Authority to approve or disapprove religious activity registration in Vietnam from July 30, 2024

Authority to approve or disapprove religious activity registration in Vietnam from July 30, 2024 (Image from the internet)

On June 13, 2024, the Minister of Home Affairs (Hanoi, Vietnam) issued Circular 03/2024/TT-BNV stipulating the decentralization of certain state management tasks concerning faith and religion of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam.

Authority to approve or disapprove religious activity registration in Vietnam from July 30, 2024

Article 4 of Circular 03/2024/TT-BNV stipulates the authority to approve or disapprove religious activity registration and certain contents related to religious organizations and activities in Vietnam as follows:

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) of the Government of Vietnam is decentralized to execute approval or disapproval for the following contents:

- Registration for the certification of religious activities for organizations operating across multiple provinces.

- Registration for the organizational and operational regulations amendments or revised admission regulations of religious training establishments.

- Registration for individuals appointed, elected, or nominated to serve as officials as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 34 of the Law on Belief and Religion 2016.

- Registration for individuals appointed, elected, or nominated to serve as officials in organizations certified for religious activity registration operating across multiple provinces.

- Proposals to organize inter-religious conferences for religious organizations and subordinate religious organizations.

- Proposals to organize congresses for religious organizations, subordinate religious organizations, or organizations certified for religious activity registration operating across multiple provinces.

- Registration for Vietnamese citizens ordained, appointed, elected, or nominated abroad to return to Vietnam to serve as clergy or officials.

Authority to approve or disapprove religious activities with foreign elements in Vietnam

The authority to approve or disapprove religious activities with foreign elements in Vietnam is stipulated in Article 5 of Circular 03/2024/TT-BNV as follows:

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) of the Government of Vietnam is decentralized to execute approval or disapproval for the following proposals:

- Designating clergy, officials, monastics, and believers to participate in religious activities or religious training abroad.

- Ordaining, appointing, electing, or nominating believers of religious organizations in Vietnam to serve as clergy or officials for foreign religious organizations in Vietnam.

- Inviting foreign organizations and individuals to Vietnam to conduct religious activities in multiple provinces or engage in international relations concerning religion.

- Inviting foreign clergy and monastics to preach for organizations certified to register religious activities operating across multiple provinces.

- Inviting foreign clergy and monastics to preach to groups of foreigners practicing concentrated religious activities.

- Foreign students studying at religious training establishments in Vietnam.

- Ordaining or nominating titles for foreigners legally residing in Vietnam.

Principles of secentralization in state management regarding belief and religion in Vietnam

- Decentralization aims to meet the administrative reform requirements of the Government of Vietnam and ensure unified, comprehensive, effective, and efficient state management of belief and religion by the Ministry of Home Affairs on a nationwide scale.

- Strengthening inspection and supervision regarding the responsibilities of decentralized agencies and organizations; clearly defining tasks, responsibilities, and the capability to perform tasks, and promoting the role and initiative of the head of the decentralized agency or organization; ensuring financial conditions, human resources, and other necessary conditions for the decentralized task execution.

- Complying with the provisions of the Law on Belief and Religion 2016, Decree 95/2023/ND-CP on procedures, authority when executing decentralized contents, and other relevant legal provisions.

(Article 2 of Circular 03/2024/TT-BNV)

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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