The management of external information activities
13:49 21/12/2016
This Decree prescribes the management of external information activities; and responsibilities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities (below referred to as provincial-level People’s Committees) for the management and implementation of external information activities.
The principles of external information activities:
1. To conform with guidelines of the Party, laws of the State, and treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party; to conform with laws and customs and practices of host countries.
2. Not to affect national security, social order and safety, prestige, image, foreign relations and international cooperation of Vietnam; to protect state secrets.
3. Not to incite the people to act against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or undermine the national unity bloc; not to provoke violence, propagandize wars of aggression and sow hatred among ethnicities and peoples of countries.
4. To ensure information be accurate, timely and conformable with external information orientations set by the Party and the State in each period and approved external information programs and plans; not to make untruthful, distortional and slanderous news in order to offend the honor of organizations and honor and dignity of citizens.
According to the Decree, the provision of official information on Vietnam will be as follow
1. Official information on Vietnam means information on guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State; information on the situation of Vietnam in various fields; information on the history of Vietnam and other information.
2. Official information on Vietnam shall be proactively provided to international communities and overseas Vietnamese by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees according to their functions, tasks and powers.
3. Official information on Vietnam may be provided in the following forms:
a/ Official statements delivered at international events and forums, international press conferences and national press conferences;
b/ Official statements of state management agencies;
c/ External activities of state management agencies;
d/ External activities, making of statements, organization of events, publication of information on websites and other activities of overseas representative missions of Vietnam;
dd/ News programs and products of press agencies of the Government, including Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam;
e/ Publication on Vietnam Government Web Portal, the external information website, and web portals of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees;
g/ State agencies’ publications in Vietnamese and foreign languages.
To support and cooperation with foreign news and press agencies, communication companies and reporters to promote Vietnam overseas, the Decree requires that:
- Foreign news and press agencies, communication companies and reporters shall be supported and facilitated in writing news and articles and producing programs and publications in order to introduce Vietnam in the foreign mass media.
- The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, developing mechanisms and policies for the support and cooperation prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article.
- Information and press activities of foreign news and press agencies and communication companies in Vietnam must comply with the Government’s Decree No. 88/2012/ND-CP of October 23, 2012, on information and press activities of the foreign press, foreign representative missions and foreign organizations in Vietnam, and relevant legal documents.
Besides, Vietnamese news and press agencies shall direct their overseas news bureaus in providing information and participating in activities serving external information tasks at the request of the Ministry of Information and Communications; and periodically and irregularly report to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on external information activities of their overseas news bureaus.
This Decree takes effect on October 22, 2015. The Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010, ceases to be effective on the effective date of this Decree.
The principles of external information activities:
1. To conform with guidelines of the Party, laws of the State, and treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party; to conform with laws and customs and practices of host countries.
2. Not to affect national security, social order and safety, prestige, image, foreign relations and international cooperation of Vietnam; to protect state secrets.
3. Not to incite the people to act against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or undermine the national unity bloc; not to provoke violence, propagandize wars of aggression and sow hatred among ethnicities and peoples of countries.
4. To ensure information be accurate, timely and conformable with external information orientations set by the Party and the State in each period and approved external information programs and plans; not to make untruthful, distortional and slanderous news in order to offend the honor of organizations and honor and dignity of citizens.
According to the Decree, the provision of official information on Vietnam will be as follow
1. Official information on Vietnam means information on guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State; information on the situation of Vietnam in various fields; information on the history of Vietnam and other information.
2. Official information on Vietnam shall be proactively provided to international communities and overseas Vietnamese by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees according to their functions, tasks and powers.
3. Official information on Vietnam may be provided in the following forms:
a/ Official statements delivered at international events and forums, international press conferences and national press conferences;
b/ Official statements of state management agencies;
c/ External activities of state management agencies;
d/ External activities, making of statements, organization of events, publication of information on websites and other activities of overseas representative missions of Vietnam;
dd/ News programs and products of press agencies of the Government, including Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam;
e/ Publication on Vietnam Government Web Portal, the external information website, and web portals of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees;
g/ State agencies’ publications in Vietnamese and foreign languages.
To support and cooperation with foreign news and press agencies, communication companies and reporters to promote Vietnam overseas, the Decree requires that:
- Foreign news and press agencies, communication companies and reporters shall be supported and facilitated in writing news and articles and producing programs and publications in order to introduce Vietnam in the foreign mass media.
- The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, developing mechanisms and policies for the support and cooperation prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article.
- Information and press activities of foreign news and press agencies and communication companies in Vietnam must comply with the Government’s Decree No. 88/2012/ND-CP of October 23, 2012, on information and press activities of the foreign press, foreign representative missions and foreign organizations in Vietnam, and relevant legal documents.
Besides, Vietnamese news and press agencies shall direct their overseas news bureaus in providing information and participating in activities serving external information tasks at the request of the Ministry of Information and Communications; and periodically and irregularly report to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on external information activities of their overseas news bureaus.
This Decree takes effect on October 22, 2015. The Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30, 2010, ceases to be effective on the effective date of this Decree.