Decision No. 286/2006/QD-TTg dated December 27, 2006 of the Prime Minister promulgating the national program on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance in the 2006-2010 period

DECISION

PROMULGATING THE NATIONAL PROGRAM ON PROMOTING AND CALLING FOR FOREIGN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE IN THE 2006-2010 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

At the proposal of the director of the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To promulgate the National Program on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance in the 2006-2010 period, aiming to enhance the management and improve the effectiveness of cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations.

Article 2.- The director of the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations shall organize and guide the implementation of the National Program on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance in the 2006-2010 period.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies and presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees shall base themselves on the National Program on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance in the 2006-2010 period to elaborate and implement their own programs on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies and presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees shall implement this Decision.

NATIONAL PROGRAM

ON PROMOTING AND CALLING FOR FOREIGN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE IN THE 2006-2010 PERIOD
(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 286/2006/QD-TTg of December 27, 2006)

Part I

CONTENTS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAM ON PROMOTING AND CALLING FOR FOREIGN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE

I. BASES FOR ELABORATION AND ORIENTED CONTENTS OF THE PROGRAM

The National Program on promoting and calling for foreign non-governmental assistance in the 2006-2010 period (hereinafter called the Program for short) is elaborated on the basis of the following important documents:

- Documents of the Xth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam;

- The 2001-2010 strategy on socio-economic development;

- The strategy on sustainable development;

- The integrated strategy on poverty alleviation and growth;

- The 2006-2010 national target program on poverty alleviation;

- The 2006-2010 socio-economic development plan.

II. THE PROGRAM'S OBJECTIVES

1. Overall objectives

To further mobilize, exploit, and raise the efficiency of the use of, assistance from foreign non-governmental organizations, contributing to socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in Vietnam.

2. Specific objectives

- To consolidate and enhance cooperative relations between Vietnam and foreign non-governmental organizations which have been operating in Vietnam and expand relations with those with potential;

- To maintain and increase the value of foreign non-governmental organizations' assistance in combination with improving its efficiency by enhancing supervision and assessment and strengthening the capacity of cooperation with those organizations;

- To create an appropriate and favorable legal environment for assistance activities of foreign non-governmental organizations, raising the initiative of branches, localities and mass organizations in their relations with foreign non-governmental organizations.

III. THE PROGRAM'S CONTENTS

1. General orientations

Foreign non-governmental organizations' assistance must be in line with the national socio-economic development orientations and hunger eradication and poverty alleviation strategy as well as development plannings and priorities of each branch and locality, in support of the poverty alleviation and development efforts of the Vietnamese Government.

2. Domain-based orientations

- Under this Program, domain-based orientations are set for domains in which the Vietnamese Government calls for foreign non-governmental assistance.

- Foreign non-governmental assistance should be channeled into domains in which foreign non-governmental organizations have advantages in order to support the implementation of national target programs in specific domains.

a/ Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development:

- Development of agriculture, forestry and fisheries extension networks: To organize the training and re-training for, and sharing of knowledge and experience among, agriculture, forestry and fisheries extension cadres;

- To support small-scale aquaculture, enhancing the participation of communities in managing coastal aquatic resources, the environment and aquatic epidemics;

- Rural infrastructure: To develop small-scale production infrastructure such as irrigation works, pump stations, inter-village roads, etc.;

- To build models of integrated rural development; to develop small-scale fine-art and craft production activities and services; to support economic restructuring through raising non-agricultural incomes;

- Community-based credit and savings;

- Bird flu epidemic prevention and control;

- Scientific research in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.

b/ Healthcare:

- Training of health workers: To support medical workers training schools in sharing and exchanging experience on training methodology and techniques; to grant scholarships for health workers to attend domestic and overseas training;

- Development of healthcare infrastructure: To upgrade, build and supply equipment and facilities and transfer technologies to central- and provincial-level specialized hospitals, district-level health centers and commune-level health stations;

- To support the implementation of the national programs against malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, leprosy and dengue fever, and national programs on clean water and environmental sanitation, etc.;

- To prevent and fight HIV/AIDS, support and provide medical treatment to HIV/AIDS-infected persons, prevent, fight and mitigate the harms of narcotics, conduct communication on risks and dangers and on the application of safe contraceptive measures, etc.;

- Population-related activities such as family planning, birth rate control, and raising of awareness about population and reproductive healthcare.

c/ Education:

- To support the training of teachers of all educational levels, giving priority to primary and lower secondary school teachers in remote, deep-lying and ethnic minority areas;

