Law on the Organization of Local Government 2025 in Vietnam from March 1, 2025

Law on the Organization of Local Government 2025 in Vietnam from March 1, 2025 (Image from the internet)

On February 19, 2025, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, XVth term, 9th extraordinary session, passed the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025.

Law on the Organization of Local Government 2025 in Vietnam from March 1, 2025

The Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025 stipulates the administrative units of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam include:

(i) Provinces, centrally-run cities (hereinafter referred to as provincial level);

(ii) Districts, urban districts, district-level towns, provincial cities, cities under centrally-run cities (hereinafter referred to as district level);

(iii) Communes, wards, commune-level towns (hereinafter referred to as commune level);

(iv) Special administrative-economic units established by decision of the National Assembly.

Depending on geographical conditions, population, socio-economic development requirements, national defense and security assurance, district-level administrative units on islands and archipelagos (hereinafter referred to as islands) may not organize commune-level administrative units.

Regarding the organization of local governments at administrative units, the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025 provides as follows:

(1) Local governments at administrative units stipulated in points (i), (ii), and (iii) above are the levels of local government consisting of the People's Council and the People's Committee.

In case the National Assembly provides regulations not to organize a level of local government at a specific administrative unit, then the local government at that unit is the People's Committee.

(2) Local governments in rural areas consist of local governments at the provincial, district, and commune levels.

(3) Local governments in urban areas consist of local governments at centrally-run cities, urban districts, district-level towns, provincial cities, cities under centrally-run cities, wards, and commune-level towns.

(4) Local governments at special administrative-economic units are defined by the National Assembly upon establishing such units.

Additionally, principles of organization and operation of local governments are clearly stipulated as follows:

- Comply with the Constitution and laws, manage society by law; implement democratic centralism principles.

The People's Council works according to collective policies and decides by majority. The People's Committee at local government levels operates according to the collective policies of the People's Committee in combination with emphasizing the responsibility of the Chairman of the People's Committee.

- Organize a streamlined, effective, and efficient local government responding to the requirements of professional, modern, transparent local governance, ensuring accountability linked with a mechanism to control power.

- Ensure human rights, citizen rights; promote the people's sovereignty, serve the people, subject to supervision by the people.

- Ensure a unified, continuous administration.

- Matters under the local government's competence must be decided by the locality, organized for implementation by the locality, and self-responsibility is assumed.

See the full content at the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025 effective from March 01, 2025, except where the organization of the People's Committee for the 2021 - 2026 term continues to operate according to the structure and composition stipulated in the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2015 (as amended, supplemented over the years) until there is a regulation by the Government of Vietnam according to the provision of clause 1, Article 37 of the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025.

Within 02 years from the effective date of the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025, legal documents prescribing the tasks, powers of local governments at all levels must be amended, supplemented to ensure conformity with the principles stipulated at Articles 11, 12, 13, 14 and the tasks, powers of local governments at all levels prescribed in the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025.

From the effective date of the Law on Organization of Local Governments 2025, to promptly accelerate decentralization, delegation to local governments in some priority, urgent areas, the Government of Vietnam is assigned to issue legal documents within its competence to redefine the tasks and powers of local governments and adjust other related provisions regarding the performance of tasks, powers of local governments to ensure uniform application during the time when laws, ordinances, resolutions of the National Assembly, Standing Committee of the National Assembly have not been amended, supplemented, and periodically report to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; in case it relates to laws, resolutions of the National Assembly, report to the National Assembly at the nearest session.

During the time competent agencies have not issued legal documents to adjust tasks, powers of local governments in sectors, fields in accordance with the provisions of this Law, existing legal regulations related to responsibilities in the performance of tasks and powers of local governments continue to be implemented until a competent agency issues amending, supplementing, or replacing legal documents.

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