Decision No. 06/2020/QD-TTg organization and management of international conferences

DECISION

On organization and management of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam^[1]

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

At the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs;

The Prime Minister promulgates the Decision on organization and management of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. Scope of regulation:

This Decision prescribes the organization and management of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam.

International press conferences are not regulated by this Decision.

2. Subjects of application:

a/ This Decision applies to Vietnamese and foreign agencies and organizations organizing international conferences and seminars in Vietnam’s territory and agencies engaged in the management of international conferences and seminars;

b/ The organization of international conferences and seminars by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Vietnam Peasants’ Union, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women’s Union and the Vietnam War Veterans Association must comply with the Communist Party of Vietnam’s regulations.

Article 2.Interpretation of terms

1. “International conferences and seminars” mean foreign-involved conferences and seminars organized in the form of in-person meeting in the territory of Vietnam or online meeting with at least one end in the territory of Vietnam, including:

a/ Conferences and seminars organized by Vietnamese agencies or organizations with the participation or sponsorship of foreign partners;

b/ Conferences and seminars organized by foreign agencies or organizations.

2. “Organizers” mean Vietnamese agencies and organizations and foreign organizations organizing international conferences and seminars.

3. “Vietnamese agencies and organizations” include agencies and organizations established in accordance with Vietnam’s law and placed under the management of the Government, central state administrative agencies and local administrations.

4. “Foreign organizations” include foreign agencies and organizations permitted by competent authorities to operate in the territory of Vietnam.

5. “Competent persons” mean those having the competence to permit or propose the Prime Minister to permit the organization of international conferences and seminars, including:

a/ Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and heads of government-attached agencies;

b/ Chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees.

Chapter II

SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

Article 3.Competence to permit the organization of international conferences and seminars

1. The Prime Minister shall permit the organization of:

a/ International conferences and seminars with the participation of heads or officials holding ministerial- or higher-level positions or the equivalent of foreign states and territories and international organizations;

b/ International conferences and seminars on themes or matters relating to national sovereignty, security, national defense, ethnicity, religion or human rights or pertaining to state secrets as prescribed by the law on protection of state secrets.

2. Competent persons shall decide on the organization international conferences and seminars by their agencies or localities and permit the following organizers to organize international conferences and seminars other than those specified in Clause 1 of this Article:

a/ Agencies and units attached to agencies of competent persons;

b/ Vietnamese and foreign agencies and organizations permitted for operation by agencies of competent persons, except the cases specified at Point c of this Clause;

c/ For associations, social funds and charity funds established in accordance with Vietnam’s law, competent persons are heads of state management agencies in charge of the sectors or fields of operation of such associations, social funds and charity funds according to the list provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Article 4.Processes of applying for permission to organize and organizing international conferences and seminars

1. Applying for permission to organize international conferences and seminars:

a/ An organizer shall submit a complete dossier of application for permission to organize an international conference or seminar to the concerned competent person’s agency at least 40 days, in case the conference or seminar is to be decided by the Prime Minister, or 30 days, in case the conference or seminar is to be decided by such competent person, before organizing the conference or seminar.

A dossier of application for permission must comprise:

- An application for permission to organize the conference or seminar;

- An organization scheme, made according to Form No. 01 in the Appendix to this Decision;

- Written opinions of related agencies, if so requested by other relevant laws;

- A written agreement on the policy of hosting the international conference or seminar (if any).

b/ For a program, project or non-project which has been approved with a component of organizing an international conference or seminar but not yet made an organizing scheme according to Form No. 01 in the Appendix to this Decision, or which is approved by an agency other than the agency of the competent person prescribed in this Decision, the organizer shall proceed with the process specified in Clause 1 of this Article before organizing the international conference or seminar.

2. After obtaining permission from the competent person, the organizer shall:

a/ Organize the international conference or seminar according to the approved contents and scheme; and strictly comply with current financial regulations;

b/ Be held responsible for the contents of relevant documents, reports, speeches, materials and data released before, during and after the conference or seminar and ensure compliance with regulations on protection of state secrets;

c/ Send a report on the results of organizing the conference or seminar (made according to Form No. 02 in the Appendix to this Decision) to the competent person’s agency and concurrently to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in case the conference or seminar is subject to the Prime Minister’s permission, for summarization within 15 days after the conference or seminar concludes.

Article 5.Processes of appraising and permitting the organization of international conferences and seminars

1. For international conferences and seminars subject to the Prime Minister’s permission, competent persons shall:

a/ Consult in writing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and related agencies and localities. The consulted agencies and localities shall reply in writing within 15 days after receiving a written request;

b/ Submit the cases to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision;

c/ Reply in writing to organizers and concurrently to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security and related agencies and localities for coordinated management.

2. For international conferences and seminars subject to the Prime Minister’s permission, competent persons shall:

a/ Consult in writing related agencies and localities. The consulted agencies and localities shall reply in writing within 15 days after receiving a written request;

b/ Reply in writing to organizers and concurrently to related agencies and localities for coordinated management.

Article 6.Hosting international conferences and seminars

1. In case an organizer wishes to apply for in-principle permission to host an international conference or seminar, the organizer and the agency of the concerned competent person shall apply for the in-principle permission according to the process and competence prescribed in Articles 3 and 5 of this Decision.

2. A dossier applying for in-principle permission must clearly state the reasons, purposes, topics, expected participants and estimated funding sources.

3. After obtaining the competent person’s in-principle permission, the organizer shall make an organization scheme and apply for the competent person’s permission to organize the international conference or seminar under Article 4 of this Decision.

Article 7.Responsibilities to manage international conferences and seminars

1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall perform the state management of international conferences and seminars nationwide.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees shall:

a/ Comply with the processes of receiving and appraising dossiers of application for permission to organize international conferences and seminars prescribed in Articles 3, 4 and 5 of this Decision; and coordinate and give opinions in the course of processing dossiers of application for permission to organize international conferences and seminars under Article 5 of this Decision by competent persons’ agencies;

b/ Examine and ensure that international conferences and seminars are organized according to approved contents and schemes;

c/ Examine the implementation of regulations on protection of state secrets and information and public communication before, during and after international conferences and seminars;

d/ Monitor, detect and handle according to their competence or submit to competent persons’ agencies for handling individuals and organizations that violate the provisions of this Decision.

3. When detecting that the organization of an international conference or seminar shows signs of violation of this Decision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security or the agency managing the sector(s) relevant to the contents of the conference or seminar or the locality where the conference or seminar is organized shall request the competent person’ agency to consider suspending the organization of the conference or seminar or handle the case in accordance with the law on handling of administrative violations.

Article 8.Reporting responsibilities

1. By December 18 every year at the latest, competent persons’ agencies shall report on organization and management of international conferences and seminars by their respective agencies or localities to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for summarization and reporting to the Prime Minister (made according to Form No. 03 in the Appendix to this Decision).

2. Annually, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall report to the Prime Minister on the organization of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam.

3. The data reporting period lasts from December 15 of the year preceding the reporting period to December 14 of the reporting period.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 9.Effect

This Decision takes effect on April 15, 2020, and replaces the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 76/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010, on organization and management of international conferences and seminars.

Article 10.Implementation responsibility

1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall direct, guide and examine the implementation of this Decision.

2. The Minister of Home Affairs shall promulgate the list of competent persons defined under Point c, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Decision and update such list annually.

3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees and heads of related agencies shall implement this Decision.-

On behalf of the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
PHAM BINH MINH

* The Appendix to this Decision is not translated.