Circular No. 02/2019/TT-BTTTT dated March 08, 2019 of the Ministry of Information and Communications on guiding the management of external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies

CIRCULAR

Guiding the management of external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies^{<span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times" new="" roman","serif"="">[1]}

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 17/2017/ND-CP of February 17, 2017, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 09/2017/ND-CP of February 9, 2017, prescribing in detail the making of statements and provision of information by state administrative agencies to the press;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP of September 7, 2015, on management of external information activities;

At the proposal of the Director of the Authority of Foreign Information Service,

The Minister of Information and Communications promulgates the Circular guiding the management of external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.Scope of regulation

This Circular guides the management of external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies.

Article 2.Subjects of application

This Circular applies to ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies (below collectively referred to as ministries) and related organizations and individuals.

Article 3.Contents of plans on external information activities

Ministries shall base themselves on the Government’s master plans, programs and plans; the Government-set objectives and orientations for socio-economic development, guiding documents of the Ministry of Information and Communications, and their working programs to formulate long- and medium-term and annual plans on external information activities, including the following major tasks:

1. To assign organizations or individuals to act as the focal points in charge of implementing external information activities.

2. To formulate and promulgate documents directing and administering external information activities.

3. To organize annual professional training and refresher courses for cadres engaged in external information work on the following key contents:

a/ Implementation of documents on state management of external information;

b/ Methods and skills of external information work;

c/ Skills of making statements and providing information to the press;

d/ The international situation and foreign affairs of the Party and the State;

dd/ The international integration situation of Vietnam and the ministries;

e/ The situation of struggle and communications for protection of the sovereignty over the sea, islands, border demarcation and marker planting, and management and renovation of Vietnam’s border marker system; and reactions of countries to the East Sea issue;

g/ Dissemination of knowledge and raising of awareness about human rights; and communications of Vietnam’s and the ministries’ achievements on guarantee of human rights;

h/ The ministries’ work on external information between Vietnam and bordering countries and the world;

i/ Dissemination of information on the political situation, policy changes and adjustments of regional countries; results of communications and external information work in recent years, and international feedback on the promotion of Vietnam’s image.

4. To formulate schemes and projects on external information activities for performance of the following key tasks:

a/ To provide information on the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws;

b/ To provide information on the international situation and foreign affairs of the Party and the State, and the international integration situation of the country;

c/ To promote the image of the country and the ministries;

d/ To provide information on the results of the ministries’ activities, especially matters of domestic and international concern; to explain, clarify, and fight false information affecting the prestige and image of Vietnam and the ministries;

dd/ To propagandize information on the protection of the national sovereignty over the sea, islands and territorial borders;

e/ To perform other tasks as required by the ministries.

Article 4.Funds for external information activities

Funds for external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies shall be allocated from the state budget according to the current regulations on state budget decentralization and from other lawful financial sources. Annually, based on the plans on external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies, which are assigned by competent authorities, agencies and units shall make fund estimates for implementation and include them in their budget estimates, and send them to the same-level finance agencies for submission to competent authorities for consideration and decision in accordance with the Law on the State Budget.

Chapter II

EXTERNAL INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

Article 5.Provision of information on promotion of the ministries’ image

The ministries’ image promotion information shall be provided by the following methods:

1. Through the ministries’ external activities.

2. On the portals of the ministries and their specialized agencies, in Vietnamese and foreign languages.

3. Via the ministries’ image promotion data systems.

4. In publications in Vietnamese and foreign languages.

5. In press products of local mass media.

6. In products of foreign news, press and media agencies.

7. In popular communication products via the internet.

8. Through contact and cooperation activities with foreign press agencies.

9. Through communication activities of major events held at home and abroad.

10. Other methods of external information activities as prescribed by law.

Article 6.Provision of explanatory and clarification information

1. Explanatory and clarification information includes materials, documents, dossiers and arguments explaining, clarifying and fighting false information affecting the prestige and image of the ministries.

2. When receiving falsified information, documents and reports affecting Vietnam’s prestige and image under their assigned fields of state management, or when receiving a written request from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the ministries shall proactively send materials, documents, dossiers and arguments to the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies for coordination in the management and implementation of information and communications measures to protect and enhance the prestige and image of Vietnam.

3. Explanatory and clarification materials, documents, dossiers and arguments include the following major contents:

a/ Contents of false information and updated information from the time false information occurs to the time of explanation and clarification;

b/ Impacts of false information on the prestige and image of the ministries and the country;

c/ The nature of the facts or phenomena about which false information is provided;

d/ Domestic and international legal grounds and experience and precedents in handling cases related to false information;

dd/ Proposal of communications contents in the press and public opinion orientation.