- Educational infrastructure: To support the building of modern universities, lower secondary schools, primary schools and pre-schools; to build a system of boarding schools and dormitories for ethnic minority students, to develop libraries in conformity with the requirements of each educational level;

- To conduct educational exchanges and support the teaching and learning of foreign languages, sending volunteer teachers teaching various majors to specialized training schools and general schools;

- To support information technology training in general schools, especially those in rural, mountainous and deep-lying areas.

d/ Training and vocational training:

Supporting the training and vocational training, attaching importance to rural areas, areas undergoing urbanization and areas adjacent to cities:

- To develop training and vocational training programs in line with the development orientation of each branch, and share experience on effective vocational training models;

- To develop material foundations for training and vocational training: To build vocational training establishments and supply equipment and facilities to vocational training schools and centers;

- To supply specialists and instructors of high professional qualifications;

- To conduct training and vocational training in combination with job recommendation for disadvantaged and disabled people.

e/ Settlement of social problems:

- To provide education and help to orphans, disabled children and homeless children;

- To assist Agent Orange victims;

- To build solid houses for poor people and people facing difficult circumstances, especially those in remote, deep-lying, rural, ethnic minority areas and areas prone to natural disasters, who are living in makeshift shelters;

- To prevent and fight trafficking in women and children;

- To raise awareness about, prevent and reduce, traffic accidents.

e/ Environmental issues:

- Environmental protection: To encourage projects on protection and improvement of the living environment and natural environment (planting and protection of forests, especially submerged forests, environmental sanitation, etc.);

- Natural resource management: To encourage projects aiming to raise the efficiency of the sustainable use of land, water, air and forest resources;

- To conserve wild animals and bio-diversity;

- To overcome war consequences (treating unexploded materials and toxic chemical residues left after the war).

f/ Prevention and mitigation of natural disasters and emergency relief:

- To prevent and reduce natural disasters, plant and protect forests (including submerged forests), and build an early warning system;

- To provide emergency relief (providing medicines, food and houses and re-building production infrastructure) upon the occurrence of natural disasters.

g/ Culture and sports:

- To conduct cultural and sport exchanges; to train coaches and athletes;

- To raise awareness about cultural values and protect intangible culture, preserve and develop traditional culture and cultural heritages.

3. Geographical area-based orientations

Geographical-based orientations prioritize foreign non-governmental assistance for poor, mountainous and ethnic minority provinces. Priorities should be determined according to the practical situation of each locality.

a/ Urban areas:

- To provide training and vocational training in combination with job creation;

- To develop crafts; to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises;

- To provide healthcare services, paying attention to people facing difficult circumstances, and support intensive medical establishments; to provide training and re-training for health workers;

- To prevent and fight HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and prostitution;

- To assist persons in difficult circumstances (orphans, helpless children and people with disabilities).

b/ Rural areas:

- To provide vocational training; to develop crafts; to create non-agricultural jobs and incomes; to support community-based credit and savings programs;

- To develop agriculture and forestry extension; to support the development of small-scale production infrastructure such as irrigation works, pump stations and inter-village roads; to build integrated and regional rural development models, bringing into full play the characteristics and advantages of each region;

- To train health workers; to support health workers training schools in sharing experience on training methodology and techniques; to develop the physical foundations of medical establishments by upgrading, building and providing equipment and facilities to provincial-level specialized hospitals and centers, district-level health centers and commune-level health stations; to supply clean water and improve environmental sanitation;

- To prevent and fight HIV/AIDS; to support and provide medical treatment to HIV/AIDS-infected persons; to prevent, fight and mitigate the harms of narcotics; conducting communication on risks and dangers and on the application of safe contraceptive measures; to support population-related activities such as family planning, birth rate control, and raising of public awareness about population issues and reproductive healthcare;

- To train teachers of all educational levels, giving priority to primary and lower secondary school teachers in remote, deep-lying and ethnic minority areas; to build educational infrastructure and solid buildings for primary and lower secondary schools, pre-schools as well as boarding schools and dormitories for ethnic minority students;

- To provide support to persons in difficult circumstances (orphans, helpless children and people with disabilities);

- To overcome war consequences (defusing unexploded materials, conducting sedentarization, raising awareness about the danger of bombs, mines and unexploded materials, supporting war victims, with priority given to Agent Orange victims);

- To protect and improve the environment (planting and protecting forests and submerged forests); to conserve wild animals and bio-diversity; to preserve cultural heritages;

- To develop models of community-based natural disaster prevention and mitigation.

