretary-General of the NA, concurrently the Chairman of the NA Office, will oversee overall functions and official communications.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man highlighted the necessity for clear responsibility allocations among the NA, government, and local authorities, emphasizing that laws should establish broad principles supported by detailed regulations for individual sectors.
NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh confirmed that the Standing Committee supports the restructuring. Certain tasks, such as those related to religious issues and treaty assessments, will remain with their current authorities to maintain stability during this transitional period, ensuring effective governance and oversight.
The Standing Committee has verified that the proposed law revisions and draft resolutions are ready for final consideration and submission to the NA.