4. Ministries shall proactively implement information and propaganda measures to protect and enhance their prestige and image in the following forms:

a/ Issuing press releases to explain and clarify false information; spokespersons of the ministries and their specialized agencies making statements and providing information to the press;

b/ Appointing representatives of leaders or spokespersons to attend the press briefing meetings organized by the Party Central Committee’s Communications and Education Commission in coordination with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Vietnam Journalists Association; and monthly conferences providing information on human rights and external information work to the press, which are organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Government’s Steering Committee on Human Rights, to provide explanatory and clarification information to press agencies upon request of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

c/ Posting up explanatory and clarification information on the portals of the ministries and their specialized agencies; in communication products of news and press agencies and in other media, in Vietnamese and foreign languages;

d/ Providing information for news and press agencies to explain, clarify and fight false information.

5. Within 7 (seven) days after receiving a notice from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the ministries shall make statements and provide  explanatory and clarification information and concurrently send them to the Ministry of Information and Communications for monitoring, summarization and reporting to the Prime Minister.

6. Information containing state secrets must comply with the law on protection of state secrets.

Article 7.External information data systems of ministries

1. The external information data system of a ministry is a digitalized data system in Vietnamese and foreign languages, introducing the state management fields of that ministry to the international community and Vietnamese at home and abroad.

2. The external information data system of a ministry is the official source of information about that ministry.

3. The external information data systems of ministries shall be integrated into the national database on external information.

4. Specialized units and press agencies under ministries shall provide information and data to promote the image of the ministries in the mass media.

Article 8.Communications about events held abroad

1. Based on the Government’s plans on external information activities or tasks assigned by the Prime Minister, the ministries assuming the prime responsibility for organizing overseas events shall coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Communications in formulating and implementing plans on propaganda about events.

2. A plan on communications about an event held abroad must have the following principal contents:

a/ Time, place, scale, and participants of, and heads of delegations to, the event;

b/ Purposes and contents of the event;

c/ Contents of speeches of the heads of delegations, contents of cooperation documents and agreements (if any); press releases;

d/ Requirements on and level of communication;

e/ Coordination responsibilities of related ministries, sectors and press agencies;

f/ Guaranteeing conditions.

3. At least 15 (fifteen) days before organizing an event, the ministry assuming the prime responsibility for the event shall send a written notice on the approved communications plan to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and propose the need for coordination in propaganda about external activities for unified implementation.

4. Within 15 (fifteen) days after the end of an overseas event, the ministry assuming the prime responsibility for the event shall report implementation results to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Communications for summarization and reporting to the Prime Minister. Particularly for the organization of Vietnamese Days in foreign countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall synthesize, evaluate and annually report to the Prime Minister on such organization and effectiveness of activities of Vietnamese Days in foreign countries.

Article 9.Support for and cooperation with foreign news and press agencies, media and reporters

Ministries shall coordinate with and support foreign news and press agencies, media and reporters operating lawfully in Vietnam in organizing the implementation of external information products to introduce and promote the image of the ministries and the country in local and international mass media.

Chapter III

MANAGEMENT OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

Article 10.Responsibilities of ministries

1. To implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws on external information work according to their functions, tasks and responsibilities prescribed in Chapter III of Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP on management of external information activities.

2. To assign 1 attached specialized unit to act as the focal point and a cadre in charge of external information work to advise the ministries’ leaders to promulgate relevant directing documents, plans and programs on external information.

3. To provide official information about the ministries according to their functions, tasks and powers to news and press agencies, the international community and overseas Vietnamese.

4. To coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service in carrying out examination, inspection, handling of violations and settlement of complaints and denunciations in external information activities in accordance with law.

5. To preliminarily and finally review and evaluate external information activities according to their scope of management; before November 30 every year, to send a final review report of the year and a plan on external information activities of the subsequent year to the Ministry of Information and Communications for summarization and reporting to the Prime Minister. (The forms of plan and report are provided in Appendices No. 01 and No. 02, respectively, to this Circular). Upon receiving a request from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the ministries shall send reports to the Ministry of Information and Communications for summarization serving the management work.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 11.Organization of implementation

1. Ministries shall direct their specialized agencies to implement this Circular.

2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assign the Authority of Foreign Information Service to act as the focal point in organizing, urging and inspecting the implementation of this Circular, and periodically report the implementation results to the Minister of Information and Communications.

Article 12.Effect

1. This Circular takes effect on April 22, 2019.

2. Any problems arising in the course of implementation of this Circular should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Information and Communications for consideration and settlement.-

Minister of Information and Communications
NGUYEN MANH HUNG

* The appendices to this Circular are not translated.