Part II

IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES AND ORGANIZATION

I. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES

1. Amending and supplementing relevant legal documents in order to create favorable conditions for foreign non-governmental organizations to operate and provide assistance in Vietnam according to simple and quick procedures and, at the same time, enhancing management of the use of these assistance sources.

- To elaborate, guide and specify regulations on value added tax and personal income tax applicable to foreigners and Vietnamese working in foreign non-governmental organizations;

- To adopt policies to mobilize, encourage and award organizations and individuals that record achievements and contribute to increasing the assistance of foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

2. Enhancing cooperation and supplying information in order to introduce Vietnam's needs to foreign non-governmental organizations and donors, directing assistance to prioritized domains and geographical areas.

- To build a modern information system, ensuring the updating of accurate information on the situation and demands of branches and localities as a basis for foreign non-governmental organizations to consider and grant assistance; to post information on the Internet, publish bulletins and organize seminars in an appropriate and practical manner in order to enhance cooperation;

- To send delegations overseas to study the organization and modes of operation of foreign non-governmental organizations and hold overseas seminars on Vietnam; to enhance the participation of overseas Vietnamese diplomatic missions in mobilizing foreign non-governmental assistance;

- To enhance the operation of the Database on Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in order to better meet foreign non-governmental organizations' information needs and, at the same time, better share information on the needs of Vietnamese branches, localities and partners; and depending on the practical conditions and situations, to organize annual conferences with foreign non-governmental organizations;

- To enhance cooperation and coordination with foreign non-governmental organizations in elaborating their plans on long-term operation in Vietnam; to formulate mechanisms on cooperation with foreign non-governmental organizations and bilateral as well as multilateral cooperation agencies;

- Branches and localities should supply information on their needs in a systematic manner to concerned agencies for synthesis and sharing with foreign non-governmental organizations.

3. Enhancing supervision and assessment work to raise assistance efficiency

- To build a system of supervision and assessment of foreign non-governmental programs and projects in order to draw experience for extensive application or improvement of operations and results of programs and projects nationwide.

- To enhance information and communication on the efficiency of foreign non-governmental assistance sources, effective projects and practical lessons and experience for donors and Vietnamese agencies;

- To enhance the supervision of foreign non-governmental projects by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, its member organizations and the community.

4. Enhancing the capacity of human resources engaged in foreign non-governmental assistance work

- To increase professional training and re-training for cadres engaged in foreign non-governmental assistance work at all levels regarding the skills of formulating, mobilizing, organizing, supervising, monitoring and evaluating foreign non-governmental projects, and state regulations;

- To build a contingent of cadres from the central to local levels and a network of domestic independent consultancy organizations, especially those engaged in project survey, design, monitoring and evaluation (promoting the role of scientists, universities and scientific research institutions in this work);

- To enhance the sharing of information and experience among Vietnamese staff working in foreign non-governmental organizations.

5. Consolidating the apparatus of central and local management agencies related to the operation and assistance of foreign non-governmental organizations

- To step by step perfect the functions, tasks and powers of the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations;

- To consolidate and enhance the capacity of the Standing Board of the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations;

- To consolidate and strengthen the capacity of agencies in charge of foreign non-governmental work in localities, ensuring sufficient full-time officials who are well and appropriately trained and material foundations and conditions for the mobilization, management and efficient use of assistance.

II. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

- The Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations shall urge and monitor the implementation of this Program and concretize this Program into specific action plans; to guide, coordinate and support ministries, branches and mass organizations at central and local levels in the mobilization of foreign non-governmental assistance;

- The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations shall coordinate the mobilization of assistance from, and keep relations with, foreign non-governmental organizations; monitor, guide, gather and supply information on the mobilization of assistance from, and the relationships with, foreign non-governmental organizations to branches and localities;

- The agencies joining in the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations shall, depending on their functions and tasks, supervise and urge the implementation of this Program;

- Ministries, branches and central agencies of mass organizations shall base themselves on this Program to specify priorities in mobilizing foreign non-governmental assistance on the basis of their practical situation; to enhance coordination among their units and with localities in mobilizing and managing foreign non-governmental assistance;

- Provincial/municipal People's Committees shall base themselves on this Program to specify priorities in mobilizing foreign non-governmental assistance on the basis of the practical situation of each locality through their provincial level programs on mobilization of foreign non-governmental assistance;

- Funds for the elaboration and implementation of this Program are allocated from the state budget and included in the annual budgets of ministries, branches and central mass organizations, provincial/municipal People's Committees and the Working Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations.