Decree 148/2026/ND-CP amending Decree 72/2015/ND-CP on management of external information activities

DECREE

Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP of September 7, 2015, on the management of external information activities

Pursuant to Law No. 63/2025/QH15 on Organisation of the Government;

Pursuant to Law No. 33/2009/QH12 on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which is amended and supplemented by Law No. 19/2017/QH14;

Pursuant to Press Law No. 103/2016/QH13, which is amended and supplemented by Law No. 35/2018/QH14 and Law No. 93/2025/QH15;

At the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

The Government promulgates the Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP of September 7, 2015, on the management of external information activities.

Article 1. To amend and supplement a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP of September 7, 2015, on the management of external information activities

1. To add Clauses 5 and 6 to Article 3 as follows:

“5. When carrying out external information activities in cyberspace, and on social media platforms and online platforms, to comply with the law-prescribed principles on information confidentiality, source verification and content control; to ensure information security and cybersecurity and prevent the spread of fake news and false information about Vietnam; to comply with the law on management, provision and use of Internet services and online information and the law on provision on information and online public services in cyberspace by state management agencies.

6. External information activities shall be carried out, ensuring coordination between competent state agencies and the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service and the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation in providing communication orientation; the Party Central Committee’s Steering Committee 35 in fighting and refuting inaccurate and false information about Vietnam; and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and mass organisations assigned relevant tasks by the Party and the State in mobilising resources for external information activities according to their assigned functions and tasks.”

2. To amend and supplement Point a, Clause 1, Article 4 as follows:

“a/ The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees and related agencies in, performing the state management of external information nationwide.”

3. To amend and supplement Points b, dd and e, Clause 3, Article 7 as follows:

“b/ Official statements by senior leaders; official statements by state management agencies.

dd/ Press programmes and products in the mass media, official online content channels and official applications of key press agencies (the Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam Television and the Voice of Vietnam), which must comply with the laws on cybersecurity and cyberinformation security.

e/ Information published on the Government Portal, the external information website of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation, external information websites, portals and official online content channels of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees, which shall comply with laws on cybersecurity and cyberinformation security.”

4. To amend and supplement Point c and add Point g to Clause 3, Article 8 as follows:

“c/ Press programmes and products in the mass media, official online content channels, and official applications in cyberspace of press agencies, which must comply with the laws on cybersecurity and cyberinformation security.

g/ Information published on the official websites of departments, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees, which must comply with laws on cybersecurity and cyber information security.”

5. To amend and supplement a number of points and clauses of Article 9 as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

“2. Information about the international situation provided to audiences in Vietnam shall be collected, summarised and provided to competent agencies, the press and Vietnamese people by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, overseas Vietnamese representative missions, other Vietnamese agencies and organisations abroad, and key press agencies (the Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam Television and the Voice of Vietnam, based on their law-prescribed functions, tasks and powers.

Sources of information include public, official foreign sources, lawful domestic and foreign databases, and information shared and exchanged through coordination mechanisms among competent agencies in accordance with law.”

b/ To amend and supplement Point d, Clause 3 as follows:

“d/ Through the mass media, official online content channels and official applications in accordance with the laws on cybersecurity and cyberinformation security.”

c/ To add Point dd to Clause 3 as follows:

“dd/ Through reporting or provision of information at the request of competent agencies.”

6. To add Clause 5 to Article 12 as follows:

“5. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall assume the prime responsibility for guiding the development and operation of external information data systems of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees and news and press agencies of Vietnam; and formulate a mechanism for coordination and provision of information to serve the operation of the external information database.”

7. To amend and supplement a number of clauses of Article 16 as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Clause 1 as follows:

“1. Overseas Vietnamese representative missions shall provide competent agencies with information on the situation in the host countries and bilateral relations and other information to be provided to audiences in Vietnam in accordance with Articles 5, 6, 7 and 9 of the Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; perform the task of unified management, assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, proposing and carrying out external information activities in host countries and receiving international organisations. When formulating plans on, and organising, external information activities abroad, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees shall seek the opinions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese representative missions in the countries concerned on the content, form and timing of organisation of these external information activities prior to implementation.”

b/ To amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

“2. Overseas Vietnamese representative missions shall provide information about Vietnam through their websites and official online content channels, press conferences, interviews and other activities so as to introduce and promote the image of Vietnam. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall direct and guide overseas Vietnamese representative missions in performing the above tasks.”

8. To amend and supplement Clause 3, Article 17 as follows:

“3. Vietnamese news and press agencies shall direct their overseas news bureaus, requiring the latter to take the initiative in providing information and participating in activities serving external information tasks, and carrying out external information activities abroad in close coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and periodically and irregularly report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on external information activities of their overseas news bureaus.”

9. To amend and supplement a number of clauses of Article 18 as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

“2. To guide external information content to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees and domestic news and press agencies.”

b/ To amend and supplement Clause 3 as follows:

“3. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with functional agencies in, conducting international cooperation in external information activities, providing information, introducing and promoting Vietnamese culture, sports and tourism; organise overseas events in the fields under their management; direct Vietnamese cultural centres in foreign countries to conduct external information work in these countries; effectively use and create favourable conditions for related agencies to use Vietnamese cultural centres in foreign countries for external information activities; and ensure the unified management of external activities.”

c/ To amend and supplement Clause 7 as follows:

“7. To carry out examination, handle violations and settle complaints and denunciations in external information activities in accordance with law.”

10. To amend and supplement a number of clauses of Article 19 as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

“2. To make statements about official viewpoints and stance of Vietnam on international issues; to organise international press conferences; to prepare answers given by leaders of the Party, the State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in interviews with foreign correspondents on foreign affairs and international issues; to develop communication content and messages relating to external information work.”

b/ To amend and supplement Clause 3 as follows:

“3. To coordinate with related ministries and agencies in guiding the domestic press in covering external activities of leaders of the Party, the State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and coordinate in guiding the coverage of external activities-related international and domestic issues.”

c/ To amend and supplement Clause 5 as follows:

“5. To guide and provide information to the foreign press; to provide information to overseas Vietnamese communities and international communities; to provide information on the international situation and Vietnam’s relations with countries to domestic agencies to serve external information activities, and to Vietnamese people.”

11. To amend the title of, and amend and supplement, Article 20 as follows:

“Article 20. The Ministry of National Defence

1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related agencies in, carrying out external information activities regarding national defence.

2. To invest in and modernise equipment and facilities and apply information technology to border-guard stations along the country’s borderline to improve the quality of external information work in border areas.

3. To coordinate in grasping situations, propose policies and measures to respond to, and clarify fake news and false information about Vietnam in border areas; to participate in the examination and evaluation of the effectiveness of external information work in border areas.”

12. To add Articles 21a and 21b below Article 21 as follows:

“Article 21a. The Ministry of Science and Technology

To assume the prime responsibility for promoting the application of information technology and digital transformation in external information activities, and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related agencies in guiding and organising the implementation thereof.

Article 21b. The Ministry of Industry and Trade

1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies in, carrying out external information activities in the fields of industry, trade and international economic integration.

2. To organise programmes to promote Vietnam’s products and brands to the international market through external communication channels.”

13. To add Clause 4 to Article 22 as follows:

“4. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related agencies in, conducting external information work in the economic, financial and investment fields according to their assigned functions and tasks.”

14. To add Article 23a below Article 23 as follows:

“Article 23a. The Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency and press agencies

1. To organise the production of press and communication products; to develop multilingual special pages, columns and bulletins, and apply information technology on digital media platforms regarding external information content.

2. To promote cooperation with foreign news and press agencies, media companies and correspondents to enhance the promotion and distribution of Vietnam’s official external information products.”

15. To amend and supplement a number of clauses of Article 24 as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Clause 2 as follows:

“2. To direct the formulation and organise the implementation of action programmes and plans on external information work of their agencies and localities, focusing on external information activities on digital platforms and official social media platforms, ensuring the management thereof in accordance with current provisions on the management, provision and use of Internet services and online information as well as the provisions on provision of information and online public services in cyberspace by state agencies.”

b/ To add Clause 5a below Clause 5 as follows:

“5a. Based on the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to devise, and organise the implementation of, measures to encourage domestic agencies, organisations and individuals, overseas Vietnamese and foreigners to participate in external information activities; to mobilise social resources and strengthen cooperation and coordination between state agencies and organisations, enterprises and individuals in carrying out appropriate external information activities; to promote the application of information technology, develop technology platforms and deploy communication activities serving external information; to guide, support and create conditions for organisations and individuals participating in external information activities to comply with related laws.”

Article 2. To replace or remove a number of phrases in Decree No. 72/2015/ND-CP

1. To replace the phrase “the Ministry of Information and Communications”

To replace the phrase “the Ministry of Information and Communications” in Point a, Clause 1, Article 4; Clause 3, Article 10; Clause 2, Article 11; Clause 3, Article 12; Clause 2 of Article 13; Clauses 4 and 5, Article 14; Clause 2, Article 15; Clause 3, Article 17; Article 18; Clause 1, Article 19; Clauses 1 and 4, Article 21; Clause 1, Article 22; Article 23; Clauses 5 and 6, Article 24; and Clause 1, Article 26, with the phrase “the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism”.

2. To remove the phrase “government-attached agencies”

To remove the phrase “government-attached agencies” in Article 1; Article 2; Points a and b, Clause 1, Article 4; Article 5; Clause 2, Article 7; Clause 2, Article 10; Clauses 1, 3 and 4, Article 12; Clause 2, Article 13; Clauses 1, 3 and 5, Article 14; Clause 6, Article 18; Clause 1, Article 19; Article 23; Clause 9, Article 24; and Clause 2, Article 26.

Article 3. Implementation provisions

This Decree takes effect on July 1, 2026.

On behalf of the Government
For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
PHAM THI THANH TRA