Vietnam: Update on the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2024

Vietnam: Update on the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2024

Principles for the management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears in Vietnam under the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2024 are as follows:

- Comply with the Constitution, laws, and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member, and relevant international agreements.

- Weapons, explosives, and supporting tools must be equipped according to authority, target groups, and ensure technical standards and regulations.

- Agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals managing or using weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools must fully meet the prescribed conditions.

- Persons with authority issuing orders or decisions to use weapons, explosives, and supporting tools must take responsibility for their orders or decisions according to regulations.

- The use of weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools must ensure conformity, minimizing damage to human life, health, property, and the environment.

- Research, manufacture, production, testing, business, equipment, export, import, transportation, repair, and use of weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools must be licensed by authorized agencies or permitted by competent persons, ensuring strict management, security, safety, and environmental protection.

- Weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools must be periodically inspected, counted, and quality-assessed; in cases where agencies, organizations, or businesses no longer need to use them, expired or damaged weapons, explosives, and supporting tools must be retrieved, liquidated, or destroyed according to regulations, ensuring security, safety, and environmental protection.

- Loss of weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, supporting tools, and licenses, certificates, and permits must be promptly reported to the issuing authority.

- Weapons, explosives, explosive precursors, and supporting tools must be tested, inspected, appraised, certified, and registered according to the law on product and goods quality management before being authorized for production, business, and use in Vietnam.

The Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2024 takes effect from January 1, 2025, except for Article 17, Article 32, and Clause 1 of Article 49, which are effective from July 1, 2025.

The Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2017 ceases to be in effect in Vietnam from the date the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2024 takes effect, except in the following cases:

- Provisions in Article 17, Article 35, and Clause 1 of Article 52 of the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2017 (as amended and supplemented) remain effective until June 30, 2025;

- Provisions in Article 75 of the Law on management and use of weapons, explosives and combat gears 2017.

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