Update on the organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam in 2025

Update on the organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam in 2025​ (Image from the Internet)

On February 26, 2025, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 41/2025/ND-CP regarding the functions, duties, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

Update on the organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam in 2025

Based on Article 3 of Decree 41/2025/ND-CP, the functions, duties, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs are as follows:

- Planning and Finance Department.

- Personnel Organization Department.

- Legal Affairs Department.

- International Cooperation Department.

- Inspection.

- Office.

- Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

- Propaganda Department for Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

- Policy Department.

- Digital Transformation Center.

- Academy of Ethnology.

- Ethnic and Development Newspaper.

- Journal of Ethnic and Religious Studies.

In Article 3 of Decree 41/2025/ND-CP, the units specified from item 1 to item 9 are units assisting the Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in implementing state management functions; the units specified from item 10 to item 13 are public service providers serving the state management function of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs is a department-level organization, with a structure consisting of 7 department-level units; the Ministry office, and the Ministry’s Inspection, have department-level units as stipulated.

The Propaganda Department for Ethnic and Religious Affairs has 2 sectors located in Dak Lak province and Can Tho city.

The Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs submits to the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam a list of other public service providers under the Ministry as stipulated.

Previously, according to the Supplementary Report, completing the plan for arranging and streamlining the organizational structure of the Government of Vietnam, concerning the names of ministries, particularly the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, will be established on the basis of the Ethnic Committee receiving additional functions and duties as well as the state management structure over religious affairs from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

To be specific, the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs is the government agency of Vietnam that performs the state management function over sectors and fields: Ethnic affairs; beliefs, religions, and state management over public services in the fields under the Ministry’s state management as prescribed by law.

The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs was established on the basis of the Ethnic Committee and receives additional functions, duties, and the state management structure over religious affairs from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In Clause 7, Article 2 of Decree 41/2025/ND-CP, duties, and powers of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs regarding beliefs and religions are stipulated as follows:

(i) Assist the Government of Vietnam in uniformly managing state management on beliefs and religions according to the provisions of law;

(ii) Organize and implement the Communist Party's policies, State laws, strategies, plans, programs, projects related to beliefs, religions after approval by competent authorities;

(iii) Act as the focal point for relations with domestic and international religious organizations, external relations on religious matters, and human rights advocacy in the religious field; promote unity in the community of religions in Vietnam;

(iv) Guide communities of beliefs, religious organizations, and individuals in activities compliant with the law;

(v) Preside and cooperate with ministries, central authorities, localities, central agencies of socio-political organizations, and related organizations in informing, propagating, and mobilizing the mass following the Communist Party's policies, State laws on beliefs, and religions;

(vi) Manage the publications, religious texts, educational materials, and cultural products inherently related to beliefs and religions of recognized communities and religious organizations.

Refer to details in the Decree 41/2025/ND-CP, effective from March 01, 2025.

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