Law on Civil Defense 2023 to take effect as of July 1, 2024 in Vietnam

Law on Civil Defense 2023 stipulates rules and operations of civil defense; rights, obligations, and responsibilities of agencies, organizations, and individuals in civil defense operations; state management and resources serving civil defense. For example:

Rules in civil defense operations in Vietnam

- Complying with the Constitution, regulations and law of Vietnam, and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory.

- Operating under leadership of the Communist Party, joint management of the Government; utilizing the role and participation of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations, unions, and the People.

- Being jointly organized from central to local government; receiving assignments, decentralization, and closely cooperating with agencies, organizations, and forces in civil defense operations.

- Civil defense must be prepared early and remotely and centered primarily around preparedness; combine four-on-the-spot principles with backup, assistance of central governments, local governments, and international communities;

Rely on active assessment of risk of adverse events and catastrophes, identification of civil defense level, and application of appropriate civil defense measures to promptly respond to, recover from consequences of war, adverse events, catastrophes, natural disasters, diseases, protect the People, agencies, organizations, national economy, and mitigating damage to humans and property.

- Combine civil defense with national defense and security, socio-economic development, protection of human lives, health, and property, protection of the environment, ecosystem, and adaptation to climate change.

- Application of measures and mobilization of resources in civil defense must be timely, reasonable, feasible, effective, efficient, appropriate to subjects and level of civil defense according to this Law and other relevant law provisions.

- Civil defense operations must maintain humanitarianism, fairness, transparency, gender equality, and prioritize vulnerable population.

Law on Civil Defense 2023 to take effect as of July 1, 2024 in Vietnam (Internet image)

Government policies regarding civil defense in Vietnam

- Prioritize construction of specialized civil defense structures according to planning and plan; procure civil defense equipment.

- Improve capability of civil defense forces, develop special forces with modern and professional organization, equipment; increase dual-use equipment and instruments in armed forces.

- Mobilize resources of agencies, organizations, and individuals in conducting civil defense operations.

- Develop, research, transfer, and apply science, high technology, advanced and modern technology in civil defense operations.

- Provide personnel training and advanced training, attract high quality human resources to serve civil defense operations.

- Encourage and enable agencies, organizations, and individuals to make physical, financial, and mental contributions to civil defense operations on the voluntary basis, not contradicting Vietnamese laws and conforming to international laws.

- Ensure national reserve for civil defense operations.

Prohibited actions in civil defense in Vietnam

- Resisting, obstructing, intentionally delaying, or failing to comply with civil defense order, command of competent agencies or individuals; refusing to participate in search and rescue when realistically feasible.

- Damaging, destroying, appropriating civil defense equipment or structures.

- Causing adverse events or catastrophes which threaten lives and health of people; damaging property of the Government, the people, agencies, organizations, the environment, and national economy.

- Delivering false information on adverse events or catastrophes.

- Intentionally placing obstacles to obstruct civil defense operations.

- Building structures that either mitigate or neutralize civil defense structures; illegally build other structures within planning area of civil defense structures or area of existing civil defense structures.

- Using specialized civil defense equipment for incorrect purposes or using civil defense structures for incorrect purposes.

- Abusing powers to violate civil defense laws; conceal individuals violating civil defense laws; exploiting adverse events or catastrophes to mobilize, use civil defense resources for incorrect purposes.

- Exploiting civil defense operations, adverse events, or catastrophes to violate benefits of the Government, legitimate rights and benefits of organizations and individuals.

Mai Thanh Loi

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